The Q1 2026 Industrial Buyer Pulse reveals that when asked how they would respond if energy, freight, or input costs rose sharply in the next 90 days, 38% of industrial buyers said they would accelerate purchases to get ahead of further cost increases. Only 4% would freeze discretionary spending. Accelerators outnumber retreaters nearly ten to one.
To win in a disrupted market, manufacturers must stop marketing to a buyer who is no longer dominant and start proving they can move at the speed the accelerating buyer is bringing.
In this POV, we explore:
- Why 38% of industrial buyers accelerate purchases during disruption, and the three reflexes that cause manufacturers to miss them.
- How Mosaic Manufacturing won the accelerating buyer by leading with tariffs and marketing their Array system as a 48-hour microfactory.
- Three shifts manufacturers can make to surface the lead times, pricing, and capacity signals the accelerating buyer is searching for.
