Suggesting alternative products in times of supply chain disruption

According to the Manufacturing and eCommerce Benchmark Report, 50% of manufacturing revenue is being driven online. B2B e-commerce sales continue to increase every quarter, and digitalization continues to redefine our buying behaviors, both personally and professionally.

Even a decade ago, buying behaviors were massively different than they are today. The COVID-19 pandemic lead to major shifts in B2B e-commerce, as manufacturers were forced to make strategic pivots to stay afloat. With materials trapped on container ships, their value chains broke down. And with employees trapped in their homes, their operations broke down. Manufacturers had to rethink everything, from quote to cash.

Many industries reported how lack of materials and labor were slowing down production, lengthening delivery times, and drying up margins. One of the most common benefits Gung customers experienced during the pandemic was their ability to suggest alternative products.

Being able to suggest alternative products is a critical capability in times of supply chain disruption or when you’re simply out of stock of a certain product. Draw a parallel to what happens at your local grocery store. The bread you love so much is out of stock by the time you're at the store. The place where it is usually stored is empty, but there are lots of similar options nearby. There's a good chance you'll still take something similar, because you don't want to be without bread for breakfast tomorrow. This bricks-and-mortar scenario is entirely translatable to the world of e-commerce.

A strong B2B e-commerce platform should have intuitive, easy-to-use filters and search functionality that allows buyers to find items with common and similar properties (such as color, size, or function) to items that are out of stock. Any time an out-of-stock item shows up in their query results, it should be possible to display related items below it on the same page.

When your customers meet your sales reps physically, they get exactly this service. Your reps push alternative products every day in order move products off the shelf and not lose business. It’s time to think about the customer experience in your web shop, and how you will guide them to alternative solutions when you’re not standing there in person. With Gung, you can do this for them and more, and remain a trusted—and preferred—supplier.