In an ever-more online world, industrial gas distributors are unusual in that most only sell a little online. This is still a context driven by advice and by relationships – and with good reason.
It means that a distributor that generates 20% of its sales from its online platform is a leader in the market in terms of e-selling, but the opportunity is there and is growing.
That 20%-of-online-sales statistic is one shared by Dave Bent, Senior Vice-President of Operations, Ecommerce Division, ECI Software Solutions. Bent notes that while the gas and welding space may seem like it is playing catch-up in the world of digitization, it’s no further behind than the wider industrial products market – and in any case context is everything. The way things are today reflects some important realities rather than an industry that is lagging. All the same, the world is always changing and omnichannel business-to-business sales are the way things work increasingly.
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