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Discover Shopify B2B: Wholesale, Shopify Plus, Examples & More

5 minutes

B2B, or business-to-business, presents an excellent opportunity for Shopify stores to tap into new revenue streams and boost profitability. By engaging in B2B transactions, Shopify merchants can expand their customer base beyond individual consumers to include other businesses.

One of the key advantages of B2B for Shopify stores is the potential for larger, more consistent orders. Businesses often require bulk purchases or regular supplies, leading to higher sales volumes. This increased transaction size can result in greater revenue and improved margins, ultimately driving profitability.

Furthermore, B2B partnerships can foster long-term relationships, promoting repeat business and customer loyalty. By providing a seamless B2B purchasing experience, Shopify stores can establish themselves as reliable suppliers, attracting businesses that value efficiency and convenience.

To successfully embark on the B2B journey, this guide will cover various aspects such as understanding business customers’ unique needs and preferences, implementing customized pricing and invoicing structures, optimizing the online B2B storefront, and effectively marketing B2B offerings.

By leveraging B2B opportunities, Shopify stores can unlock new business prospects, secure larger orders, enhance profitability, and cultivate lasting customer relationships. That is why we’re going to discuss Shopify B2B in this comprehensive guide.

So, if you’re ready to learn about all things Shopify B2B, read on!

What Is Shopify B2B?

Shopify B2B offers significant opportunities for businesses to expand into new markets and attract new customers. It enables Shopify merchants to sell their products and services to other businesses, creating additional revenue streams and enhancing their overall growth potential.

Expanding into new markets is a key advantage of Shopify B2B. Targeting business customers allows merchants to tap into industries and sectors with higher demand or specific product needs. This allows them to diversify their customer base and reduce reliance on a single market segment. The ability to reach a wider audience and explore new geographical areas can lead to increased sales and market penetration.

Attracting new customers is another compelling opportunity in the Shopify B2B space. Businesses often require specialized products or services to support their operations, and by positioning themselves as reliable B2B suppliers, Shopify merchants can attract these customers. B2B transactions often involve higher-value orders, providing a chance to drive revenue growth and improve profitability.

By investing time and effort into understanding the nuances of the B2B market and implementing appropriate strategies, Shopify merchants can leverage the significant opportunities presented by Shopify B2B. This can lead to expanded market reach, increased customer acquisition, and improved business growth and profitability.

Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on all things Shopify B2B. The article “Wholesale Success with Shopify” will give you the foundation you need to succeed in the B2B and wholesale world.

What Is the Difference Between Shopify B2B and B2C?

Shopify B2B and B2C refer to two distinct business models and approaches in e-commerce. Understanding the differences between the two is crucial for leveraging their benefits and taking your online store to the next level.

B2C, or business-to-consumer, is the traditional model where businesses sell products or services directly to individual consumers. It focuses on meeting the needs and preferences of individual customers and aims to provide a seamless shopping experience. B2C transactions often involve smaller order sizes and shorter sales cycles. The primary goal is to attract and convert individual consumers, build brand loyalty, and generate revenue through a high volume of transactions.

On the other hand, B2B, or business-to-business, involves selling products or services from one business to another. B2B transactions are characterized by larger order sizes, longer sales cycles, and more complex purchasing processes. The focus is on meeting the specific requirements of business customers, such as bulk purchasing, customized pricing, and streamlined workflows. B2B transactions often involve building long-term relationships, securing repeat business, and driving profitability through larger transaction values.

While both B2B and B2C options can be effective, adding a B2B channel to your online store can unlock significant advantages. By expanding into the B2B market, you can capture a larger market share and tap into a customer segment that typically generates higher-value orders. B2B customers often have long-term buying commitments. They are likelier to remain loyal to reliable suppliers, contributing to a stable revenue stream and improved profitability.

Furthermore, incorporating a B2B channel allows you to diversify your customer base and reduce reliance on the sometimes fluctuating demand of B2C customers. This provides greater stability and resilience for your business.

Introducing a B2B channel also enables you to leverage your existing infrastructure, product offerings, and brand reputation to target a broader range of customers. It allows for strategic expansion into new industries, geographic regions, or niches where B2B demand may be high. This can increase market reach, higher sales volumes, and enhance brand recognition.

Moreover, the B2B market often offers opportunities for building strong relationships and partnerships with other businesses. Collaborations, joint ventures, or strategic alliances can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes and open up new avenues for growth.

