Our analysis of B2B tenders shows business customers are being priced in the market months before most renewal quotes go out.
As suppliers plan for the April 2027 renewal round, that timing matters.
We looked at tenders for April and October 2026 start dates. Four months before contract start, suppliers had already quoted around 50% of the competitor customers they went on to price. For their own renewals, the figure was around 20%.
Why the gap matters
Business switching was running around a third below the seasonal average in April 2026. In a quieter market, every renewal a supplier keeps counts for more.
Gains data can act as an early signal: if competitors’ customers are in the market that early, yours are likely to be too. Brokers and other third-party intermediaries (TPIs) will often start looking for the best outcome for their clients well before a renewal quote arrives.
Once a customer is in the market, decisions move quickly. In our analysis, 53% of deals were accepted within 30 days of going to market. That leaves little room for a reactive retention conversation, or for resolving open service, billing or debt issues, which tend to surface at exactly this point.
Three ways to get ahead of your renewals
- Map your renewal book by value. Know which customers, brokers and start dates matter most, and when they’re likely to be quoted.
- Watch your gains data for early signals. If competitors’ customers reach you months early, yours are likely reaching them too.
- Act early. Start conversations with high-value customers, and resolve service and billing issues while there’s time.
Early conversations protect volume, so new business teams can focus on growth. With April 2027 start dates reaching the four-month mark in early December, now is a good time to start.
How much of your April 2027 book is already in play?
We help suppliers build proactive renewal and sales strategies, starting with the customers that matter most. If you’d like to understand more about how we could help with your April 2027 book, get in touch with Matt Turner-Tait.
