nexMart GmbH & Co. KG is a central e-business service provider and consultancy for electronic communication between suppliers, retailers and their customers. At www.nexmart.net, the company operates an Internet trading portal for the tools, fittings, hardware, gardening tools and technical needs industries in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxem-bourg. Market leading suppliers and specialist retail organisations from those industries participate democratically in the portal. The information and ordering platform supports the entire e-business process chain and integrates both retailers' ordering systems and suppliers' sales systems. nexMart also provides e-business services, standardised product data and basic technologies for electronic marketing, making it easier for retailers to get into the e-procurement business with customers from their industry.