After speaking with our members from UK, Germany, USA and UAE, it seems the story is the same across the board — things are still pretty flat, or in some cases, slightly down. That’s certainly what we’re seeing at BearingNet too.
New Business is Tough Right Now
The biggest challenge everyone seems to be facing is winning new customers. It’s proving harder than ever to convince companies to part with their money, especially if they don’t already know you.
That said, we’ve also noticed something interesting — many of our customers are actually spending more on marketing. When times get tough, some businesses see it as a chance to step up, stand out, and make sure they’re the ones people remember. It’s a brave and smart move that often pays off when the market picks up again.
What’s Happening on BearingNet
Looking at activity on the platform, things are steady. Logins and searches are at about the same level as last year, which is good news — people are still looking for products. However, quotes are down, which fits with the slower market we’re all feeling.
But here’s the interesting part: webshop clicks have jumped by 10,000–20,000 per quarter across all the webshops listed on BearingNet. That tells us that users are still buying, but they’re being more focused. Rather than shopping around, they’re going straight to the companies they already know and trust — the ones offering the best price, delivery, and reliability.
So while overall activity might look a bit quieter, it seems customers are simply being more selective and sticking with their preferred distributors.
Why This Matters for You
This trend really highlights the value of connecting your webshop to BearingNet’s search results. If you’ve already invested in your webshop, let us help you get it connected — we can even show you how it works and let you try it for a while.
With more and more people shopping through webshops, it’s a great time to make sure yours is easy to find and ready to capture that traffic.
Even though the market feels slow, there are still opportunities out there — especially for the companies that keep pushing forward and making themselves visible.
Seeing Our Customers
It’s been a great quarter for connecting with our members. In September, we attended the EPTDA Convention and in October we hosted the very first User Meeting for our other platform, Fasten.it. It felt a bit like the early days of BearingNet — just 40 people, creating a friendly and open atmosphere where everyone could really share ideas. It was great to see how much value attendees found in coming together as a community.
The EPTDA was also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with many of our members and meet some new manufacturers. While there, we listened to a keynote from an economist who shared some key insights into what’s ahead:
- Costs are expected to rise by around 20% over the next five years, with sharper increases in the next two.
- Prices will likely continue climbing next year and beyond.
- Oil, electricity, and energy costs will grow significantly.
- Shipping costs are expected to rise over the next two years.
- Interest rates will continue increasing — it’s wise to consider locking them in within the next 6–9 months.
- Europe will face labour shortages, making skilled talent harder to find.
But there is hope!! Despite these challenges, we can look forward to at least three more years of strong turnover. The message was clear — if we get smarter with how we use AI, we can keep costs under control and make sure our profit margins stay healthy.
Source: BearingNet
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