The highly anticipated 9th edition of the E-commerce Berlin Expo, one of Europe’s leading B2B e-commerce trade fairs and conferences, is just around the corner. This year, the event will span two days—February 19 and 20, offering attendees an exceptional opportunity to network, gain exclusive insights, and participate in forward-thinking discussions.

Industry leaders from global powerhouses such as Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and TikTok, alongside well-known brands like Zalando, flaconi, and IKEA, will share their vision for the future of online retail. Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s State Senator for Economy, Energy, and Enterprise will officially inaugurated the expo.

Event Highlights and Key Insights

Scheduled for February 19 and 20, 2025, the E-commerce Berlin Expo continues to cement its status as a pivotal gathering for professionals in the digital and e-commerce sectors. With over 290 exhibitors, attendees can explore the latest solutions and innovations shaping the industry. The event’s comprehensive conference program will feature leading experts from the DACH region and beyond, covering essential topics influencing the rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape.

The expo will address critical challenges within the sector, focusing on differentiation and innovation in a dynamic market. Key topics include:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies
• International expansion strategies
• Logistics and payment solutions
• Customer journey optimization
• Marketing and leadership trends

Insightful Keynotes and Masterclasses

Attendees can expect more than 150 industry experts to present insightful talks and hands-on workshops across five conference stages and two masterclass tracks. Presentations will be delivered in English and German, catering to a diverse audience.

The lineup includes representatives from global brands and retailers such as REWE, Zalando, MediaMarktSaturn, OTTO, Fielmann, flaconi, Philips, Lampenwelt, Deutsche Telekom, and IKEA, as well as emerging market disruptors like Snocks, Waterdrop, KoRo, ON, and Amorelie. Additionally, tech giants Google, Microsoft, TikTok, Deloitte, and Amazon will provide cutting-edge insights into the latest innovations driving e-commerce forward. Contributions from industry associations like HDE and IAB Europe will further enrich the discussions.

Panel Discussions and New Focus Areas

Beyond keynotes and masterclasses, the event will feature panel discussions, focusing on AI, reflecting its growing impact on the e-commerce sector. Experts from companies like Meta and OTTO will provide valuable perspectives on the role of AI in transforming the industry.

A notable addition to this year’s agenda is the Shop-tech block, which will offer e-commerce platforms an exclusive opportunity to share their expertise. Key speakers, including the Co-CEO of Shopware, CTO Central Europe of Adobe, and CEO of JTL Software, will discuss how technology is shaping the future of online retail.

Participation and Registration Details

To register as a visitor, visit the official event website: E-commerce Berlin Expo. Registration is free of charge.

• Date: February 19-20, 2025
• Venue: STATION Berlin
• Event Hours:
  • February 19: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • February 20: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

About E-commerce Berlin Expo

The E-commerce Berlin Expo is a premier industry event that connects e-commerce professionals, retailers, and brands from across the globe. With a strong legacy of successful editions, the expo offers unmatched networking opportunities, thought leadership, and a platform to discover the latest trends and technological advancements in the e-commerce sector.

Press Contact: pr@ecommerceberlin.com

The post E-commerce Berlin Expo 2025: Reveals the Agenda for the Premier Event for B2B E-commerce appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The E-commerce Berlin Expo is the largest pure-play B2B e-commerce event in Germany and the go-to destination for anyone in the industry. It offers a unique blend of exhibition and conference formats, providing visitors with unparalleled opportunities for business growth, knowledge sharing, and networking.

The highly anticipated 9th edition is set to take place on February 19-20, 2025, at STATION Berlin. The event is expected to attract over 11,000 attendees, bringing together a diverse and engaged community of e-commerce professionals.

The Expo boasts an impressive lineup of over 290+ service providers from Germany and 30 international markets, offering attendees unparalleled access to the latest solutions and innovations in the e-commerce industry.

Moreover, the event features an extensive conference program, featuring over 100 industry experts and thought leaders sharing their insights and expertise on multiple stages and during masterclasses.

In addition to the exhibition and conference, the E-commerce Berlin Expo also offers numerous opportunities for attendees to connect and network with industry peers. With over 10,000 online shop representatives, retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers, the event presents a unique chance to build relationships, share ideas, and foster collaboration.

Attendance at the event is completely free of charge upon online registration on the organizer's website. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to grow your business, expand your network, and stay ahead of the curve in the e-commerce industry.

