Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on B2B e-commerce
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on B2B e-commerce, 6 April 2021
- The market
- Market size and forecast
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- Figure 2: Market size for e-commerce, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- Figure 3: Segmentation of e-commerce market, by end use market, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- B2B has two channels
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- Figure 4: Segmentation of B2B e-commerce market, by channel, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- E-commerce is used in all sectors
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- Figure 5: Segmentation of B2B e-commerce sales, by business sector, 2020
- Internet growth still opening opportunities
- Social distancing impacts the market
- Major growth potential
- Companies and brands
- Part of so many industries
- Different approaches
- Company size impacts involvement
Issues and Insights
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- How COVID-19 has changed e-commerce
- The role of the marketplace
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- Figure 6: Comparison of companies with a website and gaining e-commerce orders from the site, by company size, 2019
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- Figure 7: Comparison of companies with a website gaining sales and using a marketplace to gain sales, 2019
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- The importance of B2B
- The two major different channels
- The diversity of activity
- Growth potential
Market Size and Forecast
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- Growth in B2C, but challenges for B2B in 2020
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- Figure 8: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on B2B e-commerce, 6 April 2021
- 2020, a year of mixed fortunes
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- Figure 9: Market size for e-commerce, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- B2B suffers in 2020
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- Figure 10: Segmentation of e-commerce market, by end use market, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- Website sales creating growth
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- Figure 11: Segmentation of e-commerce market, by channel, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- The B2B sector
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- Figure 12: Segmentation of B2B e-commerce market, by channel, 2015-25 (prepared on 6 April 2021)
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 13: Key drivers affecting MBD’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 5 March 2021)
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Landscape change in 2020
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- Figure 14: Segmentation of e-commerce activity, by end use market, 2020 (£ billion)
- EDI and websites in the B2B sector
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- Figure 15: Segmentation of the B2B e-commerce market, by channel, 2020 (£ billion)
- Business sector segmentation
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- Figure 16: Segmentation of all e-commerce sales, by business sector, 2020
- Figure 17: Segmentation of B2B e-commerce sales, by business sector, 2020
Segmentation: Manufacturing
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- COVID-19 upsets trend
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- Figure 18: Development of manufacturing e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- EDI most commonly used channel
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- Figure 19: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the manufacturing sector, by channel, 2015-20
- Websites open international opportunities
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- Figure 20: Regional segmentation of website sales in the manufacturing sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- EDI sales are UK centric
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- Figure 21: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the manufacturing sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- The B2B or B2C dilemma
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- Figure 22: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the manufacturing sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- The potential
Segmentation: Utilities
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- E-commerce reaches highest level yet in 2020
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- Figure 23: Development of utilities e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Website sales dominate activity
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- Figure 24: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the utilities sector, by channel, 2015-20
- A B2C led market
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- Figure 25: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the utilities sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- Geographic activity
Segmentation: Construction
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- A modest e-commerce market
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- Figure 26: Development of construction e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- The erratic development of EDI
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- Figure 27: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the construction sector, by channel, 2015-20
- E-commerce is primarily B2B
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- Figure 28: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the construction sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- Geographic activity
- The potential
Segmentation: Wholesale
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- E-commerce activity moderates
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- Figure 29: Development of wholesale e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- EDI and website sales of equal importance
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- Figure 30: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the wholesale sector, by channel, 2015-20
- UK dominates activity for website sales
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- Figure 31: Regional segmentation of website sales in the Wholesale sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- EDI follows similar geographic spread
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- Figure 32: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the Wholesale sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- B2B dominates sales
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- Figure 33: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the wholesale sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- The potential
Segmentation: Retail
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- Strong growth in 2020
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- Figure 34: Development of retail e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Website sales dominate
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- Figure 35: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the retail sector, by channel, 2015-20
- UK sales dominate website sales
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- Figure 36: Regional segmentation of website sales in the retail sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- EDI also dominated by UK sales
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- Figure 37: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the retail sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Consumer sales boom in 2020
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- Figure 38: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the retail sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- The potential
Segmentation: Transport and Storage
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- Growth comes to a halt in 2020