While both B2B and B2C options have their merits, incorporating a B2B channel into your online store can provide significant advantages. It lets you capture a larger market share, boost revenue through higher-value orders, establish long-term customer relationships, and drive profitability. By strategically leveraging both B2B and B2C approaches, you can maximize the potential of your online store and position your business for sustained success.

Please check out our ultimate guide on the difference between Shopify B2B and B2C. You will find the key tips and strategies you need to succeed in both worlds right here.

Why Is Shopify Plus Good for B2B?

Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level e-commerce platform offered by Shopify, specifically designed to cater to the needs of large-scale businesses. When it comes to B2B operations, Shopify Plus offers several key advantages that make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to expand into a vast market reach.

Scalability is one of the primary benefits of Shopify Plus for B2B. As businesses grow and their B2B operations expand, they require a robust and flexible platform to handle increasing traffic, large order volumes, and complex integrations. Shopify Plus provides the infrastructure and resources to support high-demand B2B activities, ensuring a smooth and reliable customer experience.

Customization capabilities are another strength of Shopify Plus. B2B businesses often have unique requirements regarding pricing structures, product catalogs, order workflows, and user permissions. Shopify Plus offers advanced customization options, including access to APIs and additional development resources, allowing businesses to tailor their B2B storefronts and processes according to their specific needs. This flexibility enables businesses to create a personalized and seamless B2B purchasing experience for their customers.

Furthermore, Shopify Plus provides robust integrations and automation tools crucial for B2B operations. Integration with popular ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, and other third-party solutions streamlines the management of inventory, orders, customer data, and financial processes. This ensures efficient B2B workflows and enables businesses to handle complex operations at scale.

Security and compliance are of paramount importance in B2B transactions. Shopify Plus offers advanced security features, including Level 1 PCI DSS compliance, fraud detection tools, and data encryption. These measures protect sensitive customer information, financial data, and transactions, fostering trust and confidence in B2B relationships.

While Shopify Plus provides numerous benefits for large-scale B2B operations, it’s important to note that it may not be suitable for every business. Smaller businesses or those with simpler B2B requirements can still leverage Shopify B2B functionalities through other Shopify standard plans. Shopify B2B features, such as wholesale pricing, bulk ordering, and custom catalog creation, can be utilized to cater to B2B customers effectively.

Shopify Plus is an excellent choice for large-scale B2B operations. It offers scalability, customization options, robust integrations, advanced security, and compliance features crucial for businesses expanding into a vast market reach. However, Shopify’s standard plans with B2B functionalities for smaller businesses can still provide a valuable foundation for effectively serving B2B customers. Ultimately, the choice depends on the specific needs and scale of the business seeking to establish or grow its B2B operations.

If you want to go into greater detail about Shopify Plus and what it can do for your e-commerce site, check out our Shopify B2B comprehensive guide here.

Why Shopify Themes Are Good for B2B?

Shopify themes are highly beneficial for B2B businesses as they enable the creation of professional-looking websites easily, even for individuals with little to no IT expertise. Here’s why Shopify themes are particularly advantageous for B2B:

#1: User-Friendly Interface

Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes it simple for anyone to build and customize a B2B website. The intuitive drag-and-drop functionality allows users to easily arrange and modify elements on their site without coding knowledge or technical skills.

#2: Pre-Designed Templates

Shopify offers various pre-designed themes specifically tailored for B2B businesses. These themes are professionally crafted, visually appealing, and optimized for user experience. B2B themes often include features like advanced product filtering, quote request forms, bulk ordering capabilities, and personalized pricing structures.

#3: Mobile Responsiveness

Shopify themes are mobile-responsive by default, ensuring that B2B websites provide an optimal browsing experience across various devices. With mobile commerce on the rise, a responsive site is crucial for engaging B2B customers who can access the website from their smartphones or tablets.

#4: Customization Options

While Shopify themes come with pre-set designs, they offer extensive customization options. Users can modify colors, fonts, and layouts and add branding elements to match their unique B2B brand identity. This allows businesses to create a professional and cohesive online presence that aligns with their brand image.

#5: SEO-Friendly

Shopify themes are designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. They have built-in features and clean code structures that facilitate proper indexing by search engines. This helps improve a B2B website’s visibility in search results, driving organic traffic and attracting potential customers.

