eMarketer has posted a B2B Ecommerce Forecast 2026 research deliverable to its news feed, signaling a fresh projection cycle for wholesale digital channels entering the next fiscal year.

The publication arrives as distribution executives, platform operators, and industrial suppliers finalize 2026 planning budgets. eMarketer's B2B coverage has historically tracked marketplace transaction volumes, EDI migration rates, and the share shift from inside sales to self-service digital procurement across vertical markets.

What does eMarketer's B2B coverage typically measure?

The research firm's B2B ecommerce practice focuses on three measurable inputs:

• US B2B ecommerce total transaction value
• Share of B2B sales transacted through digital channels versus rep-assisted or EDI-only flows
• Adoption curves for B2B marketplaces operated by distributors, manufacturers, and third-party platforms

Forecasts in this series are widely referenced by MDM readers because eMarketer draws on disclosed platform volumes, SEC filings from publicly traded distributors, and survey work with procurement leaders at mid-market and enterprise buyers.

Why does the 2026 cycle matter for distributors?

A new annual forecast resets the baseline used in boardroom discussions of:

• Channel mix between field sales, inside sales, and digital self-service
• Gross margin sensitivity to marketplace commissions versus direct-contract pricing
• Inventory turn implications as digital procurement compresses order cycles
• Customer acquisition economics for distributors without branded digital storefronts

Distribution Brief will pull the headline figures from the eMarketer release once the full dataset is accessible and report the specific transaction-volume, share-shift, and margin numbers embedded in the forecast.

What the source currently discloses

The headline distributed through Google's news RSS is the B2B Ecommerce Forecast 2026 tag linked to eMarketer's publication. The body text of the release is not present in the feed item provided to Distribution Brief; only the title and publisher attribution are visible.

What to watch in the full report

Distributors and platform operators tracking the 2026 outlook should expect:

• A revised five-year US B2B ecommerce TAM figure
• Updated penetration rates for digital self-service procurement
• Segment-level forecasts for industrial, MRO, foodservice, healthcare, and building products verticals
• Marketplace GMV projections tied to Amazon Business, Grainger, and other named operators where disclosed

When eMarketer's full release becomes accessible, Distribution Brief will extract the specific year-over-year growth rate, the projected total US B2B ecommerce spend figure for 2026, and any quoted commentary from eMarketer principal analysts, with each data point tied to its source dataset.

The forecast arrives as wholesale distribution enters a planning cycle shaped by tariff exposure, freight cost normalization, and accelerating buyer expectation for Amazon-style procurement UX from traditional B2B suppliers.