Table of Content
- 1. 71% of B2B companies now offer eCommerce
- 2. 60% of B2B sellers saw conversion rates rise
- 3. B2B purchases involve 22 stakeholders on average
- 4. Global IT spending will reach USD 6.37 trillion in 2026
- 5. 54% of B2B buyers purchase without a sales rep
- 6. Partner share of IT spending is shrinking, even as it grows
- What this means for VARs
- FAQs
The shift in the B2B eCommerce space is visible. IT VARs are under pressure to grow eCommerce revenue as buyers expect faster answers and easier purchasing. They also want to rely less on sales support.
So, what do the numbers actually say about where B2B eCommerce is headed?
These B2B eCommerce stats for 2026 reveal some important shifts in IT VAR eCommerce, from the growing share of digital revenue and rising conversion rates to changing B2B buyer behavior and global IT spending. More importantly, they show why VARs need to think of their online storefront as a revenue channel—not simply an online product catalog.
In this blog, we discuss six data points that describe where B2B eCommerce stands in 2026, along with what each means for how VARs should run their online storefronts.
Key Takeaways:
- Treat your eCommerce storefront as a revenue channel, with performance measured against sales targets.
- Track conversion rates as a core eCommerce KPI, just as sales teams track close rates.
- Build product pages for the full buying group, including technical, procurement, finance, and business stakeholders.
- Align your catalog and solution bundles with the IT categories driving the fastest spending growth.
- Make pricing, availability, and buying information self-service while continuously improving the digital experience to protect channel share.
1. 71% of B2B companies now offer eCommerce
According to McKinsey, 71% of B2B companies now offer eCommerce, and about a third of their revenue flows through digital channels.
Unlike a few years ago, selling online is no longer a side project for most B2B companies. In fact, B2B buyers now clearly expect a business to have an eCommerce sales channel. For an IT reseller, this means the eCommerce storefront needs to do more than display a catalog. It needs to support actual buying, from search through checkout, in a way that reflects how the rest of the business operates. A site that looks like a digital brochure will not keep pace with competitors who treat it as a sales engine.
The takeaway: If digital channels now account for one-third of B2B revenue for a VAR, then their storefront should be judged against sales targets rather than simply as a catalog listing.
2. 60% of B2B sellers saw conversion rates rise
Research from Master B2B shows that 60% of B2B eCommerce organizations saw their conversion rates increase year over year in 2026.
This statistic is important since it shows that the payout is measurable. B2B vendors who invest in their digital channels get increased traffic. At the same time, they’re turning more of that traffic into orders. For VARs, this repositions eCommerce as a performance issue rather than a technical tick. A storefront with clear pricing, fast search, and a simple checkout experience has a direct impact on the bottom line, not just the appearance of the site.
The takeaway: Conversion rate is now a fair metric to hold an IT VAR’s eCommerce site to, the same way a physical sales team is measured on close rate.
3. B2B purchases involve 22 stakeholders on average
Forrester reports that B2B buying decisions now involve 22 stakeholders and influencers on average.
An IT purchase rarely comes down to one person clicking add to cart. Procurement needs pricing and terms. Finance needs budget clarity. Technical evaluators need specs and compatibility details. Business decision-makers need to understand the outcome. If a VAR’s eCommerce site only speaks to one of these audiences, it slows the deal down or loses it entirely. Product pages, spec sheets, quoting tools, and documentation all need to work together so that whoever is reviewing the purchase at any stage finds what they need without asking someone else for help.
The takeaway: A product page written only for a technical buyer, or only for procurement, is missing most of the 22 people who may touch that decision.
4. Global IT spending will reach USD 6.37 trillion in 2026
Gartner forecasts that worldwide IT spending will reach USD 6.37 trillion in 2026.
The overall market is expanding, but that growth is not spread evenly across every category. AI infrastructure, data centers, cloud, and software are pulling in a disproportionate share of new spending. This is worth paying attention to because a bigger market does not automatically mean bigger opportunity for every VAR. Catalogs, solution bundles, and areas of expertise need to line up with where the spending is actually going, rather than assuming that a rising market lifts every product line equally.
The takeaway: A growing market only helps a VAR if the catalog and bundles are aligned with the categories actually pulling in the new spend.
5. 54% of B2B buyers purchase without a sales rep
Salesforce found that 54% of B2B buyers now purchase without any sales-rep involvement.
