Intermediaries and Technological Disruptions: Responding to Physical and Digital Disintermediation

Research has mostly focused on producers, leaving intermediaries (e.g., distributors, wholesalers) poorly understood. We thus investigate how incumbent intermediaries respond to digital technological disruption that disintermediate their distribution and sales. We conduct an inductive study of Sonepar, a major distributor of electrical parts, and its adaptation to digital technologies (2012–2022). Our contribution advances a two-phase process model made of (1) Systems Adaptation and Business Model Change, and (2) High-End Servitization – underpinning the transition from a traditional ‘Offline Strategy’ to a new ‘Hybrid Digital-Driven Strategy.’ We also advance a dynamic approach of the classic dichotomy of ‘core knowledge’ vs. ‘complementary assets’ by showing how underlying activities vary with the type of actor and the phase of its evolution. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.