3 Trends That Will Break Open B2B Commerce for 2025 

Here’s an axiom to remember: technology never stops evolving. That’s as true for B2B commerce as it is for all other tech systems around the world. New tech is constantly coming online, new connections are being forged, and new automations continue to make our work faster and more productive. This evolution never changes. What does change is how we choose to use these new technologies. Which ones will we invest in? Which become integral and which are simply passing fads?

Here's a look at the top three trends and technologies (not passing fads) that will define our approach to B2B commerce in 2025.

Deep Integration With AI 

B2B commerce has committed to artificial intelligence. Our research shows that 81 percent of B2B companies already invest in AI technology, with 79 percent committed to ramping up investment in 2025.

Here’s how 2025 will break from the past. In 2024 and prior, most novel use of AI focused on customer-facing generative AI. Customers interfaced with chatbots and read AI-generated product descriptions. Future AI development for B2B commerce will focus less on customer-facing GenAI and more on back-end integrated AI.

What does this look like? It looks like training teams to prompt generative AI to effectively build entire web pages, create stronger connections, and deploy automations throughout e-commerce solutions. As more robust AI tools come online, expect to see companies invest heavily in training and upskilling employees to prompt AI systems effectively. Ultimately, this will allow businesses to deploy agile and muscular web stores with their existing teams — without needing to contract expensive, outside labor.

Composability Will Be King

B2B isn't a “one-size-fits-all" ecosystem. Companies offer highly customized products and execute highly customized sales agreements. Therefore, they need highly customized e-commerce solutions.

Having said that, extensive customization through unique coding and design can end up causing significant problems, as an e-commerce solution is stretched to its breaking point — burdened by leaky connectors and extensive coding that requires continuous upkeep.

One solution that we will see in 2025 is composability. Composability allows businesses to unite multiple disparate best-in-class tools, creating a tailored solution without the drawbacks of extensive customization.

In 2025, we expect technology providers to invest heavily in providing both composability and flexibility offerings, allowing their technology to seamlessly integrate with other elements of their customers’ business logic.

Retail Buyer Journeys Will Be Uniquely Personal

Each year, we emphasize the growing importance of personalization in B2B commerce. This evergreen trend evolves with new technologies that continually enhance the buyer journey. From segmentation and product recommendations to dynamic catalogs, businesses are finding innovative ways to meet buyers where they are.

In 2025, real-time customer data will drive personalized pricing, AI-backed product recommendations based on buyer behavior, and tailored cross-sell and upsell opportunities. It’s a win-win: customers enjoy solutions tailored to their needs while suppliers boost profitability.

Putting it All Together 

In 2024, 30 percent of all B2B transactions took place online. In 2025, Gartner predicts that this number will rise to 80 percent.

Going from 30 percent to 80 percent is a huge transformation. It's being driven by a real change in buyer behavior. Buyers demand this digital commerce experience. However, the complexities present in B2B commerce mean that providing such a buying experience is easier said than done.

That’s not stopping us. By investing in AI integration, business logic composability, and a highly personalized buying journey, B2B businesses will better meet the demands of their buyers, providing an elegant buying solution that brings order to the complexity defining the B2B experience.

Arno Ham is chief product officer at Sana Commerce, a commerce platform that's engineered for B2B.