Launching B2B on Shopify.

As eCommerce continues to reshape the business landscape, companies are increasingly recognising the potential of Business-to-Business (B2B) transactions conducted online. Shopify, with its robust platform and extensive ecosystem, offers an ideal foundation for businesses seeking to capitalise on this trend. In this post, we'll explore your B2B options with Shopify and show the platform in action.

Side note: are you looking for information on the opportunities online B2B presents? We’ve created a guide to help you navigate the burgeoning domain of B2B eCommerce, providing insights and strategies to harness its full potential for unprecedented growth and success in the contemporary B2B sales landscape. Download our 2024 B2B eCommerce Buyers Guide for more information.

Understanding Shopify B2B.

Shopify B2B refers to using Shopify's platform to facilitate transactions between businesses. Unlike Business-to-Consumer (B2C) transactions, B2B transactions often involve larger order volumes, negotiated or favourable pricing, and complex purchasing processes. By leveraging Shopify's features and integrations, businesses can streamline B2B transactions, enhance customer experience, and drive growth.

Shopify previously had a completely separate Shopify Wholesale channel (this is now deprecated - read more about it here) - with very little customisability and limited features.

Over the past 6-12 months, Shopify has rapidly expanded its Shopify B2B offering, allowing businesses to offer an on-brand experience for their wholesale customers through a wealth of customisations.

Shopify B2B constantly improving and innovating.

Shopify has released a number of new, highly-requested features to its platform - and the speed of development does not seem to be slowing. New B2B APIs are being released to help further enhance the experience and connect up with third parties apps.

Some of the features released by Shopify to benefit our B2B customers at blubolt include:

• Volume based pricing

• Quantity rules

• Purchase order numbers

• Pay upfront or Pay on account

Shopify’s Winter Editions 2024 product release also showcased more B2B developments, including:

• New user permissions for B2B orders, enabling brands to restrict access levels within staff permissions.

• A new out-of-the-box theme Shopify theme called “Trade” that is designed and optimised for wholesale businesses.

• The option to go headless with B2B.

• Custom promotional discounts for B2B using third-party or custom apps powered by Shopify Functions.

How should I set up my Shopify B2B store?

Shopify offers its B2B suite of tools to those customers with Shopify Plus, and it can be implemented in a number of different ways. There are two main approaches to setting up your Shopify B2B store:

1. Blended Store.

A blended solution would be a single Shopify instance (storefront) which combines your B2C and B2B customers. All your business data would be all in one place, one central place to manage product data and integrations. By default, the site would be focused towards your B2C customers, but upon logging in as a B2B customer to the site, the following can be customised:

• B2B customers can be presented with differing content using Shopify Contexts, allowing content to be better targeted to your customers.

• B2B customers can have separate price lists, which can contain quantity breaks and volume-based pricing.

Generally speaking, the key advantages of a blended Shopify B2B store are:

• Streamlined operations. A blended Shopify store can streamline operations by centralising sales, inventory management, and customer data for both B2B and B2C channels. This simplifies processes such as order fulfilment, inventory tracking, and customer support, leading to greater efficiency and cost savings.

• Marketing synergy. A blended Shopify store allows businesses to leverage their marketing efforts across both B2B and B2C channels. By sharing promotions, product launches, and marketing campaigns across both segments, businesses can maximise their reach and exposure, driving more traffic and sales to their online store.

• Scalability. Shopify's scalable infrastructure allows businesses to easily expand their operations as they grow. Whether adding new products, entering new markets, or attracting more customers, a blended Shopify B2B store can scale to accommodate increasing demand and support business growth over time.

• Cost-effectiveness. Maintaining a single, integrated platform for both B2B and B2C operations can be more cost-effective than managing separate systems for each segment. This reduces overhead costs associated with technology, administration, and maintenance while also simplifying IT infrastructure and support requirements.

2. Dedicated Store.

A dedicated solution allows you to segregate your wholesale and retail customers and further customise your Shopify B2B site. Any changes made to this dedicated store will solely be focused on enhancing your wholesale customers' experience and allow your changes to be made in isolation of your B2C site.