#6: App Integration

Shopify’s extensive app store allows users to further enhance their B2B website’s functionality by integrating various apps. These apps can add advanced features such as CRM integration, wholesale account management, inventory management, and more. Integration with third-party apps empowers B2B businesses to meet specific needs and streamline their operations without requiring extensive development knowledge.

#7: Ongoing Support and Updates

Shopify provides regular updates and ongoing support for its themes. This ensures that B2B websites remain compatible with the latest technologies, security standards, and industry trends. Merchants can also access a vast community of Shopify users and experts for guidance and troubleshooting.

To learn more about how Shopify themes can help your e-commerce site, check out this awesome Shopify B2B theme guide right here.

Top Three Shopify Themes for B2B

Here is a look at the top three Shopify themes for B2B:

#1: Symmetry

Symmetry is a popular Shopify theme for B2B developed by Clean Canvas, a renowned theme developer for the Shopify platform. Known for its sleek and modern design, Symmetry offers a range of features and customization options, making it a versatile choice for various e-commerce businesses.

Here’s why we love this Shopify theme for B2B:

Symmetry is built with a responsive design, ensuring your website looks great and functions seamlessly across different devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
The theme includes a customizable home page slideshow that allows you to showcase your key products, promotions, or brand messages in an eye-catching manner.
Symmetry utilizes a clean and structured grid layout, which helps organize product collections and appealingly presents them.
Symmetry allows customers to filter products within a collection based on various attributes like price, color, size, and more.
The theme provides customizable content sections that can be added to any page, allowing you to create unique layouts for product descriptions, featured collections, testimonials, or other custom content.

#2: Impact

The Impact Shopify theme by Maestrooo is a popular choice for B2B businesses looking to create a powerful and visually appealing online store. Developed by Maestrooo, a reputable theme developer, Impact offers a range of features and functionalities specifically designed to cater to the needs of B2B e-commerce.

Here’s why we love this Shopify theme for B2B:

Impact provides a range of customizable layout options, allowing you to create unique and engaging pages for your B2B store.
The theme offers various product and collection display options to effectively showcase your B2B products.
Impact includes essential features for B2B businesses, such as the ability to set wholesale pricing and offer quantity breaks for bulk purchases.
The theme provides robust customer account management features, allowing B2B customers to create accounts, access order history, manage addresses and view personalized pricing.
Impact seamlessly integrates with popular wholesale apps, enabling you to enhance your B2B functionality further.

#3: Motion

The Motion Shopify theme, developed by Archetype Themes, is a visually stunning and feature-rich theme designed specifically for B2B businesses. With its modern design and robust functionality, Motion offers a range of features that cater to the unique needs of B2B e-commerce.

Here’s why we love this Shopify theme for B2B:

Motion features a sleek and contemporary design aesthetic that helps create a visually appealing and professional online store for B2B businesses.
The theme is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices, ensuring your B2B store looks and functions seamlessly across various screen sizes and devices.
Motion offers customizable homepage sections, allowing you to create a unique and engaging front page for your B2B store.
The theme includes advanced product filtering options, making it easy for B2B customers to find the needed products.
Motion features a quick view option that lets customers view product details, add items to their cart, and continue shopping without leaving the collection page.

Check out this great post for more Shopify themes.

What Are Shopify Apps for B2B?

Shopify Apps for B2B are third-party software applications that integrate with the Shopify platform to enhance the functionality and capabilities of B2B online stores. These apps are specifically designed to address the unique needs of B2B businesses, providing features and tools that facilitate efficient B2B operations, improve customer experience, and drive sales. Here are some key types of Shopify apps commonly used in B2B:

#1: Wholesale Pricing and Discounts

B2B apps enable businesses to set up wholesale pricing tiers, offer volume discounts, and create custom pricing structures for different customer groups. These apps help streamline the pricing process, allowing B2B customers to view personalized pricing based on their account or order quantities.

#2: Order Management

B2B apps provide robust order management functionalities, allowing businesses to handle complex order workflows, manage approvals, and track shipments. These apps often integrate with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems or other backend systems to ensure seamless order processing.

#3: Quoting and Proposal Tools

Some B2B apps enable businesses to create professional customer quotes and proposals. These apps may include customizable templates, automated calculations, and the ability to convert quotes into orders seamlessly.

#4: Customer Account Management

B2B apps offer enhanced customer account management features, allowing businesses to create and manage customer accounts, set up multiple users or roles, provide self-service capabilities, and grant access to specific pricing or catalogs based on customer segments.