This is a significant shift for a channel that has historically leaned on relationships and phone calls. More than half of buyers are now completing purchases entirely on their own. That means the eCommerce site has to do work that used to fall on a salesperson. Accurate product data, real-time availability, account-specific pricing, configuration options, and clear documentation all need to live on the site itself. If a buyer cannot find what they need without picking up the phone, there is a real chance they will simply go somewhere else that makes it easier.
The takeaway: If the site cannot answer a pricing or availability question on its own, it is asking a majority-self-service buyer base to do extra work they may not bother doing.
6. Partner share of IT spending is shrinking, even as it grows
Omdia forecasts that partner-delivered IT spending will grow 6.7% in 2026, but the channel’s share of total IT spending is expected to fall to 66.7%.
This is a stat worth sitting with. The channel is still growing in absolute terms, but it is growing more slowly than the overall market. Hyperscalers and direct vendor sales are picking up a larger piece of the pie. For VARs, this means growth cannot be assumed just because the market is expanding. Differentiation, strong customer relationships, and an efficient digital buying experience are becoming the factors that decide whether a VAR keeps pace with the market or falls behind.
The takeaway: Standing still on eCommerce experience while the market grows is effectively losing ground, since a shrinking share of a bigger pie can still mean flat or declining relative position.
Key Stats
| Stat | Category | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 71% of B2B companies offer eCommerce; ~33% of revenue is digital | Adoption | McKinsey |
| 60% saw conversion rates rise year over year | Performance | Master B2B |
| 22 stakeholders average per B2B purchase | Buying complexity | Forrester |
| USD 6.37 trillion in global IT spend forecast for 2026 | Market size | Gartner |
| 54% of buyers purchase with no sales-rep involvement | Buyer behavior | Salesforce |
| Partner-delivered IT spending grows 6.7%, but channel share falls to 66.7% | Channel share | Omdia |
What this means for VARs
These figures, when combined, lead to a clear conclusion. B2B eCommerce has evolved from a nice-to-have to a critical component of how IT products and services are sold. Buyers expect to study, compare, and often make purchases online, and they are involving more stakeholders in the process than ever before. At the same time, the channel faces increased pressure to demonstrate its value as hyperscalers and vendors sell more directly.
For VARs, the storefront is no longer just a digital extension of the sales team. It is becoming one of the main ways deals start, get evaluated, and close.
Platforms like VARStreet are built around this reality, giving VARs the tools to run a storefront that supports real buying decisions instead of just listing products. The VARs who treat their eCommerce presence as a serious revenue channel in 2026 are the ones best positioned to grow with the market, not just alongside it.
Ready to strengthen your VAR eCommerce strategy? Explore VARStreet to see how its eCommerce platform can help you build your entire B2B eCommerce business end-to-end for modern B2B buyers.
FAQs
Why does the conversion rate stat matter for an IT VAR's site, not just for a manufacturer's?
IT VARs often assume conversion tracking is a manufacturer or big-retail concern. But 60% of B2B eCommerce sellers saw conversion rates rise this year, which means the metric is already being used to judge digital channel performance across B2B. A VAR’s site can and should be measured the same way.
How many people are typically involved in approving an IT purchase through a VAR's site?
Forrester puts the average at 22 stakeholders and influencers per B2B purchase. That includes procurement, finance, technical evaluators, and business decision-makers, so a single product page usually needs to serve more than one type of reader.
Which parts of IT spending are growing fastest in 2026 for VAR catalogs to focus on?
Gartner’s USD 6.37 trillion global IT spending forecast for 2026 is being driven disproportionately by AI infrastructure, data centers, cloud, and software. VAR catalogs and solution bundles built around these categories are aligned with where spend is actually moving.
What does it mean that 54% of B2B buyers skip the sales rep entirely?
It means the eCommerce site has to do a lot of the work a rep used to do. Buyers need accurate product data, real-time availability, account-specific pricing, and clear documentation available on the site itself, without needing to call anyone.
Is the IT channel losing ground to hyperscalers and direct vendor sales?
Not in absolute terms. Omdia forecasts partner-delivered IT spending will grow 6.7% in 2026. But the channel’s overall share of total IT spending is expected to fall to 66.7%, meaning the channel is growing more slowly than the market as a whole.
What should an IT VAR's eCommerce site include to keep up with these trends?
Based on the stats above, the core pieces are clear pricing and availability, account-specific quoting, documentation that serves both technical and business buyers, a fast and accurate search experience, and a checkout process that does not require a phone call to finish.
