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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 .

Abstract In this article, we lay out the challenges and research
opportunities associated with business-to-business (B2B) buying. 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. For each of these four areas, we identify the relevant
background, key issues, and pertinent research agendas.
Keywords B2B buying . Sophistication of sellers .
Technological changes . 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. Because the United States accounts for roughly
22 % of the global economy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
World_Development_Indicators, 1 July 2014), global B2B
buying reasonably is expected to approach $50 trillion in
transactions (i.e., $10.7 trillion/.22). Understanding these
transactions—including the forces that drive them and how
changes in the environment affect them—is essential to the
organizations that participate in this enormous global
marketplace.
In addition, B2B buying behaviors differ substantially from
consumer buying behaviors, in several ways. First, B2B buying entails satisfying derived demand. Organizations purchase
products to meet the needs of their buyers. Impulse-buying is
rare; clearly stated, objective criteria, such as meeting production needs and schedules at a minimum cost, usually drive the
choice process. Second, because more than one person is involved in the purchase decision process, purchasing managers
rarely make a buying decision independent of the influence of