North American industrial buyers are changing how they evaluate suppliers and allocate resources. Investment priorities are evolving, supply chain risks are being reassessed, and the role of digital tools in supplier selection is accelerating. For manufacturers, keeping pace with how buyers evaluate and engage suppliers has become just as important as what you bring to market.
The Industrial Buyer Pulse by Kula Partners is primary research based on responses from 263 North American decision-makers across operations, procurement, and technical roles. This inaugural release examines how buyers think, research, and make purchasing decisions, centred on four key areas: buying confidence, supplier research habits, digital engagement, and supply chain expectations.
By tracking these trends every quarter, our research provides manufacturers with a practical lens for focusing their efforts to stay competitive now and in the months and years ahead.
Industrial Buyers’ Budgets and Confidence Are Increasing
Confidence is a cornerstone of industrial purchasing. When buyers feel secure about budgets and the broader market, they are more willing to evaluate multiple suppliers, consider higher-value solutions, and make larger investments. Understanding how buyers feel about their upcoming capital expenditures helps manufacturers anticipate demand and shape engagement strategies.
Our Industrial Buyer Pulse reveals that confidence among industrial buyers is strong. 88% of respondents expect their capital expenditure budgets to grow over the next 90 days, while only 2% anticipate modest decreases, and no significant reductions are expected. Even with economic uncertainty on the horizon, buyers are signalling that investment in equipment, solutions, and services remains a priority.
For manufacturers, this sentiment creates an opening to win business. When confidence is low, buyers pull back, limit spend, and stick with known suppliers to minimize risk. But as budgets expand during periods of high confidence, buyers broaden their bid lists and switch to suppliers who deliver higher throughput, superior quality, or lower total cost of ownership throughout the product lifecycle. During these windows, clear demonstrations of value accelerate growth and translate directly into market share gains.
Buyers Are Doing Their Homework Before Talking to Sales
How buyers research and evaluate suppliers has shifted dramatically. Today, many industrial buyers take control of the process early, gathering information and forming shortlists before ever speaking with a salesperson. Understanding these behaviours is critical for manufacturers that want to be considered during the earliest stages of the buying journey.
The Industrial Buyer Pulse shows that for their last significant purchase, 82% of buyers shortlisted a supplier before speaking with sales, and 85% are using AI tools to research suppliers, with small and mid-sized enterprises leading adoption. Despite the rise of AI, supplier websites remain the top destination for research, nearly twice as popular as in-person trade events. These findings highlight that buyers want immediate access to information and are comfortable forming opinions independently.
For manufacturers, this means visibility and digital presence are key. Ensuring websites clearly communicate capabilities, specifications, and reliability can make the difference in whether a company makes a buyer’s shortlist. Providing easily accessible resources, such as datasheets, case studies, or interactive tools, helps buyers evaluate options on their own terms and increases the likelihood of being considered when budgets are ready to be deployed.
Self-Serve Tools Are Shaping Industrial Purchases
Industrial buyers are increasingly expecting to access information and make purchasing decisions online. Digital self-serve tools—from online pricing and lead time calculators to full e-commerce platforms—allow buyers to evaluate options on their own timeline, while remaining anonymous until they are ready to engage with a supplier. For manufacturers, this means the buying experience itself can be a differentiator.
The Kula Partners’ Industrial Buyer Pulse found 77% of buyers used self-serve digital tools to obtain pricing or lead time information, and 80% indicated they would be willing to place an order of $50,000 or more entirely online. These numbers further demonstrate that buyers are comfortable completing significant portions of the buying journey without direct sales interaction, and that digital readiness is no longer optional within industrial markets.
To align with modern buyers, manufacturers should ensure digital tools are easy to use, provide accurate and up-to-date information, and integrate smoothly with other parts of the buying process. Offering online resources and clear, actionable data helps buyers move through their evaluation quickly, reducing friction and improving the likelihood that your company is selected when they are ready to commit.
Supply Chain Confidence Is Strengthening
Supply chain stability has been a top concern for industrial buyers in recent years, but the outlook is improving. Understanding buyers’ expectations around supplier reliability helps manufacturers position themselves as dependable partners and signals where operational investments can create a competitive advantage.
Our Industrial Buyer Pulse finds that 94% of buyers are confident their primary suppliers will meet agreed-upon delivery times in the next quarter. Shortages rank much lower as operational risks, and strong safety stock levels contribute to this sense of stability. While tariff uncertainty remains a factor, overall supply chain concerns have largely subsided since the height of pandemic-related disruptions.
For manufacturers, meeting delivery commitments and maintaining operational stability are essential just to be considered a viable option. To truly differentiate, it takes more than on-time guarantees or delivery promises. Buyers are now looking at the unique product, service, and partnership advantages that only your company can provide—the value beyond reliability that directly impacts their success.
Stay Ahead of Industrial Buyer Trends
The Industrial Buyer Pulse uncovers where buyers are directing their attention, how they evaluate suppliers, and what shapes their purchasing decisions. These insights give manufacturers a clearer view of opportunities and priorities in an increasingly complex industrial landscape. With confidence high, digital tools expanding, and supply chains stabilizing, tracking these trends is essential to driving growth and strengthening customer relationships.
While we’ve highlighted some key insights here, the full report explores the research findings in greater depth. Kula Partners’ expert analysis provides context and guidance that marketing, sales, and operations teams can use to make strategic, informed decisions.
Access the full Industrial Buyer Pulse report to see how your company can respond to these evolving buying behaviours.