When it comes to digital presence — e-Commerce, ERP software, social media, websites, etc. — the wholesale-distribution sector is somewhat all over the map. A recent survey conducted by Supply House Times asked several industrial PVF distributors to anonymously comment on their company’s utilization of and plans for adopting e-Commerce. Fifty percent of respondents already have e-Commerce in place, while about 25% have some form of e-Commerce in beta testing.
Opinions on whether or not the PVF space will shift toward using e-Commerce can be polarizing; some saying there is little to no demand in the market, while others say they are surprised by customer response.