Overall, the key advantages of having a dedicated Shopify B2B store are:

• Customisation for B2B needs. This includes features such as negotiated pricing, bulk ordering capabilities, custom catalogues, tiered pricing, and account management tools tailored for businesses.

• Personalised B2B experience. This can include personalised product recommendations, custom pricing agreements, and tailored marketing campaigns designed to address the unique needs and preferences of B2B buyers.

• Integration with B2B systems. Dedicated B2B stores can easily integrate with other B2B systems and technologies, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. This facilitates seamless data synchronisation, order processing, and customer management across different platforms, improving overall efficiency and productivity.

• Focused marketing. With a dedicated B2B store, businesses can focus their marketing and sales efforts specifically on targeting B2B customers. This allows for more targeted messaging, advertising, and promotions tailored to the needs and preferences of B2B buyers, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales.

Need help deciding between the two?

As explained above, blended and dedicated stores have their advantages. Both also provide other benefits like:

• Insights and analytics. Shopify's analytics tools provide valuable insights into B2B transactions, customer behaviour, and sales performance. By analysing data and trends, businesses can make informed decisions, optimise their B2B strategies, and drive continuous improvement.

• Integration ecosystem. Shopify's extensive ecosystem of apps and integrations enables businesses to extend the platform's functionality to suit their specific B2B requirements. From inventory management and CRM systems to ERP integrations and payment gateways, businesses can seamlessly integrate Shopify with their existing tools and workflows.

Two minds are better than one, so contact us for an obligation and sales-pitch-free chat about your project. We can help guide you on the best solution to meet your requirements!

Not on Shopify Plus?

Although Shopify B2B is currently only available to customers on the Shopify Plus plan or higher, this doesn’t rule out using Shopify for B2B eCommerce. A host of apps are available that can be used alongside one of Shopify’s other plans and accommodate a wealth of business requirements. Do get in touch to discuss options for your store.

Shopify B2B in action.

From our extensive experience (we’ve been working with B2B brands since 2006), we know that fully understanding the requirements (proper project scoping is essential!) and embracing the most suitable solution - whether that be an out-of-the-box solution, available third-party apps or tailor-made solutions - ensures a successful B2B solution for both the client and the end-users.

Browse some of our recent B2B case studies below for inspiration for your own site, and contact us to discuss any queries about your own B2B site.

1. Porcelain Superstore: new opportunities with native B2B on Shopify Plus.

The Porcelain Superstore team were keen to open the business up to online trade clients. After successfully migrating from Magento to Shopify Plus, they wanted to take advantage of the native Shopify B2B functionality while also providing their existing super smooth DTC eCommerce experience to B2B customers. Read more about the Shopify B2B project for Porcelain Superstore.

2. Robert Welch: streamlining B2B & DTC with one platform.

The Robert Welch team were managing B2B orders on a different platform but wanted a trade site that simplified ordering, supported large volumes and types of price lists, could manage various payment types, and had an eCommerce experience that reflected the brand. Having enjoyed success with its DTC Shopify Plus site built by blubolt, the brand sought to bring B2B onto the same platform and replicate the sleek and sophisticated user experience for its B2B customers. Learn more about the Shopify B2B project for Robert Welch.

3. Teapigs: delivering a 33% increase in AOV for B2B.

The teapigs team were managing B2B orders manually by phone or via email using Sage during office hours, which was a laborious and inconvenient process for both the brand and customers alike. Having seen great success with its DTC Shopify Plus site built by blubolt, the teapigs team sought to replicate this enjoyable and flexible eCommerce experience for its B2B customers. Browse the Shopify B2B project details for teapigs.

Conclusion.

Embracing Shopify B2B represents a strategic opportunity for businesses to modernise their operations, enhance customer relationships, and drive sustainable growth in today's digital economy.

By leveraging Shopify's powerful platform and ecosystem, businesses can unlock the full potential of online B2B transactions and stay ahead in a competitive market landscape.

Ready to chat about B2B eCommerce opportunities for your brand? We've been creating world-class B2B solutions since 2006, so get in touch to discuss your B2B requirements. We would love to help!