Abstract In this article, we lay out the challenges and research
opportunities associated with business-to-business (B2B) buying.Impulse-buying is
rare; clearly stated, objective criteria, such as meeting production needs and schedules at a minimum cost, usually drive the
choice process.These challenges and opportunities reflect four aspects of
B2B buying that the Institute for the Study of Business Markets
(ISBM: www.isbm.org) has identified through a Delphi-like process: (1) the changing landscape of B2B buying, (2) the increasing sophistication of sellers, (3) the impact of technological
changes, and (4) the increasing importance and growth of emerging markets.Emerging markets
1 Introduction: Emerging Challenges for B2B Buying
According to the most recently published U.S. Department of
Commerce (2010; http://www.census.gov/econ/estats/2010,
assessed January 2015) statistics, business-to-business (B2B)
transactions account for $10.7 trillion, or nearly 42 %, of total
U.S. revenues.Sophistication of sellers .