- E-commerce buying, along with changing buyer demographics, is rapidly disrupting industrial distributors’ traditional inventory-heavy model, according to a press release from UPS. Therefore, distributors must quickly adjust their methods and offer better stock online as well as improve customer service.
- Millennials (aged 21-34) are the greatest drivers of this change. Along with their technical skill, they often have nontraditional shopping habits, going right to a manufacturer instead of through a middleman-distributor.
- The UPS survey found 81% of buyers have purchased directly from manufacturers, up from 64% in 2015, while 75% of buyers shop at an e-marketplace, rising from 20% in 2013. Finally, 80% of buyers shifted toward web-friendly suppliers, an 8% increase since 2015.
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