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Rudy Abitbol
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Conference Chairman · B2B Online Atlanta · November 9, 2026

The next decade of B2B commerce starts now.

Three shifts are already reshaping how B2B buyers order: they stop typing, AI starts choosing, and agents start buying. Here is the 2026 data behind each one, who is already moving, what went wrong for others, and where to start on Monday.

Download the slides (PDF) ↓View them here ↓
Title slide: The Next Decade of B2B Commerce Starts Now, Rudy Abitbol
24 slides · ~20 minutes · Sources on every data slide

The 60-second version. Make buying effortless.

The next decade won’t be won by the best technology. It will be won by whoever makes buying effortless, for the person placing the order and, soon, for the agent placing it for them.

Shift 01

Buyers stop typing

30%+ of B2B orders still arrive by email, PDF or phone, and someone retypes them. AI is starting to read the order instead.

Shift 02

AI starts choosing

Buyers ask AI first and land straight on a product page. If your data can’t answer the spec, AI moves on to the next supplier.

Shift 03

Agents start buying

Agents with spending limits and approvals are live in retail. A person still sets the rules. Decide which door you are.

Where to start on Monday.

Perfect data can wait. Progress can’t. Start with one job, one category, one approver.

01 · Count

Count last month’s orders that someone retyped. That number is your first business case.

02 · Ask

Ask ChatGPT or Claude about your top 20 SKUs, the way a buyer would. Note what it gets wrong.

03 · Pick one job

Quoting, reorders or order entry. One workflow, scoped to the data it actually needs.

04 · Keep a human

AI drafts the quote or the order; one person approves it. Bring your veterans in early.

05 · Choose your door

Decide how your customers’ agents get in: catalog, contract prices, approval rules. On purpose, not by default.

The slides.

Data is sourced on each slide. Everything labeled “my view” is my opinion.

Slide 1: Conference Chairman
01Conference ChairmanThe Next Decade of B2B Commerce Starts Now. B2B Online Atlanta, November 9, 2026.
Slide 2: Your chair
02Your chairRudy Abitbol: B2B commerce and AI for manufacturers and distributors.
Slide 3: Permit A38
03Permit A38Asterix needs one form. Your buyer needs one order. Both get sent from window to window.
Slide 4: The thesis
04The thesisThe next decade won’t be won by the best technology. It’ll be won by whoever makes buying effortless.
Slide 5: Monday, 7:42 AM
05Monday, 7:42 AM24 months from now, the purchasing manager conducts: her agent recommends, she approves.
Slide 6: Three shifts
06Three shiftsBuyers stop typing. AI starts choosing. Agents start buying.
Slide 7: Shift 01: Buyers stop typing
07Shift 01: Buyers stop typing30%+ of B2B orders still arrive by email, PDF or phone. Up to 60% at some distributors.
Slide 8: Every rekeyed order is a promise, delayed
08Every rekeyed order is a promise, delayed5–6% carry an error. Every error is rework. 66% expect B2C speed.
Slide 9: From five or six days to about 15 minutes
09From five or six days to about 15 minutesFastenal’s CEO on AI in branch sourcing and quoting (Q3 2026 earnings call).
Slide 10: Distributors are teaching AI to read the order
10Distributors are teaching AI to read the orderUS Foods, White Cap, Johnstone Supply, and $120M+ invested in distributor order AI.
Slide 11: Shift 02: AI starts choosing
11Shift 02: AI starts choosingAI-driven traffic to Shopify stores tripled in a year.
Slide 12: The buyer journey just collapsed
12The buyer journey just collapsedHalf of AI shoppers land directly on a product page. From organic search, one in five.
Slide 13: AI won’t guess
13AI won’t guessOnly 5–10% of a catalog gets surfaced. When AI finds you, visits convert 80% better.
Slide 14: Nobody types “red drain plug” into an LLM
14Nobody types “red drain plug” into an LLM75% of AI-referred sales went to specialized products. That’s B2B’s home turf.
Slide 15: Product data is a team, not a project
15Product data is a team, not a projectMy view: effort isn’t the fix; structure is.
Slide 16: Shift 03: Agents start buying
16Shift 03: Agents start buyingYour next buyer may not be a person. A person will still set the rules.
Slide 17: Agentic is a channel
17Agentic is a channelOnline, then mobile, now agentic: its own owner, its own data, its own numbers.
Slide 18: The first fork in agentic commerce
18The first fork in agentic commerceWalmart opened the door to AI agents. Amazon locked it. Decide which door you are.
Slide 19: Real now. Not yet.
19Real now. Not yet.Agentic checkout is live on 8,000+ stores. Only 2.2% of agent sessions end in a purchase.
Slide 20: Two ways this goes wrong
20Two ways this goes wrongThe plumbing breaks (Lamb Weston). The people don’t come. Pilot first, then scale.
Slide 21: The agent behind the rep
21The agent behind the repAI drafts the quote from CRM and ERP data; one human approves. Sysco: 95%+ weekly use.
Slide 22: Go see it this week
22Go see it this weekSix B2B Online Atlanta sessions, mapped to the three shifts.
Slide 23: Back to Monday, 7:42 AM
23Back to Monday, 7:42 AMEvery piece of that morning already exists. Just not in one place. Not at your company. Yet.
Slide 24: Your buyers already moved
24Your buyers already movedNow it’s your turn. Connect on LinkedIn.
Download the slides (PDF) ↓Connect on LinkedIn ↗

Sources.

Where the numbers come from. Figures reported on stage at ShopTalk are labeled as such on the slides.

Run the Monday test in 90 seconds.

The free GEO audit asks Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini the questions your buyers ask, and shows whether they name you.

Run the free GEO audit →

Pick your first job. I’ll help you ship it.

Order entry, quoting, product data or your agent door: I find the highest-ROI AI opportunity, build it with your team, and make it stick. In English and French.

Talk to Rudy →B2B Commerce AI