U.S. B2B E-Commerce Companies Will Generate $1 Trillion in Sales in 2014, Eclipsing B2C E-Retailing Market Four Times Over

CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking their lead from the world of business-to-consumer e-retailing, business-to-business sellers are upping their e-commerce game—to roughly $1 trillion annually in the U.S. alone, say estimates from Gartner Group and Forrester Research Inc. E-commerce sites and e-marketplaces operated by and for manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers are responding to a growing demand among businesses to purchase online the supplies, tools, technologies, components and services they need to run their enterprises. The growth of B2B e-commerce has been extensively researched by Internet Retailer, which today releases its 224-page 2015 Guide to B2B E-Commerce, an industry-first research publication that analyzes the numbers and trends driving B2B e-commerce in the U.S.

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The 2015 Guide to B2B E-Commerce for the first time reveals and profiles the leading B2B companies operating e-commerce sites that provide business buyers the same kind of shopping features that consumers find on top B2C sites: on-site search functionality, detailed product information with first-rate visuals and product comparisons, reviews from business buyers, and input from social media. The profiles and case studies contained in the guide will help B2B sellers determine which e-commerce technologies, merchandising and digital marketing strategies will keep corporate customers returning to their e-commerce web sites. And the many business buyers who now want to streamline their purchasing practices for a digital age will benefit by learning from today's B2B e-commerce leaders, the technical requirements of buying online and the proven e-commerce practices that can modernize their purchasing operations.

The 2015 Guide to B2B E-Commerce will equip both business buyers and sellers with the how-to information and case studies they need in order to establish and grow their B2B e-commerce operations. The Guide features best-practices articles from industry experts and also profiles 64  leading B2B manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors selling and marketing online, as well as 400 leading e-commerce technology vendors supplying multiple markets, with details on each company's products, pricing and major business clients, plus a corporate overview and full contact information.

"The fruit of nearly one year of reporting and intensive data-gathering by our team of dedicated researchers, the Guide serves as a playbook that companies of all sizes can use to jumpstart their own B2B e-commerce initiatives," explains Jack Love, Internet Retailer publisher.

The 224-page Guide to B2B E-Commerce is available in a full-color print and interactive digital edition.

For research information, contact: Paul Demery, managing editor, B2B e-commerce, Internet Retailer magazine, at 312.362.9535 or [email protected].

For media inquiries, contact: Anna Applegate, corporate marketing communications, Internet Retailer, at 312.572.6264 or [email protected].

ABOUT INTERNET RETAILER®
The flagship brand of Chicago-based Vertical Web Media, Internet Retailer® provides comprehensive e-commerce business intelligence through print and digital channels, including a monthly magazine, several research guides, web sites, online databases, webinars and e-mail newsletters. Internet Retailer, launched in March 1999, is the largest e-retailing monthly magazine with 44,500 subscribers. InternetRetailer.com is the most visited informational web site in e-commerce featuring daily industry news and market analysis. The site attracts more than 205,000 unique monthly visitors. IRNewsLink, a daily e-commerce newsletter, is sent to more than 44,000 subscribers and features a weekly mobile commerce edition.

ABOUT VERTICAL WEB MEDIA
Vertical Web Media is a privately held, Chicago-based publisher that focuses on providing business intelligence for the e-commerce industry. Founded and led by journalists, the company aims to be the largest and most credible provider of objective business information on the market trends, technology, competitive practices and people shaping online retailing. Starting with Internet Retailer magazine, launched in 1999, Vertical Web Media has since introduced more than a dozen competitive data products and is now the largest publisher in e-commerce. Through its Internet Retailer® brand, the company operates a monthly magazine, two web sites, a daily e-mail newsletter, and 12 research guides—strategic content designed to equip e-commerce executives with the competitive data they need to help grow their online businesses.

SOURCE Internet Retailer