This study describes the use of information technology and e-business from the customers point of view in marketing of wood products.

Wood and wood products are bought, from the saw mill, to the joinery, further on to the building material store and finally to the building contractor company. Purchase by the furniture industry and the use of agents in buying wood is also described. Actual development tendencies and the driving forces behind e-business are discussed. Wishes and demands from the buyers such as environ-mental and quality certifications, product quality and how an increased use of information technology could encourage the relationship between buyer and seller are also treated in the study.

The kind of business relationship between buyer and seller, permanent or tempo-rary, and the kind of product, standard or special, are factors determining the use of information technology and/or conventional contacts in the purchase process.