Watch the video recap of the event.

The post E-commerce Berlin Expo: Join the largest B2B e-commerce event in Germany! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Alibaba unveiled its new tool: Accio, the world's first B2B vendor search engine. Accio will index B2B vendors worldwide and enhance Alibaba's global vendor ecosystem.

Accio offers SMBs the ability to easily access the expertise, information, manufacturers, and products they need to make informed sourcing decisions for their business through three core components:

Accio Search - An AI-powered B2B search engine built to enable natural language searches, providing an intuitive platform for businesses to connect with global suppliers.

Accio Page - An AI-powered feature that provides a dynamic Wikipedia-style interface for product information, as well as objective product details and comparisons to similar items.

Accio Agent - An end-to-end e-commerce platform that acts as your sourcing agent, supporting inquiries, payments and after-sales services through Alibaba's robust infrastructure.

How does Accio works? 

According to CNBC, Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba Group, said Accio uses data from 50 million businesses on Alibaba International’s platform and publicly available industry information. The tool incorporates 1 billion product listings and documents covering industries across more than 100 markets from Alibaba.com, the company’s business-to-business platform that sells to companies outside China.

The company said that businesses based in Europe and North America are the largest group of buyers. In October, Alibaba’s international arm announced an updated version of an AI translation tool to help merchants reach customers in other countries. The company claimed the tech’s translation capabilities beat those of Google, DeepL, and ChatGPT.

Although Alibaba's international business has grown rapidly in recent years, its main revenue driver remains its domestic e-commerce platforms, Taobao and Tmall. In August 2023, management told investors that “the Taobao app has the greatest potential to become a one-stop smart portal for life and consumption enabled by AI.”

During the weeks-long Singles Day shopping festival that wrapped up Monday, more than half of over 500 merchants selling on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba and JD.com used a generative AI-enabled tool, according to a survey by Bain & Company.

Those features include AI for customer service and content generation. The survey found that 56% of respondents said AI tools had a “high positive impact” on improving productivity.

The post Alibaba unveiled Accio: the world’s first B2B search engine appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The European B2B e-commerce market is expected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2025. In Spain, the online turnover of this channel totaled more than 45 billion euros despite its low maturity, and it is estimated that by 2025, this figure will grow to over 75 billion euros. In neighboring countries such as the UK, e-B2B turnover will be over 300 billion euros by 2025.

According to Statista data, the gross merchandise value of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce in Europe is expected to grow steadily from 2022 to 2025. By 2025, B2B e-commerce GMV is estimated to reach more than US$1.8 trillion in Europe.

With B2C e-commerce more than defined, the new economic reality is returning to B2B, which will benefit logistics, payments, software, marketing, AI, and data—companies that have already been betting big for years on this new wave. 

B2B e-commerce in Europe: a challenging market 

Despite the global growth of e-commerce, Europe represents only a small portion of the B2B e-commerce landscape. The continent accounts for just 6% of global gross merchandise volume (GMV), while the majority-nearly 80%-is generated by companies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Economic pressures such as inflation and stagnation have posed challenges for the European B2B sector, forcing buyers to reassess their supplier relationships and adjust their procurement strategies. Nevertheless, demand for physical products and services has driven remarkable growth in B2B e-commerce across the European Union.

For example, in the United Kingdom, online B2B sales reached an estimated $141.4 billion in 2022, and they are forecast to exceed $167 billion by 2025. Similar trends have been observed in other major EU economies, where companies increasingly turn to e-commerce platforms as a key part of their procurement processes.

Since 2013, European companies adopting B2B e-commerce have been slowly but steadily increasing.

This shift is particularly notable in countries such as Italy, where online sales channels now account for a more significant proportion of total B2B transactions.

The post European B2B e-commerce market to reach $1.8 trillion by 2025 appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The E-commerce Berlin Expo is the largest pure-play B2B e-commerce event in Germany and the go-to destination for anyone in the industry. It offers a unique blend of exhibition and conference formats, providing visitors with unparalleled opportunities for business growth, knowledge sharing, and networking.

The highly anticipated 9th edition is set to take place on February 19-20, 2025, at STATION Berlin. The event is expected to attract over 11,000 attendees, bringing together a diverse and engaged community of e-commerce professionals.

