How AI in B2B Is Transforming Customer Journeys .

Real-world example (NL):

Top Bakkers, a Dutch B2B marketplace for bakeries and professional buyers, is exploring generative AI to personalize and streamline ordering workflows. Instead of just listing baked goods, the platform is working toward offering smart suggestions based on historical orders, inventory cycles, and buyer preferences.

1. Turning Complex Catalogs Into Smart Conversations

Some B2B companies carry tens of thousands of SKUs. Expecting customers to “just browse” is outdated. Conversational AI changes that. Whether embedded in site search, a chatbot, or a WhatsApp-like interface, it lets customers ask complex questions and get smart, context-aware answers instantly.

Think of a buyer asking:

“Show me the items I ordered last spring, but with faster lead times.”
“Can you recommend an alternative to X product that’s in stock now?”

The AI knows the context—it knows who the customer is, their order history, and what’s currently available. This results in fewer calls to sales, faster decisions, and a customer who feels understood.

2. Automating the Reorder Journey

Reordering is one of the most repetitive but crucial parts of the B2B experience. AI can take it from manual and reactive to proactive and fully automated. By analyzing purchasing cycles, seasonality, and order volumes, AI can:

• Predict when a customer is likely to reorder
• Automatically suggest or populate reorder lists
• Identify gaps or anomalies in ordering behavior

Example:
Some platforms can use AI to extract data from PDF purchase orders or even from emails, turning them into structured data for carts or ERP entries. This removes friction, reduces errors, and improves reorder reliability—especially for customers managing dozens or hundreds of SKUs.

3. Visual Search and Custom Recommendations for Wholesale

Even in B2B, looks and presentation matter. Take a wholesale distributor like Amarra, which sells occasionwear to B2B clients. Their use of AI extends beyond product descriptions into complete order bundles based on seasons, previous orders, and trending inventory.

Visual search allows buyers to upload an image of a desired style or product and receive instant matches from the catalog. For buyers, especially in retail or product-driven industries, this shifts the journey from search to inspiration.

4. Smarter Pricing, Dynamic Catalogs

Pricing in B2B is often complex—tiered, negotiated, dynamic. AI helps manage and optimize it by:

• Adapting prices based on stock, demand, and historical patterns
• Generating instant quotes that factor in discounts or contract terms
• Helping identify margin opportunities via bundled recommendations

Example:
A large logistics company in Southeast Asia used AI to dynamically generate shipping options and price quotes. The result: faster quote turnaround and higher conversion rates. B2B buyers no longer had to wait for custom pricing—they got it on the spot.

5. SuperTracy: PostNL’s AI Storyteller for Parcel Tracking

One of the most innovative use cases in the Netherlands comes from logistics giant PostNL. Meet SuperTracy — a generative AI assistant designed to turn dry tracking codes into clear, human-friendly parcel updates.

Instead of showing cryptic scans and timestamps, SuperTracy tells the story of your package: where it is, what happened, and what’s next. Built using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with open-source LLMs like LLAMA 3, it draws on internal data to generate reliable, personalized responses.

“Your parcel left the sorting center this morning and is now with the local depot. It’s expected to arrive this afternoon.”

Why this matters: For B2B customers tracking multiple high-value shipments, clarity and confidence are key. SuperTracy reduces anxiety, eliminates the need for support calls, and creates a smoother journey.

And it’s efficient too. It runs on lightweight local infrastructure, uses modular AI agents, and has already been tested with logistics experts. Results? A 75% accuracy rate on complex tracking scenarios, with clear paths for future improvement.

Why This Matters to the Customer

Let’s connect the dots. Here’s what AI delivers across the B2B journey:

The result? The B2B journey feels less like corporate procurement and more like solving real problems — quickly and with confidence.

What’s In It for You — The Merchant or Digital Commerce Manager?

While the focus is the customer journey, AI brings serious benefits behind the scenes too:

Less manual work: AI handles descriptions, reorders, and FAQs — freeing up your team.
Fewer errors: Automatic data extraction from emails or PDFs reduces costly input mistakes.
Smarter merchandising: Know which products to recommend, bundle, or promote — backed by data.
Higher margins: Suggest complementary products that boost order value and retention.
Happier customers: Faster journeys mean more satisfied buyers who come back.

Final Thoughts

Fashion may dominate the headlines when it comes to AI in digital commerce, but B2B and wholesale are where the long-term transformation is quietly taking place. With AI, you’re not just selling products — you’re delivering smart, frictionless solutions that align with real business goals.
In other words: your digital channel can stop being a catalog and start being a consultant.
Ready to shift your B2B journey from transactional to transformational? Now’s the time.