Digital Business & Future 31.07.2026

6 min read

67 percent of B2B buyers now prefer digital platforms for purchasing. Marketplaces are changing how distribution, pricing and customer access work for suppliers.

Related: Unified Commerce in Mid-Sized Businesses 2026 · Digital Procurement in Purchasing

Why mid-sized companies must embrace platforms now

The data is clear: McKinsey’s B2B Pulse Survey shows 67 percent of industrial buyers now favor digital purchasing interactions. Field sales still matters-McKinsey calls it the “Rule of Thirds,” where one-third prefer in-person, one-third remote, and one-third digital self-service. But the digital buyers expect Amazon-grade experiences: real-time stock visibility, transparent pricing, one-click reordering.

German B2B e-commerce grew 7 percent in 2024-while the wider economy stagnated. IFH Köln forecasts 6.3 percent growth for 2025. Structural drivers are at play: younger buyers are moving into decision roles, ERP systems are becoming API-ready, and the pandemic cemented digital procurement as the new normal.

For mid-sized companies, this creates a dilemma: miss the digital shelf and you lose existing customers to marketplaces. Over-rely on a single platform and you surrender margin and customer ownership. The answer is a hybrid strategy.

B2B online trade in Germany is expanding around 7 percent annually, IFH Köln and ECC report. By 2027 the volume should exceed €500 billion. The growth isn’t driven by large corporations running their own procurement portals, but by mid-sized firms buying and selling through marketplaces. The technology is ready. The real barrier is the willingness to rethink sales.

For mid-sized companies, 73 percent of B2B buyers research online before ever contacting field sales (Forrester, 2025). If you’re not on any platform, you lose customers who never even inquired-they simply couldn’t find you. Most sales leaders never see these lost orders.

Key B2B platforms in Germany

Mercateo/Unite: With 1.4 million business customers and more than 700 suppliers, Unite (formerly Mercateo) is Germany’s largest B2B marketplace. The model goes beyond classic e-commerce: Unite positions itself as a relationship platform that digitises existing business ties rather than forcing new ones. Relevant for mid-sized companies because suppliers can store their own prices and terms for existing customers.

Amazon Business: The elephant in the room. Amazon Business is growing strongly in Germany, yet it does not publish specific user numbers for the German market. Strengths: vast product range, established logistics, invoice purchase and tiered pricing. Risks: price transparency squeezes margins, customer data belongs to Amazon and platform dependency grows with every passing month.

Wucato: Würth’s subsidiary positions itself with more than 10 million items in its catalogue as an alternative for technical trade. The advantage over Amazon: stronger industry focus and better integration into existing procurement processes.

“Wer liefert was” (Visable): More a visibility platform than a transaction marketplace. Relevant for manufacturers and suppliers wanting to boost visibility among buyers without selling directly on a transactional platform.

“The dynamics of B2B platforms are fundamentally reshaping sales structures. Mid-sized firms should treat marketplaces as an additional channel while simultaneously nurturing their own customer relationships.”
Paraphrased from IFH Köln, B2B-Commerce Monitor 2024

The ERP integration trap: where the real headaches begin

Technically connecting to B2B platforms sounds easier than it is. In practice, many mid-sized companies stumble over three hurdles:

Legacy ERP systems: Many mid-sized ERPs were not built for modern API connections. They are stable but rigid. Real-time synchronisation of inventory, pricing and order data between ERP and platform requires either middleware or an ERP upgrade-both costing five-figure sums.

Data alignment: Item numbers, pricing structures and customer master data are rarely platform-compatible. SKU mappings, pricing rules and discount tiers must be translated manually. With thousands of items, this becomes a multi-day project.

Scalability performance: Large product catalogues and high order volumes overwhelm older systems. When the marketplace channel grows, the backend infrastructure must keep pace. This often only becomes a problem once the channel is already successful.

The technical complexity is frequently underestimated: customer-specific price lists, real-time stock checks, automated order creation in the ERP system and synchronisation of master data across multiple channels. Manual solutions do not scale; automated ones need middleware such as Lobster, Tradebyte or Pimcore to bridge platform APIs and your own ERP. Typical first-integration costs range from €15,000 to €80,000, depending on ERP complexity and the number of connected platforms.