The Expo boasts an impressive lineup of over 290+ service providers from Germany and 30 international markets, offering attendees unparalleled access to the latest solutions and innovations in the e-commerce industry.

Moreover, the event features an extensive conference program, featuring over 100 industry experts and thought leaders sharing their insights and expertise on multiple stages and during masterclasses.

In addition to the exhibition and conference, the E-commerce Berlin Expo also offers numerous opportunities for attendees to connect and network with industry peers. With over 10,000 online shop representatives, retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers, the event presents a unique chance to build relationships, share ideas, and foster collaboration.

Attendance at the event is completely free of charge upon online registration on the organizer's website. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to grow your business, expand your network, and stay ahead of the curve in the e-commerce industry.

Watch the video recap of the event.

Register for free

The post Get ready for the E-commerce Berlin Expo: the largest pure-play B2B e-commerce event! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The total European value of B2B goods sold online is estimated to reach 1.7 trillion euros by 2025. However, the report claims that B2B sellers in Europe will still need to utilize all available opportunities, off and online. Most of them only allow local buyers to shop for their goods.

These data come from an analysis published by Billie, a BNPL solution for B2B sellers. According to the study, the worldwide value of the online B2B market was worth 6.5 trillion euros in 2022. A growth of 18 percent is estimated between 2023 and 2030.

The European market is still much more minor, estimated to reach 1.7 trillion euros by 2025. While e-commerce plays a dominant role in B2C, it still has not penetrated that much into the online B2B market. According to Billie, only 50%  of B2B buyers use e-commerce platforms

Scandinavia expects up to 92% of B2B to be online 

Scandinavia is an exception, as 92% of the surveyed B2B companies expect sales to happen online. Almost one in four B2B companies already generate sales through e-commerce.

Billie's numbers match the official forecast from the European Retail eCommerce Consumer, which totals the value of goods sold online in Europe reaching $1.8 trillion USD by 2025. The same report indicates that when it comes to buying and selling in the European region, the business’ website is overwhelmingly the preferred channel to acquire new consumers and inform visitors about a sale.

The post BNPL solution Billie forecasts 1.7 trillion euros for B2B goods by the end of 2025 appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

We are proud to present our newest podcast e-commerce quickFIX 🔥 This format will allow us to delve deeper into key topics related to cross-border, e-commerce and entrepreneurship 😎

quickFIX is a talk-show podcast in which we will have one or more expert guests per episode 🤯 And today, we had the pleasure of talking with 🌟Gerrit Enthoven🌟EVP Marketing, Sales & Channel at Intershop Communications, the world's leading B2B e-commerce solution, to learn and discover the main trends that will surely mark the evolution of B2B e-commerce during 2024! ⏰

With him, we discuss the challenges and opportunities behind the use of AI, how sustainability remains vital, and what has led to the rise of cooperative commerce solutions and marketplace technology, among many other key topics to keep your B2B business ahead of the curve! Let’s begin! 🚀

Do you have any questions regarding B2B e-commerce? Leave your doubts and requests in our comment section, and we hope to see you all in the next quickFIX!

The post quickFIX: Intershop B2B e-commerce trends for 2024! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The procurement of goods and services from the government portal GeM has crossed ₹2 lakh crore this fiscal year due to higher buying activities by different ministries and departments.

The government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all the central government ministries and departments.

In 2021-22, the procurement value stood at ₹1.06 million crore. It crossed ₹2 million crores last year, and going by the trend this year, it may cross ₹3 million crores.

"Gem of a landmark! Government e-Marketplace achieves an impressive ₹2 lakh crore gross merchandise value in just eight months of 2023-24," Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on social media platform X.

GeM is a bet to institutionalized e-commerce

GeM has over 63,000 government-authorized buyer organizations and over 6.2 million sellers and service providers, offering a wide range of products and services.

Government departments, ministries, public sector units, state governments, and central armed police forces are allowed to carry out transactions through this portal. The portal provides various products, from office stationery to vehicles.

Automobiles, computers, and office furniture are major product categories. Services, including transportation, logistics, waste management, webcasting, and analytical, are listed on the portal.

South Korea's KONEPS is the largest such platform in the world. Currently, GeM stands at third position after Singapore's GeBIZ. In a statement, the commerce ministry said that central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) account for 83% of the total buying.

States/UTs like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, and Uttarakhand have placed significant amounts of procurement orders in the current financial year.

