4 Takeaways from the 2026 State of B2B Commerce Report

Agentic Commerce in 2026: Definition, UCP, and Concrete Implications for Merchants

B2B eCommerce has entered a new phase.

For manufacturers and distributors, digital is no longer an emerging channel. It is already a meaningful part of revenue. But as the latest 2026 State of B2B Commerce Report made in collaboration with B2B Online Insights and Shopify makes clear, many organizations are still trying to catch up operationally, technologically and organizationally.

Based on responses from 100 senior leaders across manufacturing and distribution, the report paints a picture of a market that is making real progress, but still facing structural challenges around platforms, product data, AI readiness and integration.

Here are a few takeaways

1. Digital commerce is now a meaningful revenue driver

One of the clearest messages in the report is that digital commerce is no longer peripheral. Most respondents say between 25% and 49% of their B2B sales revenue now comes through digital and eCommerce channels. That means the digital experience has direct consequences for revenue growth, customer retention and operational efficiency.

For leadership teams, this changes the conversation as digital commerce can no longer be treated as a side initiative, it has become part of core business performance.

If you’re evaluating how your digital channel contributes to growth, explore how Novatize approaches B2B eCommerce strategy and performance

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2. Many organizations do not believe their current stack is built for what comes next

Despite the importance of digital revenue, most respondents are not highly confident in the technology supporting it. Seventy-eight percent say they are only somewhat satisfied with their current eCommerce technology stack. The report notes that, for many teams, the platform they are running today is not the one they would choose if starting over.

That gap matters. It points to inefficiencies that may not always be visible in a quarterly dashboard, but still slow innovation, complicate change and make growth harder to sustain.

This is where platform evaluation and modernization become critical.

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3. Product data has become one of the most strategic priorities in B2B commerce

Product data appears throughout the report, not as a supporting issue, but as a central one. Sixty percent of respondents say maintaining clean, consistent product data across channels is one of their biggest challenges in scaling digital commerce. At the same time, 59% say product data management, enrichment and syndication is a top priority for improving digital commerce over the next 12 months.

This is a significant shift and suggests the market is moving beyond storefront thinking and toward infrastructure thinking. Better digital experiences, better search, stronger personalization and more effective AI all depend on better data.

See how structured data drives performance in our approach to PIM and product data strategy

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4. Integration complexity is still one of the biggest barriers to progress

If there is one theme that ties the report together, it may be complexity. Nearly half of respondents say integration complexity with their existing tech stack is the single biggest barrier to broader AI adoption. The report also makes clear that better buyer experiences increasingly depend on tighter connections between commerce, ERP, CRM and other business systems.

In other words, the next phase of B2B commerce growth will not be driven only by new tools. It will be driven by how well organizations connect the systems, data and workflows they already rely on.

The report points to a clear conclusion: many organizations are making progress, but the next gains will depend on foundational work. Product data quality, platform fit, systems integration and operational readiness are becoming the real differentiators.

At Novatize, this is exactly where we see the market moving. As a systems integrator, we work with manufacturers and distributors to modernize complex B2B commerce environments and connect commerce with the systems that make growth sustainable.