Real b2b insight, from both sides

WHAT BUYERS NEED – AND HOW TO DELIVER IT

After more than 20 years at the forefront of Nordic e-commerce and with over 60,000 product entries to his name, Lars-Øystein Iversen knows what works – and what doesn’t.

Today, he brings his experience from the outdoor industry into building smarter solutions for the future of B2B commerce with TRIMIT.

When Lars-Øystein Iversen talks about self-service, filters, and product data, it’s not from a theoretical point of view – it comes from years of hands-on experience. He has worked as an e-commerce manager, buyer, product lead, and team leader at some of the Nordics’ most product-intensive online retailers.

Through his years at Skitt Fiske (in both Norway and Sweden), Skittjakt.no, Widforss.no, Fjellsport, and previously NetShop, he’s been responsible for publishing, ordering, and managing tens of thousands of products – and has worked directly with more than 500 brands and their B2B web shops.

“I personally created over 60,000 product entries and led an incredibly skilled content team that produced another 15,000 to 20,000 new listings every year. We worked at a high pace with an enormous range of products. That’s when you become completely dependent on systems – and on suppliers that provide the information your customers expect,” he says.

Lars-Øystein Iversen has created over 60,000 product entries and worked directly with more than 500 brands and their B2B web shops.

The Hunt for a Smoother Workflow

As a buyer and e-commerce lead managing large catalogs and dozens of brands, Lars-Øystein quickly learned to spot the difference between helpful and frustrating supplier systems.

“In many cases, it felt like the web shop was just a login page – and everything else happened somewhere else. Images came by email or DropBox, product data was inconsistent, availability had to be confirmed manually, and you had to click through multiple pages just to order different sizes or colors of the same product. There was no real flow – just a string of disconnected tasks that ate up time.”

When deadlines were tight and product ranges broad, these disconnects made a big difference.“When you’re responsible for 40–50 brands and a thousand other things are on fire, everything needs to flow. You can’t wait three days for a salesperson to email you an Excel file with availability or discounts. You need reliable prices, real-time inventory – and you need to place orders, whenever it suits you.”

Some B2B shops helped. Many didn’t.
“Too many B2B solutions are just front pages for order entry. They might look modern, but they’re not built with the buyer in mind. Information is missing, filters don’t work properly, images are outdated, or the site slows down when you need it most,” he explains.

What made the difference with Outfit Internationals B2B shop– and later what I saw was consistent in TRIMIT – was that everything worked together. Real-time inventory, accurate pricing, up-to-date product data, downloadable images, structured information – all in one place, and without friction. It wasn’t about flashy design; it was about giving buyers what they need to do their job efficiently.

LARS-ØYSTEIN IVERSEN

ECOMMERCE ADVISOR AT TRIMIT

Outfit International

Customer since: 2009

Markets: Hunting and Outdoor

Brand portfolio: Seeland and Härkila

Read about Outfit International

Images, Data – and Full Control

It wasn’t just the ordering experience – it was the easy access to all the product data.

“Placing an order also meant downloading all the images in the right size, resolution, and filename. It may sound trivial – but in a world where you often wait for an email, a DropBox link, or wrestle with chaotic media folders, it was a dream. We could publish products before they even left the supplier’s warehouse.”

“In contrast, many solutions made us chase product images or descriptions – or send reminder after reminder. That slows everything down.”
The information in the Pricat files also made a big difference. “We imported full product info directly into our systems. Product names, descriptions, variants, pricing – everything structured and ready. That gave us incredible speed.”
(A Pricat, short for “price catalogue”, is an industry-standard file format used to exchange detailed product and pricing information between suppliers and buyers.)

From Outdoor Gear to Tech

Lars-Øystein also worked at NetShop, a former retailer of consumer electronics like PCs, TVs, and HiFi systems.
“Different products, but the same need for structure and precise information. Whether it’s a camouflage jacket, a pair of socks, binoculars, or a router – it’s the same principle: give the customer what they need to understand the product.”
This variety has given him a broad perspective – and a clear preference:
“The system has to adapt to the user – not the other way around. Too many solutions are built to impress internally but don’t work for the people who actually need them to do their jobs.”

The Path to TRIMIT

This insight is exactly what brought him to TRIMIT.

“Outfit International used the TRIMIT B2B web shop– and it was the first time I saw how seamlessly a B2B solution could work. I got curious. The more I learned, the more I realized: this is a system I want to work with – not just use.”
That feeling only grew stronger after meeting the people behind the product.

When I got to know the team at TRIMIT, I was sold. The mix of technical passion and personal warmth – a group of skilled and genuine people I really wanted to work with – sealed the decision

LARS-ØYSTEIN IVERSEN

ECOMMERCE ADVISOR AT TRIMIT

Today, Lars-Øystein is part of the Ecommerce team at TRIMIT, working with developers, project managers, and consultants to build the next generation of B2B and sales agent portals.

“We work with incredibly engaged customers across the Nordics. They know what they want and push us to think differently. That’s both inspiring – and meaningful.”

Filters and Self-Service Are Not Nice-to-Haves – They’re Fundamental

Lars-Øystein is clear on what makes a great B2B solution:
“Filters are essential. They’re not decoration. Without good filters, customers won’t find what they need – and then you don’t sell. But filters should narrow things down, not overwhelm with options.”
“Many B2B web shops skip filters entirely, or they’re built in ways that don’t reflect how buyers think. That’s a missed opportunity.”
He’s also a strong proponent of full self-service:
“Buyers and store managers want to place orders when it suits them. That means doing everything themselves – checking prices, stock, images, placing orders, downloading invoices. It’s not about avoiding contact – it’s about making that contact more valuable, because it’s no longer about things the customer could’ve done themselves.”

Solutions Must Keep Evolving

For Lars-Øystein, tomorrow’s solutions must go beyond stock and price.
“We’re entering a time where it’s not enough to know the product and the price. We need to know where it’s from, how it’s made, what it contains, and how to handle it for the environment.”
He references new EU regulations, digital product passports, and growing demands for sustainability documentation.
“Exciting times are ahead. Suppliers and producers who don’t act now will fall behind. The B2B solution has to be the tool that makes all this information accessible and understandable – for customers and for downstream systems”.
“Consumers and authorities will demand more insight and documentation – from origin and materials to carbon footprint and disposal. Digital Product Passports are just the beginning. It’s incredibly exciting to help build systems that meet these needs – while staying simple for the user.”

Any Advice for Succeeding in B2B?

“Go for systems that let the customer work efficiently – without friction. If customers have to ask for everything, you’re wasting both their time and your own.
Give them what they need – and they’ll come back. It’s that simple – and that difficult.”

“And remember, B2B buyers shop on B2C sites too. They expect some of the same experience.”
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