"GeM's expansion into the services sector has played a pivotal role in driving its accelerated adoption," it said, adding services sector contribution in the total procurement has increased from 23% in 2021-22 to about 46% in the current fiscal.

The post The government portal GeM has crossed ₹2 lakh crore this fiscal year appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Alibaba has announced the launch of Super September, its biggest B2B sales event of the year that will run until September 30. The event is expected to bring together more than 40 million buyers and 200,000 sellers worldwide. 

Specifically, the company will offer over 70 million products as part of the campaign. In addition, new customers who pay with PayPal will receive additional discounts of up to $45.

During the shopping event, Alibaba will also introduce its new 'U.S. Certified' product pavilion designed to showcase products that adhere to U.S. standards and certifications, including FDA, FCC, DOT, UL, UPC, OCS and ETL. In doing so, Alibaba.com aims to help entrepreneurs save time.

Super September will have a dedicated pavilion for the U.S. 

It is no secret that Alibaba has been pushing hard into the U.S. market. That’s why one of the main attractions of this 2023 Super September edition will be a pavilion fully committed to U.S. shoppers. 

"We are excited to host the annual 'Super September' sale and launch a dedicated product pavilion for U.S. shoppers," said Tephen Kuo, president of Alibaba.com North America. "As 2023 has brought increased operating costs for entrepreneurs across a multitude of industries, Alibaba.com is proud to offer solid savings and enhanced tools to help business owners execute their product visions efficiently while keeping prices low," the executive said.

From September 1 to 30, shoppers will also enjoy the money-back protection of the 'Business Guarantee' service and 'Easy Refund' service. Alibaba has extended from 30 to 60 days for all 'Super September' products.

Alibaba battle for AI dominance 

Alongside the Super September announcement, Alibaba also threw a punch at the competitive AI current scenario. The Chinese titan made it known several days ago that it has released two large open-source language models (LLMs) in an attempt to take on meta-platforms.

The artificial intelligence models called Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat, each have seven billion parameters, which are often used to measure its strength. One of Alibaba's AI models seeks to position itself as a conversational variation of Meta's recent "Llama 2" launch.

The post Alibaba announced the launch of Super September! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Business news about B2B services has changed significantly in recent years. With the pandemic, an already existing trend in digitizing the purchasing process has become more acute.

Today, B2B companies have experienced a change in their buying habits. Therefore, it is essential to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition.

🔥Do you want to know more about international commerce and e-commerce and get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!🔥

The rise of digital B2B

A study by Gartner states that salespeople are playing an increasingly less relevant role in the buying process due to the availability of quality information through digital channels. B2B buyers spend only 5% to 6% of their time meeting with a sales representative during the supplier comparison process. Therefore, it is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting, as 94% of the process is not vendor-dependent.

However, we should not wait for the customer to contact us to solve their last doubts before making the purchase. It is necessary to complement omnichannel attraction marketing strategies with others that approach the potential B2B buyer individually, with empathy and cordiality.

To achieve this, it is essential to master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate oneself in a market saturated with information. A McKinsey report highlights how "hybrid" sales reps, who interact with customers across multiple channels, are becoming the most effective sales role, generating up to 50% more revenue.

"It is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting"

Iñaki Alcaraz

In addition, a change has been observed in the attitude of buyers towards the figure of the seller, which I call the "Amazon buyer", because their behavior when buying for their company resembles the behavior they would have when buying something for themselves on this platform. It can be said that nowadays, the salesperson is no longer the one in charge of selling, but the customer is the one who makes the purchase.

B2B businesses that do not have a solid digital presence may find it challenging to earn recurring revenue in markets where their brand name, products or services, or sales reps are unknown.

To become known, it is essential to implement omnichannel strategies that involve sales reps interacting with customers through social media, posting videos about the benefits of their services, making phone calls to customers, and engaging with them frequently to build trust before sending a personalized offer.

In my experience, the approach to company decision-makers starts with the "Digital Personal Brand" (DPM) of sales reps. This MPD is built through the social networks used, and LinkedIn stands out as the most important due to its large size and high usage worldwide, with approximately 900 million users. Currently, about 9 million company profiles on LinkedIn. Can you imagine the wide range of B2B marketing actions you can carry out?

In the current context, the entrepreneur's reputation transmitted through digital media is essential for developing your company. The best way to communicate this reputation is by example.