#5: Catalog and Product Management

B2B apps help manage extensive catalogs with features like bulk product import/export, variant management, and SKU organization. These apps facilitate easy updating and maintenance of large product catalogs, simplifying the management of complex B2B inventories.

#6: Integration with ERP and CRM Systems

B2B apps can integrate with popular ERP and CRM systems, ensuring seamless data synchronization between the Shopify store and backend systems. This integration helps maintain accurate inventory levels, sync customer information, and streamline business processes.

#7: Sales Representative Tools

B2B apps often include functionalities designed for sales representatives, such as mobile order-taking, sales tracking, and lead management. These tools enable sales teams to access real-time product information, place orders on behalf of customers, and track their sales performance.

#8: Customization and Personalization

B2B apps provide customization options to tailor the shopping experience for B2B customers. This may include features like custom product configurators, personalized pricing and discounts, and the ability to create customer-specific catalogs.

#9: Reporting and Analytics

B2B apps offer robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to gain insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and inventory management. These apps provide data visualizations, sales dashboards, and customized reports to inform strategic decision-making.

#10: Integration with Payment Gateways and Shipping Providers

B2B apps integrate with various payment gateways and shipping providers, ensuring smooth and secure payment processing and streamlined order fulfillment. These integrations provide flexibility and choice in payment options and shipping methods.

Check out this great post about Shopify Apps for B2B to learn more about the apps you can use to build your e-commerce site.

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Top Three Shopify Apps for B2B

Here is a look at the top three Shopify Apps for B2B:

#1: Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B

Wholesale Pricing Discount by Wholesale Helper provides an efficient solution for establishing and operating a B2B wholesale store. With this Shopify app for B2B, you can access a range of valuable features, including highly adaptable discounts, tiered pricing options, specialized wholesale shipping rates, a customizable wholesale signup form, convenient net payment terms, and numerous other benefits.

By transforming your store to deliver a seamless B2B experience to your customers, you can greatly enhance your business’s growth prospects and generate increased revenue. This app empowers you to cater specifically to the needs of your wholesale clientele, fostering stronger customer relationships and facilitating smoother transactions. Embracing this comprehensive solution enables your business to thrive in the competitive B2B market, unlocking new opportunities for success.

Here’s why we love this Shopify app for B2B:

Percentage discounts (25%) or specific prices ($72.39) for select customers
Offer volume/tiered pricing & quantity breaks to customers who buy in bulk
Bulk import/export of individual variant prices and volume discounts.
Customizable Wholesale Signup Form to accept potential wholesale accounts.
Offer Net Terms (Net 30/60/90) for flexible payment options to your customers.

#2: Bundle Bear ‑ Volume Discounts

Bundle Bear by Conversion Bear simplifies implementing impactful volume discounts, quantity breaks, and tiered pricing for product bundles. You can easily establish bulk discounts for individual products or your entire store. By harnessing the power of volume discounts and product bundles, you can effectively incentivize your customers to make larger purchases, boosting your revenue.

Bundle Bear empowers you to offer enticing mix-and-match discounts, create compelling X+Y bundles, provide complimentary gifts, set cart size goals (e.g., spend X, get a percentage off), and even offer free shipping. Give our bundler app a try today and witness firsthand how it can enhance your sales performance. Experience the growth potential that comes with leveraging the Bundle Bear app for your e-commerce business.

Here’s why we love this Shopify app for B2B:

Create product bundles, volume discounts, and quantity breaks for your store.
Offer discounts on specific products, specific collections, or your entire store.
Discounts are applied and created automatically based on your specific settings.
Multiple discounts and offers can be stacked, including manual discount codes.
Our bundle builder helps create product bundles, kits, and sets.

#3: PULPO WMS Warehouse Management

Streamline your internal logistics process effortlessly by overseeing every stage, including incoming goods, warehousing, and picking and packing. Once your client places an order on your Shopify store, PULPO WMS by KMB Venture can seamlessly sync the order details, automating the transfer to your warehouse for efficient package fulfillment.

PULPO’s Shopify Warehouse Management seamlessly integrates your online store with your warehouse operations, enabling smooth and automated order processing. Experience improved E-Commerce inventory management and achieve cost reductions with utmost convenience. Enhance operational efficiency, simplify inventory management rapidly, and be user-friendly with PULPO WMS.