Data sovereignty and platform dependency

According to a 2026 Parallels survey, 94 percent of IT leaders fear vendor lock-in. In the context of B2B platforms, this concern is justified. By shifting your entire sales operation to a single platform, you surrender three critical assets: customer data, pricing authority, and brand perception.

Counter-strategies are well-known but rarely implemented consistently: adopt a multi-platform approach instead of relying on a single channel. Maintain your own shop as an anchor for existing customers. Include contractual clauses for data portability. And follow this golden rule: acquire new customers on platforms, but nurture existing ones through your own channel.

The European Digital Sovereignty Initiative and projects like GAIA-X are working to establish secure data exchange frameworks under European control. For SMEs, these remain distant goals-but the direction is clear.

A concrete risk: Amazon Business controls the customer relationship. Manufacturers only see end customers as anonymous order numbers. Selling exclusively through Amazon means surrendering your most valuable B2B asset-the direct customer relationship. The alternative? Use platforms as one of several channels, but keep your own web shop as the primary hub for existing customers. Solutions like Mercateo Unite and Wucato offer greater transparency because they operate as networks rather than marketplaces. Data sovereignty remains with the seller.

What the entry really costs

Costs depend on your level of ambition. A realistic breakdown for SMEs:

Marketplace integration (€15,000 to €40,000): Listing on an established platform such as Mercateo or Amazon Business. Includes product data preparation, ERP integration, and process definition. Ongoing costs: commission (5–15 percent) plus listing fees.

Own B2B online shop (€40,000 to €120,000): Platforms like Shopware, SAP Commerce Cloud, or Spryker as the foundation. Includes ERP integration, customer-specific pricing logic, and invoice purchasing. Ongoing costs: hosting, maintenance, and content management.

Hybrid model (€60,000 to €180,000): Own shop plus marketplace integrations. Product Information Management (PIM) as the central data hub. The most complex setup, but with the least dependency.

ROI varies by business model. Companies with standardized products and high repeat-order rates typically break even on their own shop within 12 to 18 months. For complex, high-touch products, the timeline can stretch to 24 months.

Five steps to get started

1. Analyze customer segments. Which customers order standard products regularly? They benefit most from digital procurement. Who needs personal consultation? Keep those relationships with field sales.

2. Clean up product data. No platform will work without clean master data. Ensure consistent, up-to-date descriptions, images, units of measure, and pricing logic.

3. Check ERP readiness. Can your ERP system sync inventory and orders via API? If not, evaluate middleware like Tradebyte or ChannelEngine as a bridge.

4. Launch a pilot on a marketplace. Test Mercateo or Wucato with a limited product range. Gather experience before committing to full-scale investment.

5. Define a hybrid strategy. Use platforms for customer acquisition, your own channel for existing customers. Never put all your eggs in one basket.

Conclusion

B2B platforms will be standard operating procedure for SMEs by 2026. The market is growing despite economic weakness, buyers are becoming more digital, and platforms are becoming more powerful. At the same time, risks are real: ERP integration complexity, margin pressure from price transparency, and growing platform dependency. The sustainable answer is a deliberate hybrid strategy: leverage platforms for reach while using your own channels as relationship anchors.

The pragmatic entry point: select a platform that fits your industry, list ten to twenty products, test for three months, and then decide. Pilot project costs stay under €5,000. The risk is low, the learning potential high. Anyone who in two years finds that 30 percent of new customers come via platforms will be glad they started today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Own shop or marketplace first?

Retain existing customers and recurring terms in your own channel. Marketplaces serve reach and new customers. The hybrid strategy protects margins and data.

What’s the difference between Mercateo/Unite and Amazon Business?

Unite digitizes existing business relationships with custom pricing. Amazon Business is an open marketplace with strong price transparency and standardized terms.

How long does ERP integration take?

Standard middleware often four to eight weeks. Native API with custom pricing and real-time inventory: three to six months. Master data and images often take longer than the API code.

How do I avoid vendor lock-in?

Cap revenue per channel, secure data portability in contracts, and keep product data in a PIM. This keeps platform switching feasible.

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