Sellers are being bombarded with threats of imminent death if they fail to organize themselves into industry groupings and form B2B marketplaces. Everyone from investment bankers to infrastructure providers to industry analysts is full of stories of impending doom. At the same time, new companies are forming to compete with existing firms - or perhaps to solicit them as customers. On the customer side, the confusion is less because customers are less aware of their need to do something. Many business customers buy very little on the Internet today.
Most customers are likely to move some of their buying on-line.
Others may move more slowly, held back by existing relationships, the need to examine materials prior to purchase, or the lack of B2B marketplaces that suit their particular needs. The big surprises lie ahead. Some predict that this can be done without any effect on prices, but we note with interest that goods sold on the Internet have already gone through price transformations. Rare goods, now viewed by a larger audience of buyers, are getting much higher prices. Value, however, remains unchanged.