E-commerce accounted for 14.0% of all U.S. retail sales in 2023. B2B buyers now complete 57% of their purchasing journey digitally before ever speaking to a sales representative.
Key Takeaways
- 14.0% of U.S. retail sales were e-commerce sales in 2023 ($1.1T online retail sales / $7.9T total retail sales)
- 35% of U.S. business buyers expect to use digital channels for purchasing B2B products and services by 2025
- 84% of B2B buyers expect vendors to meet them where they are (self-service, research, and digital engagement) during the buying process
- B2B buyers conduct 57% of the buying journey digitally before engaging a sales representative
- Google reports 86% of business buyers conduct research online before making purchase decisions
- 74% of B2B organizations use marketing automation software to generate leads
- U.S. B2B buying: 86% of B2B buyers say they use multiple channels during the purchasing journey (Forrester, 2019)
- B2B marketing measurement: 61% of marketers say measuring marketing ROI is their biggest challenge (2022)
- Forrester (2020): Email marketing ROI is 38x for B2B (survey-based median ROI)
- B2B buyers place the highest priority on getting answers quickly during sales interactions (2023)
- 62% of B2B buyers say they expect vendors to provide self-service options during the buying process (2023)
- 88% of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy (2024)
- Content syndication contributes to pipeline creation for 60% of B2B marketers (2023)
- US B2B companies with a documented ABM strategy are 3.2x more likely to see higher revenue performance (2022)
- U.S. wholesale trade business establishments totaled 239,610 in 2021
B2B buyers are going digital and demanding self service, so wholesale marketers must optimize lead generation and ROI.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
35% of U.S. business buyers expect to use digital channels for purchasing B2B products and services by 2025
02
84% of B2B buyers expect vendors to meet them where they are (self-service, research, and digital engagement) during the buying process
03
B2B buyers conduct 57% of the buying journey digitally before engaging a sales representative
04
In a 2022 study, 66% of B2B marketers said lead generation is their top marketing priority
05
In 2022, 38% of B2B marketers reported that they have a documented ABM (account-based marketing) strategy
06
Google Ads: 46% of searches have local intent (Google internal data cited publicly)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The biggest industry trend in wholesale marketing is the clear shift to digital-driven buying, with B2B buyers completing 57% of the journey online and 84% expecting vendors to meet them through self-service and digital engagement before a sales rep gets involved.
02 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
Google reports 86% of business buyers conduct research online before making purchase decisions
02
74% of B2B organizations use marketing automation software to generate leads
03
U.S. B2B buying: 86% of B2B buyers say they use multiple channels during the purchasing journey (Forrester, 2019)
04
B2B buyers spend 2–6 hours researching vendors online before contacting sales (Gartner, 2020)
05
74% of B2B buyers want vendors to offer self-service options (2022 Gartner survey)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption in wholesale marketing, the buying journey is clearly becoming digital and self-directed, with 86% of business buyers researching online and 74% of B2B buyers wanting self service options.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics4 stats
01
B2B marketing measurement: 61% of marketers say measuring marketing ROI is their biggest challenge (2022)
02
Forrester (2020): Email marketing ROI is 38x for B2B (survey-based median ROI)
03
B2B buyers place the highest priority on getting answers quickly during sales interactions (2023)
04
Marketing organizations using AI report higher marketing effectiveness than those that don’t (2024)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance Metrics show that B2B marketers are still wrestling with proving ROI, with 61% naming marketing ROI measurement their biggest challenge, even as data-driven channels like email can deliver 38x ROI and AI adoption is linked to higher marketing effectiveness.
More related reading
04 · Category
Channel Performance2 stats
01
88% of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy (2024)
02
Content syndication contributes to pipeline creation for 60% of B2B marketers (2023)
Interpretation
Channel Performance Interpretation
In channel performance, video engagement is a clear priority with 88% of marketers saying it is important in their marketing strategy in 2024, while content syndication is a major driver of reach and pipeline with 60% of B2B marketers reporting it contributes to pipeline creation in 2023.
05 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
14.0% of U.S. retail sales were e-commerce sales in 2023 ($1.1T online retail sales / $7.9T total retail sales)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the market size for the wholesale industry, e-commerce already accounted for 14.0% of U.S. retail sales in 2023 with $1.1T out of $7.9T, signaling how large and growing online demand is shaping the overall market landscape.
06 · Category
Industry Overview3 stats
01
62% of B2B buyers say they expect vendors to provide self-service options during the buying process (2023)
02
US B2B companies with a documented ABM strategy are 3.2x more likely to see higher revenue performance (2022)
03
U.S. wholesale trade business establishments totaled 239,610 in 2021
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
In the wholesale industry, the demand for more efficient buying experiences is clear as 62% of B2B buyers expect self service options, and businesses with a documented ABM strategy are 3.2 times more likely to deliver higher revenue performance, all while the sector remains large with 239,610 wholesale trade establishments in 2021.
report visual · Comparison
Wholesale B2B buyers expect digital-first experiences
Across the B2B buying journey, buyers heavily prefer digital research, self-service, and vendor engagement where they already are.
Google reports 86% of business buyers conduct research online before making purchase decisions86%
74% of B2B buyers want vendors to offer self-service options (2022 Gartner survey)
74%
B2B buyers conduct 57% of the buying journey digitally before engaging a sales representative
57%
source-verifiedthinkwithgoogle.com · gartner.com2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Wholesale Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-wholesale-industry-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Marketing In The Wholesale Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-wholesale-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Marketing In The Wholesale Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-wholesale-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)