One of the really fun aspects of my job is the frequency with which I get to interact with retailers.  This enables me to have a good view to trends from a very grassroots perspective.  While I spend a great deal of my time working with retailers to develop B2C or B2B solutions, I am increasingly seeing an interest in the concept of “B2X”-types of solutions. 

A B2X solution is a platform with services that support standard B2B and B2C scenarios within a common framework and set of tools.  The advantages here are many:

1. A B2X solution enables IT to support a common framework vs a set of separate applications based on sales channel.
2. A solution that supports B2X implies a good level of operational integration with key internal systems like financials, product information/catalog, orders, supply chain, etc.
3. There is a growing set of evidence from analysts that B2B shoppers have grown to expect more of a consumer buying experience (i.e. product reviews and ratings, rich product imagery, cross-sells/up-sells, personalization, etc).
4. Agility in customer facing selling systems enables retailers to more nimbly shift sales channels and strategies as the business dictates.

Expect eCommerce vendors to attempt to merge these worlds more effectively than they do today in response to this opportunity.