Digital transformation in B2B commerce creates value for brands, retailers & the environment 

When a company commits to more sustainable business practices, one of the challenges they face is their customers’ and employees’ reliance on the “old fashioned” way of doing things. This is particularly true for retail buyers and sales reps who are used to paper catalogs and printed B2B sales materials. Many prefer the tactile nature of pen-and-paper but aren’t utilizing the innovative experience a digital catalog can provide.   

Elastic Suite offers a B2B solution designed to bridge the gap between the timeless familiarity of paper-based transactions and the modern ecommerce user flow. Elastic’s Digital Catalog and Custom Collection Builder offer asset-rich, dynamic experiences that include the ability to notate, rate, and curate assortments. In addition to storing current inventory, pricing, and product information, these tools create a custom and strategic commerce experience.   

Brands can eliminate printed B2B sales and marketing materials when they onboard with a digital wholesale commerce platform like Elastic Suite.   

Retail is undergoing a digital transformation, and their brands are expected to provide a similar experience. According to research conducted by MIT’s Sloan School of Management, business owners of all sizes are prioritizing digital transformation to help better serve their customers and to streamline their own business practices. “The goal of a digital business transformation is to improve customer experience and be more efficient…the companies that have learned to do both are deemed future ready.” 

As retailers continue to innovate, brands must adapt by utilizing digital commerce solutions in place of outdated, wasteful printed materials. By prioritizing digital channels, businesses can ensure they remain competitive in an ever-evolving retail landscape while also reducing their environmental impact.  

Value for the environment: conserved natural resources

While saving money is imperative for many businesses, preserving invaluable non-renewable resources is absolutely vital. Industry leaders are committed to more sustainable practices in all phases of business.   

In addition to brands’ own environment and sustainability commitments, research shows that consumers increasingly care about the sustainability of the products they’re purchasing. Brands can further their commitment to their customers by adopting greener practices, too.   

Eliminating printed sales materials

When you partner with a B2B ecommerce platform like Elastic Suite, brands extend their sustainability mission and commitments. See how The North Face eliminated 14.5 million pages annually in the form of product catalogs and sales workbooks. 

Thoughtful sales cycles reduce wasted product 

Curation and segmentation are key for reps and retailers to create orders and plan assortments that improve sell-through. By working together, using sell-through data, industry analysis, and digital planning, brands and retailers can order exactly what they need, when they need it. This reduces waste in production and shipping and can eliminate overstocked inventory that goes unsold. Strategic ordering is important because it means that brands don’t over-produce, eliminating a key area of environmental impact. 

Being thoughtful throughout the sales cycle, before a product is even manufactured, means that brands and retailers can work together to be more environmentally conscious and sustainable.