Digital Insights: Growth market B2B. What studies reveal about the future of digital commerce

The digital transformation in B2B commerce is progressing at a rapid pace. Companies that invest strategically today will create a clear competitive advantage for the coming years. In our previous article “Digital Insights: B2B commerce – Why SMEs need to invest now”, we already elaborated on the technological foundations companies should lay. In this article, we take a detailed look at the specific growth opportunities in B2B commerce – based on current studies and forecasts.

1. Global & European growth forecasts (2025-2030)

Global development:

• In 2024, global sales in B2B e-commerce amounted to around 28.1 trillion US dollars.
• According to studies, this will grow to around USD 62.2 trillion by 2030.
• This corresponds to annual growth (CAGR) of around 14.5%.
  (Source: Capital One Shopping Research (2024), BigCommerce B2B Report)

Focus on Europe:

• The European B2B e-commerce market amounted to around USD 1.3 trillion in 2022.
• An increase to around USD 2.2 trillion is expected by 2027 (CAGR: 10.2%).
  (Source: International Trade Administration, 2024)

Takeaway: The figures clearly show that B2B commerce is not a short-term digitalization trend, but a sustainable growth driver with global and regional relevance.

2. Germany: initial situation and development

According to the B2B Market Monitor 2024 (ECC Cologne / IFH Cologne), sales via online stores and marketplaces in Germany amounted to around 476 billion euros in 2023. This corresponds to growth of 11.7% compared to the previous year. Overall, the German B2B e-commerce market (including EDI) has a volume of around 1.4 trillion euros.

While traditional procurement processes continue to dominate, the focus is increasingly shifting to digital channels: Own online stores, closed customer portals and marketplaces are becoming the central sales pillars in digital B2B commerce.
(Source: ECC Cologne: B2B Market Monitor, 2024)

3. sectors with the strongest online growth

According to ECC Cologne, the following industrie sectors are recording the highest growth in digital sales:(Source: ECC Cologne: B2B Market Monitor 2024. * Forecast 2026 based on moderate extrapolation of ECC figures from 2023 and international CAGR trends. Image: Napkin)

Takeaway: The figures show that digital sales are no longer just relevant for simple office supplies or C-parts. Even complex industries such as mechanical engineering or chemicals are increasingly investing in e-commerce solutions in order to develop more efficient processes and new sales potential.

4. Why investments are worthwhile now

• Long-term ROI: Investing in platforms, data quality and interfaces today lays the foundation for automated, scalable business processes. With a well-founded system selection, lean MVP implementation and clear e-commerce goals, B2B companies achieve a positive return on investment after 18 to 30 months on average.
• Technological levers: AI, product configurators, self-service portals and marketplace connections create competitive advantages.
• Market positioning: First movers secure a sustainable lead, especially in sectors with a strong need to catch up.
• Customer loyalty: Digital services strengthen relevance in the procurement phase and create new touchpoints.

Conclusion

B2B commerce will remain one of the most relevant growth markets in digital commerce in the coming years. Global and regional forecasts show that companies are well advised to invest in digital infrastructures now – not only to optimize processes, but also to secure their future viability.

Christof Zahn, Director Business Unit

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