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- Figure 39: Development of transport and storage e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Both EDI and website sales suffer in 2020
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- Figure 40: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the transport and storage sector, by channel, 2015-20
- Exports important for website sales
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- Figure 41: Regional segmentation of website sales in the transport and storage sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Exports through EDI are important too
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- Figure 42: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the transport and storage sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- B2B twice as important as B2C
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- Figure 43: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the transport and storage sector, by end use market, 2015-20
Segmentation: Accommodation and Food Service
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- A very difficult 2020
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- Figure 44: Development of accommodation and food service e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Websites dominate activity
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- Figure 45: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the accommodation and food service sector, by channel, 2015-20
- Geographic spread of website sales
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- Figure 46: Regional segmentation of website sales in the accommodation and food service sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Exports even more important through EDI
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- Figure 47: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the accommodation and food service sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Major fall in B2C sales in 2020
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- Figure 48: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the accommodation and food service sector, by end use market, 2015-20
Segmentation: Information and Communications
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- Growth continues in 2020
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- Figure 49: Development of information and communications e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Website sales lead e-commerce activity
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- Figure 50: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the information and communications sector, by channel, 2015-20
- High importance of website sale exports
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- Figure 51: Regional segmentation of website sales in the information and communications sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Exports even more important to EDI sales
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- Figure 52: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the information and communications sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Growth from B2C sector
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- Figure 53: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the information and communications sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- The potential
Segmentation: Other Services
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- First Brexit then COVID-19
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- Figure 54: Development of other services e-commerce sales, 2015-20
- Website sales hit in 2020
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- Figure 55: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the other services sector, by channel, 2015-20
- High importance of UK for website sales
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- Figure 56: Regional segmentation of website sales in the other services sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- Regional EDI sales
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- Figure 57: Regional segmentation of EDI sales in the other services sector, 2019 (£ billion)
- B2C and B2B both major markets
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- Figure 58: Segmentation of e-commerce sales in the other services sector, by end use market, 2015-20
- The potential
Market Drivers
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- The macro economic conditions including Brexit and COVID-19
- Internet growth
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- Figure 59: Worldwide internet usage, by region, 2000-20 (millions and %)
- Figure 60: Proportion of UK businesses with internet access in the UK, by size of company, 2014-19 (%)
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- Figure 61: Residential fixed-line broadband coverage across the UK and Nations, March 2020
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- Figure 62: Proportion of employees using computers and the internet for their business, by size of company, 2019
- Figure 63: Segmentation of employees with work internet access, by size of company, 2019 (million by number of employees)
- Website use by companies
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- Figure 64: Proportion of UK businesses with websites, by size of business, 2019
- Figure 65: Proportion of companies with various capabilities on their websites, by size of business, 2019
- Impact of COVID-19 – Remote working
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- Figure 66: Number of people mainly working from home, 2015-19
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Is it an industry?
- The variety of approaches
- Growing participation but huge room for growth
- Company size impacts involvement
Industry Structure
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- Defining an industry
- The growth of the sector
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- Figure 67: Development of the dedicated retail sales via mail order or internet, 2015-20
- Figure 68: Financial structure of the dedicated retail sales via mail order or internet sector, 2020
- Major further potential
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- Figure 69: Proportion of companies making e-commerce sales, by channel, 2009-19
- The variation by company size
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- Figure 70: Proportion of companies gaining e-commerce sales by size of company, 2018 and 2019
- Figure 71: E-commerce sales by size of company and channel, 2019
Competitive Strategies
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- COVID-19 has changed so much
- Variety of strategies
- The major marketplaces have different strategies
- Globalisation for all
- The channel choice
Company Profiles
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- Alibaba Group Holding
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 72: Financial performance of Alibaba Group Holding, 2016-20
- Figure 73: Segmentation of Alibaba revenues, 2019 and 2020 (RMB millions)
- Strategy
- Amazon
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 74: Financial performance of Amazon, 2015-19 (US$ million)
- Figure 75: UK turnover development of Amazon, 2014-19 (US$ million)
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- Figure 76: Segmentation of Amazon net sales 2019 (US$ million)
- Strategy
- Electrocomponents
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 77: Financial performance of Electrocomponents, 2016-20 (£ million)
- Figure 78: Geographic analysis of Electrocomponents, 2020 (£ million)
- Strategy
- Office Depot Europe/Office Depot International (UK)
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 79: Financial performance of Office Depot International (UK), 2015-19 (£ million)
- Strategy
- Orbital Fasteners
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 80: Financial performance of Orbital Fasteners, 2015-19
- Strategy
- Screwfix Direct
- Activity
- Performance
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- Figure 81: Financial performance of Screwfix, 2016-20 (£ million)
- Strategy
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
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