Sales channels: The proportion of direct customers is growing

5X00790G01 Sales channels for cobots can be divided into direct sales and distribution networks (through distributors or system integrators). As the majority of customers are smes, distribution networks contribute more than 90% of total market sales by 2020. Direct sales mainly target large customers in key industries, but due to the wide coverage and geographical distribution of the robot market, relying on direct sales alone does not best meet user needs. Distributors are typically system integrators with an engineering background who provide automation solutions paired with robots to customers in different industries.

The distribution model can quickly establish a sales network to occupy the market. However, robot manufacturers should not rely too much on the sales and technical support capabilities of distributors, and ensure that they have a deep understanding of the actual needs of downstream customers. In order to establish a deeper connection with customers and understand their practical application needs, the proportion of direct sales has increased rapidly in recent years, and it has become an important trend for robot manufacturers to work with customers to create different scenarios and use cases.

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Direct selling enables robot manufacturers to provide the right solution based on a customer’s specific needs, discover the right application for a cobot in a scenario, and think together with the customer about how best to use the cobot. By working closely with customers, robot manufacturers can also improve customer retention and loyalty. For different application scenarios, semi-customized products or secondary development can also be more suitable.

5X00790G01 Write at the end

By taking a comprehensive look at the global cobot market across multiple dimensions, we can clearly identify market changes and growth trends. We predict that the market will continue to expand and adapt to changing customer needs.

Cobot shipments are expected to grow strongly through 2028, and the price decline will slow as cobots become smarter and move toward larger loads. While the growth of the logistics sector is currently in the spotlight, growth is also expected to accelerate in the non-industrial sector, as well as in areas such as welding.

In order to fully tap the growth potential of various application areas, cobot manufacturers are striving to explore the market in multiple ways, such as listening closely to and responding to customer needs, developing new application scenarios, and working with distributors to build sales networks.