More than two-thirds of B2B buyers want to purchase in the metaverse via an avatar

B2B buyers are seeking a digital experience that combines physical and digital worlds, according to the B2B Future Shopper Report by Wunderman Thompson Commerce & Technology. The study found that 67% of global B2B buyers want to make online purchases through an avatar in the metaverse, while 71% want to do business with companies that offer both online and offline ordering systems. 

However, 46% of B2B buyers find the traditional purchasing process frustrating, with 51% of buyers saying sellers do not understand their pain points in the online purchasing process. Meanwhile, 45% of B2B buyers find online purchasing more complicated than offline purchasing. The report found that it is as important for B2B suppliers to sell through mobile, online marketplaces, and social media channels as it is through traditional B2B sales channels. Over 62% of B2B buyers said the uncertain economic climate made it more likely they would change suppliers. Two out of five buyers reported having changed all their suppliers in the past year. 

B2B suppliers were urged to tailor the customer experience, regardless of the selling channel, and not to forget the importance of human relationships in a hybrid working world. The metaverse will hit mainstream adoption through enterprise applications, just as any other emerging technology has preceded it. History repeats itself.