Although many business leaders still have the opposite belief, more is needed to be a good professional, to send internal communications or use the intranet to communicate with employees or to believe that the business will automatically flourish due to good work and customer recommendations.

It is now necessary to demonstrate influencing skills in the lives of employees and customers, also through digital media such as LinkedIn. This is important for all managers and business leaders, not just large companies. This is what is known as "digital exemplarity."

Selling B2B on LinkedIn: How to do it successfully?

But often, lack of knowledge or time prevents entrepreneurs and managers of B2B companies from implementing a digital strategy that generates new opportunities regularly. 

Entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn-related tasks in their daily agenda, as this professional networking platform offers them several key benefits to improve their digital presence and grow their business. 

Some of these benefits why entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn would be:

• Increase their visibility and that of their business: a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile will help entrepreneurs increase their digital visibility and reach a wider audience. Of course, a LinkedIn profile that reflects your experience, skills, and accomplishments, along with a professional photo and a detailed description of your knowledge and skills, can generate new business opportunities. But it is not enough; you also need the following point.

• Enhance your professional reputation: if you post relevant content frequently, which is helpful to your network of contacts while showcasing your experience and expertise. Also, actively participate in relevant groups in your industry. This will encourage receiving positive recommendations and reviews from other professionals to establish yourself as an expert in a given industry.

• Establish good relationships with other businesses: LinkedIn is a platform designed to connect with other professionals in your industry and join relevant discussion groups. To increase the chances of success, the professional reputation cultivated in the previous point, personalizing connection invitations with topics of interest to connected people, and mastering the filters of LinkedIn's advanced search tool to find potential clients are essential. Having a quality network of contacts on LinkedIn is crucial to building relationships that allow you to do business with other companies.

• Find new clients: Entrepreneurs can employ their network to build valuable relationships, research people potentially interested in their product or service through one-on-one conversations, and discover new business opportunities, in those conversations. 

However, it is essential to remember that this tactic requires a strategic approach and careful planning. If the goal is to reach a specific audience and generate a significant impact, selecting the content to share, the discussion groups to join, and the people to connect with is essential.

The keys to implementing a good strategy for engaging on LinkedIn can be summarized in three recommendations:

• A well-built and filled-out profile on LinkedIn is essential to give a good impression of you to others. An excellent professional photo, an original and accurate professional title, and a well-crafted and keyworded excerpt are fundamental elements to stand out on the network and attract the attention of potential clients or professional contacts. It is important to be creative and differentiate yourself from others, showing your skills and achievements differently and attractively. In addition, it is essential to keep your profile updated and active, publishing relevant content and participating in discussion groups and communities related to your field of work.

• Target audience segmentation must be very clear about your potential client and get to know them as much as possible through the data they can offer you in their LinkedIn profile. By segmenting your target audience with similar characteristics, you can develop more effective marketing strategies, targeting a specific group of potential customers with similar needs and desires. By knowing your target audience better, you can create more effective and personalized communication, which increases the chances of success in your B2B marketing strategy.

• Be subtle in your posts and cordial in your conversations. "Commercial pressure" is a tactic often perceived negatively by potential customers, as it is based on selling something directly and quickly. However, there are indirect ways of doing business that relies on persuasion and seduction, with strategies to attract customers subtly, making them temporarily forget that they are being sold something. It is important to note that people do not enjoy being pressured to buy something, so it is advisable to avoid this tactic.

In conclusion, the digitization of the B2B buying process has become more acute with the pandemic, and B2B companies need to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition. The B2B digital strategy is crucial to effective turnover forecasting, as 94% of the process is independent of the salesperson.

Master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate yourself in an information-saturated market and achieve greater sales effectiveness.

Implementing omnichannel strategies and building a "Digital Personal Brand" to build trust and make personalized offers is essential. In summary, having a B2B digital strategy is critical to a predicted turnover in 2023.

About the author: Iñaki Alcaraz is a Founding Partner of AGLV, an international speaker, and an expert in business strategy and new technologies. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and business strategies, both in start-ups and multinationals in many different sectors. After intensively managing Linkedin profiles of B2B business owners and entrepreneurs for more than five years and maintaining more than 50,000 conversations with potential clients, Iñaki has become one of Spain's main referents regarding B2B sales and brand building via LinkedIn. 

The post Keys to B2B selling using LinkedIn! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.