What the data says

Recent statistics on D2C adoption in industrial B2B companies tell a clear story: direct sales are no longer the exclusive domain of consumer goods. According to studies published in 2024 and 2025 by strategic consulting firms:

79 %
of B2B companies already sell D2C (2025)

34 %
of B2B revenue already comes from digital channels

70 %
more market share growth with an omnichannel strategy

But perhaps the most revealing data is this: 39% of B2B buyers spend more than €500,000 per order through online channels. We are talking about industrial transactions, not t-shirts. And companies without a digital channel do not compete for these orders.

B2B Revenue: Traditional vs. Digital Channel (Evolution)Source: Strategic consulting studies, 2024-2025

2020

82 % traditional
18 %

2023

72 % traditional
28 %

2025

66 % traditional
34 %

Traditional channel (distributors, sales force)
Digital channel (e-commerce, D2C, marketplaces)

The trend is clear. And it's accelerating: Toyota Material Handling registered a +220% year-on-year increase in online spare parts sales after opening its D2C channel. This is not an exceptional case — it's what happens when an industrial company with a captive customer base removes purchasing friction.

Why an Industrial Company Opens a Direct Channel

The question we hear most from industrial executives is: "Why should I sell directly if my distributors are working?" The answer is not to replace the distributor. It is to complement — and, above all, to capture first-hand data.

When you sell through a distributor, you don't know who your end customer is. You don't know which products they are looking for, when they reorder, or what frustrates them about the purchasing process. Opening a D2C channel — even for a limited range — gives you access to that information. And that information is what allows for better product, pricing, and service decisions.

INDASA, the industrial abrasives manufacturer based in central Portugal, understood this. They launched buyindasa.com — an online store aimed at both professionals and end-users. It doesn't compete with their distributors: it offers an accessible catalog, technical content, and a purchasing experience that reinforces the brand. The result is an additional channel that generates data, visibility, and incremental sales.

What Can Go Wrong (and How to Avoid It)

Question

What the data says

Recent statistics on D2C adoption in industrial B2B companies tell a clear story: direct sales are no longer the exclusive domain of consumer goods. According to studies published in 2024 and 2025 by strategic consulting firms:

79 %
of B2B companies already sell D2C (2025)

34 %
of B2B revenue already comes from digital channels

70 %
more market share growth with an omnichannel strategy

But perhaps the most revealing data is this: 39% of B2B buyers spend more than €500,000 per order through online channels. We are talking about industrial transactions, not t-shirts. And companies without a digital channel do not compete for these orders.

B2B Revenue: Traditional vs. Digital Channel (Evolution)Source: Strategic consulting studies, 2024-2025

2020

82 % traditional
18 %

2023

72 % traditional
28 %

2025

66 % traditional
34 %

Traditional channel (distributors, sales force) 
 Digital channel (e-commerce, D2C, marketplaces)

The trend is clear. And it's accelerating: Toyota Material Handling registered a +220% year-on-year increase in online spare parts sales after opening its D2C channel. This is not an exceptional case — it's what happens when an industrial company with a captive customer base removes purchasing friction.

Why an Industrial Company Opens a Direct Channel

The question we hear most from industrial executives is: "Why should I sell directly if my distributors are working?" The answer is not to replace the distributor. It is to complement — and, above all, to capture first-hand data.

When you sell through a distributor, you don't know who your end customer is. You don't know which products they are looking for, when they reorder, or what frustrates them about the purchasing process. Opening a D2C channel — even for a limited range — gives you access to that information. And that information is what allows for better product, pricing, and service decisions.

INDASA, the industrial abrasives manufacturer based in central Portugal, understood this. They launched buyindasa.com — an online store aimed at both professionals and end-users. It doesn't compete with their distributors: it offers an accessible catalog, technical content, and a purchasing experience that reinforces the brand. The result is an additional channel that generates data, visibility, and incremental sales.

What Can Go Wrong (and How to Avoid It)

Accepted Answer

The main obstacle is not technical. It is political. Channel conflict — the fear that distributors will feel threatened — is the number one barrier, cited by 38% of B2B companies that have not yet taken the plunge. But companies that have done it well share a pattern: Differentiated pricing — the D2C price is equal to or higher than the distributor's. The direct channel competes on convenience, not price. Exclusive SKUs —...

Day: March 12, 2026

From B2B to D2C: what's changing in Portuguese industry