Why is 2025 a turning point for B2B eCommerce?

Digital-native buyers, AI-driven operations, and connected systems are converging. Brands that link their B2B portal, ERP, and CRM gain real-time visibility into inventory, pricing, and demand—unlocking faster, more accurate selling.

How are Millennial and Gen Z buyers changing wholesale?

They expect self-service shopping, transparent pricing, mobile-first UX, and personalized recommendations. Modern B2B portals and discovery networks help brands meet these expectations without losing the human touch of reps.

How are AI and automation reshaping the B2B buyer journey?

AI speeds product discovery and forecasting while automation keeps inventory, pricing, and orders in sync. Routine tasks—approvals, invoicing, reminders—run in the background so sales teams can focus on strategy and relationships.

How can brands personalize the wholesale buying experience?

Use role-based access, customer-specific pricing, and curated digital catalogs. Combine historical buying data with recommendations so each retailer sees relevant assortments, terms, and content across every channel.

How does omnichannel B2B selling support digital-first retailers?

By unifying online portals, virtual showrooms, event microsites, and rep-entered orders on one data layer. Buyers get consistent availability and pricing, can start an order online, review it with a rep, and finalize it anywhere.

What are the core benefits of digital transformation for wholesale brands?

Connected systems drive forecast accuracy, real-time inventory visibility, fewer cancellations, faster collections, and stronger retailer retention—creating compounding growth over time.

B2B eCommerce Transformation in 2025

Q: Is self-service ordering really the future of wholesale?

Yes. Most B2B buyers prefer to research and order on their own timeline. Self-service portals provide 24/7 access to inventory, pricing, and order history while reps step in as advisors for complex or high-value deals.

Q: How does automation impact sales teams?

Automation removes manual data entry and follow-ups, reduces errors, and accelerates approvals. Reps get clean, current data and can spend more time on account strategy, merchandising guidance, and closing larger orders.

Q: Can AI help predict what retailers will buy next?

Yes. Models use historical orders, seasonality, and regional trends to forecast demand and suggest add-on products or size runs—improving fill rates and reducing stockouts.

Chapter I: Introduction
Chapter II: Why Is 2025 a Turning Point for B2B eCommerce?
Chapter III: How Are Millennial and Gen Z Buyers Changing Wholesale?
Chapter IV: How Is AI and Automation Reshaping the B2B Buyer Journey?
Chapter V: How Can Brands Personalize the Wholesale Buying Experience?
Chapter VI: How Does Omnichannel B2B Selling Support Digital-First Retailers?
Chapter VIII: Conclusion
Chapter VIII FAQ

Chapter I: Introduction

Wholesale is becoming less of a behind-the-scenes side of commerce and more of a growth engine for brands.

It almost feels like this year has become a tipping point where B2B eCommerce is becoming faster, more intelligent, and deeply personalized. In fact, over 80% of B2B buyers now expect “Amazon-like” experiences from their suppliers, and 65% prefer digital self-service over traditional sales calls, according to McKinsey’s 2025 B2B Pulse Report.

At the same time, millennial and Gen Z buyers are driving procurement decisions with very different expectations that include seamless digital journeys, real-time inventory visibility, personalized pricing, and fast checkout.

To meet these demands, wholesale brands must transform how they sell and serve retailers.

Platforms like RepSpark are at the center of this transformation, helping brands connect data, automation, and human touch into one unified wholesale experience.

The last few years have seen B2B eCommerce accelerate from a nice-to-have to a growth imperative. Research from Forrester projects U.S. B2B digital sales to surpass $3 trillion by 2027, driven by digital-native buyers and AI-enabled operations.

The shift isn’t just about digitizing ordering, it’s about integrating the entire sales ecosystem. Brands are connecting their ERP, CRM, and B2B portals to create a 360° view of inventory, pricing, and customer behavior.

RepSpark simplifies this with real-time ERP integrations and automated inventory visibility, helping brands scale faster and serve retailers more accurately.

Millennials and Gen Z now represent more than 60% of B2B buyers worldwide. They prefer digital self-service, expect transparent pricing, and value brands that mirror the ease of consumer eCommerce.

This generation researches vendors online before ever speaking to a rep. They expect rich content, personalized recommendations, and social validation.

RepSpark’s Branded Portals and RepSpark Community deliver exactly that by giving retailers 24/7 access to your collections, personalized pricing, and a discovery network where they can find and shop new brands.

The result is a wholesale experience that feels modern, mobile-friendly, and made for the next generation of buyers.

Artificial intelligence is quietly redefining the B2B sales cycle. AI tools are predicting what buyers will want next. McKinsey notes that AI-driven recommendation engines can increase B2B conversion rates by up to 50%.

While we still don’t have full AI capabilities, RepSpark uses automation to eliminate friction across the buyer journey:

Smart ordering: Automatically suggests complementary products or size runs based on historical data.
Automated inventory sync: Keeps availability current across channels.
Dynamic pricing: Adjusts offers and discounts in real time based on buyer segments and order volume.
Workflow automation: Simplifies order approvals, returns, and invoicing without manual touchpoints.

These capabilities free sales teams to focus on strategy and relationship-building while our tech handles the routine.

Personalization is the cornerstone of B2B growth in 2025. According to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer Report, 73% of B2B buyers expect brands to understand their unique needs and make personalized recommendations.

RepSpark delivers this through custom pricing, discount management, and role-based access features.

Retailers see their specific terms, volume-based discounts, and collection recommendations tailored to their segment or region.

Combined with digital catalogs and AI-driven assortment planning, brands can curate an experience that feels personalized at scale, just like a B2C shopping journey, but optimized for wholesale.

Digital-first retailers expect a unified buying experience whether they’re ordering online, at a trade show, or through a rep. An omnichannel strategy ensures they see consistent pricing, inventory, and brand messaging no matter how they shop.

RepSpark integrates every touchpoint. This means Online Portals, Virtual Showrooms, Microsites, and Rep-driven Orders all draw from the same data source.

This makes it easy for buyers to start an order online, review it with a rep, and finalize it at an event without losing context.

As a result, brands build loyalty through consistency and transparency which are key drivers for millennial and Gen Z retailers.

The next phase of B2B transformation is predictive commerce. AI and machine learning will move from reactive to proactive tasks like forecasting inventory needs, flagging payment risks, and triggering automated marketing based on buyer behavior.

RepSpark’s connected data architecture already lays the groundwork for this future.

By adopting digital platforms that automate manual tasks today, wholesale brands position themselves to thrive in an AI-driven tomorrow.

Is self-service ordering really the future of wholesale?
Yes. Gartner reports that by 2026, 75% of B2B transactions will occur through self-service portals as buyers prefer control and speed. Platforms like RepSpark make this transition seamless without losing personal rep relationships.

How does automation impact sales teams?
It frees them from manual data entry and chasing approvals, allowing them to focus on strategic accounts and brand growth.

Can AI help predict what retailers will buy next?
Absolutely. AI-driven forecasting models use historical sales and regional data to predict future orders and optimize production planning.

What are the key benefits of digital transformation for wholesale brands?
Operational efficiency, higher order accuracy, better retailer retention, and data-driven growth through automation and AI.