What Buyers are Searching for – October 2025

Summary:

• September snapshot: Procurement teams ramped up sourcing across construction, IT services, and janitorial support. Strong interest continued in landscaping, packaging, and HVAC, alongside surprising spikes in areas like professional services, telecom, and video production—hinting at early planning for year-end communications and infrastructure updates. 
• October to date: Search volumes increased across catering, construction, lab supplies, and specialized trade services like plumbing and landscaping. Buyer intent is focused on project wrap-up, facilities upkeep, and food services for end-of-year events. 
• November outlook: Based on last year’s trends, expect a significant uptick in office refresh projects (office supplies, paint, millwork), human resources consulting, and new vendor evaluation across IT, construction, and furniture categories. Buyers may also revisit dormant projects like architectural services and signage as they close out 2025 budgets and prepare for Q1 onboarding. 

Catering surges as teams prepare for year-end events

Top terms – Catering, food cafe services, kitchen hood cleaning, fine catering 

Why now 
With in-person events back in full swing, enterprises are finalizing vendor lists for holiday parties, employee gatherings, and client appreciation programs. Procurement teams are seeking catering partners who can deliver at scale and with flexibility. 

How to win 
Showcase menus that support dietary needs, sample event packages, and quick-turn capabilities. Emphasize past enterprise experience, delivery zones, and health certifications. 

Quick data callout 
• Catering saw the highest search volume overall in October 
• First-time appearance: “food cafe services” 

Landscaping holds strong as outdoor contracts renew

Top terms – Landscaping, snow, waste removal, grounds services 

Why now 
Buyers are wrapping up fall maintenance and looking ahead to winter prep. Landscaping vendors that also offer snow or outdoor safety services are well-positioned to win multi-season contracts. 

How to win 
List year-round services and clearly note snow readiness. Include service maps, fleet capabilities, and response times for emergency weather support. 

Quick data callout 
• Landscaping: Rising number of buyer searches in October 
• Emerging need: early searches for “snow” removal appeared 

Printing demand returns for events, campaigns, and signage

Top terms – Printing, marketing services, promotional items, signage 

Why now 
Teams are printing materials for seasonal campaigns, internal events, and budget-year wrap-ups. Buyers need local vendors that can support quick runs, branded items, and last-mile delivery. 

How to win 
Highlight fast-turn printing, bundled design services, and shipping capabilities. Show examples of corporate collateral, event signage, or direct mail programs. 

Quick data callout 
• Printing searches more than tripled from September to October 
• Related interest: “marketing services” and “promotional items” held steady 

Lab supply sourcing spikes as departments stock up

Top terms – Lab supplies, scientific refrigeration, safety gear 

Why now 
Buyers in healthcare, higher ed, and public agencies are moving fast to spend remaining 2025 budgets. They’re prioritizing trusted lab supply vendors with inventory and delivery capabilities. 

How to win 
Include detailed product offerings, shipping timeframes, and safety certifications. Where applicable, highlight volume discounts or compliance-ready documentation. 

Quick data callout 
• Lab supplies: up 71% from September 
• Notable spike: “scientific refrigeration” appeared for the first time 

Plumbing services emerge as retrofits and repairs rise

Top terms – Plumbing supplies, HVAC, cooling tower, pipe fittings 

Why now 
Facilities teams are tackling overdue maintenance and finalizing energy-efficiency upgrades before the new year. Buyers are sourcing trade partners for quick-start jobs with reliable credentials. 

How to win 
List union status, licensing, service hours, and brand affiliations. Highlight project examples involving commercial plumbing or HVAC tie-ins. 

Quick data callout 
• Plumbing supplies searches jumped from September to October 
• Continued interest: HVAC stayed in the top 5 trade-related categories 

Construction interest cools slightly—but stays essential

Top terms – Construction, general contractor, electrical, HVAC 

Why now 
As some projects near completion, buyer searches dipped slightly—but construction remains a core sourcing category. There’s growing demand for firms that can handle closeout, punch lists, and last-minute scope changes. 

How to win 
Emphasize speed, compliance, and multi-site capabilities. Include licensing, insurance, and bonding. Buyers are also prioritizing firms that can handle winterization or weather-proofing. 

Quick data callout 
• Construction dropped in terms of total searches in October 
• High-converting terms: general contractor and electrical work 

What to do next

The end of the year brings a final push for sourcing activity and small suppliers that show up now are best positioned for early 2026 wins. 

Get ahead of November trends 
Expect buyer interest to rise in office refresh projects like furniture, paint, and millwork—as well as HR consulting, IT services, and marketing support. With budgets closing and Q1 planning underway, companies are sourcing partners who can help them start 2026 strong. 

Visibility matters more than ever 
With buyers moving fast to close out spend or lock in 2026 contracts, now is the time to update your SupplierOne profile with the terms they’re already searching for. Match language to trending categories, showcase your readiness, and call out seasonal services. 

Want to know how buyers are finding you? 
With SupplierOne PLUS, you can see the exact terms buyers are using to discover suppliers in your category, and how often your profile appears in those searches. Upgrade today to increase your visibility by up to 3x and turn exposure into growth.