Here’s why we love this Shopify app for B2B:

Go Paperless with the PULPO WMS App smart guidance for Shopify Warehouses.
Track product rotation, manage expiration dates, serial numbers, and more.
Unique no-code Web Wizard to recreate your Shopify warehouse.
Immediate employee adoption & performance from day 1 due to PULPO’s intuitive UI.
Inventory accuracy down to warehouse position level.

If you’re looking for more great Shopify apps for B2B, check out this awesome post.

Three Great Examples of Shopify B2B Stores

Let’s take a look at three great Shopify B2B stores:

#1: Uline

Uline is a leading distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials. Their Shopify B2B store provides a seamless experience for businesses to browse and order products in bulk. With features like custom pricing, quick order forms, and easy reordering, Uline offers a user-friendly platform for their B2B customers.

Here’s why Uline is a great Shopify B2B store:

Uline offers a vast range of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials. Their Shopify B2B store features an extensive product catalog with detailed descriptions, specifications, and images.
Uline's B2B store utilizes Shopify's capabilities to provide personalized pricing for their wholesale customers. This feature allows businesses to access competitive and tailored pricing based on their purchasing volume or specific agreements, enhancing the value proposition for B2B buyers.
Uline understands the importance of streamlining the ordering process for their B2B customers. Their Shopify B2B store offers quick order forms, allowing businesses to efficiently enter product quantities and SKUs.

#2: Bulk Apothecary

Bulk Apothecary is a supplier of natural ingredients, soap making supplies, and essential oils. Their Shopify B2B store caters to businesses in the health and wellness industry. With a comprehensive product catalog, personalized pricing, and convenient wholesale ordering options, Bulk Apothecary ensures a smooth B2B shopping experience.

Here’s why Bulk Apothecary is a great Shopify B2B store:

Bulk Apothecary specializes in offering a wide range of natural ingredients, soap making supplies, and essential oils.
Bulk Apothecary's Shopify B2B store provides convenient wholesale ordering options to streamline the purchasing process. Businesses can easily add items to their cart in bulk, quickly adjust quantities, and proceed to checkout efficiently.
Bulk Apothecary's B2B store is designed with a user-friendly interface that enhances the overall shopping experience. The intuitive layout, clear product descriptions, and navigation features make it easy for businesses to find and select the products they require.

#3: FashionGo

FashionGo is a B2B marketplace for wholesale fashion and apparel. Their Shopify-based platform connects retailers with fashion vendors, enabling seamless wholesale purchasing. With advanced search filters, real-time inventory updates, and secure payment options, FashionGo provides a comprehensive B2B solution for the fashion industry.

Here’s why Bulk Apothecary is a great Shopify B2B store:

FashionGo operates as a B2B marketplace specifically catering to the fashion and apparel industry. Their Shopify B2B store connects retailers with fashion vendors, providing a comprehensive platform for wholesale fashion purchasing.
FashionGo offers a wide range of fashion and apparel products from numerous vendors, ensuring a diverse and extensive catalog for B2B buyers.
FashionGo's B2B store leverages Shopify's capabilities to provide real-time inventory updates. This feature ensures that B2B buyers have accurate and up-to-date information on product availability.

Conclusion for Discover Shopify B2B: Wholesale, Shopify Plus, Examples & More

Shopify for B2B presents a remarkable opportunity to expand and elevate your business to new heights. With its robust features and user-friendly interface, Shopify provides a solid foundation for building a successful B2B e-commerce site. However, it’s crucial to approach this opportunity with a well-defined strategy in mind. By carefully planning your B2B strategy, you can unlock the full potential of Shopify and propel your business to the next level.

A solid strategy involves understanding your target audience, identifying their unique needs, and tailoring your offerings to meet those demands. This includes setting up personalized pricing, creating customer-specific catalogs, and streamlining order management processes. Additionally, integrating B2B-specific apps and tools can enhance the functionality of your Shopify store, further improving the customer experience and driving sales.

By leveraging Shopify for B2B with a comprehensive strategy, you can effectively capture a larger market share, boost revenue, and drive profitability. It’s an opportunity to expand your reach, attract new customers, and strengthen relationships with existing ones. With careful planning and execution, your B2B e-commerce site can thrive and position your business for long-term success in the competitive digital landscape.

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Published on June 2, 2023
Topics: Shopify Trends

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Discover Shopify B2B: Wholesale, Shopify Plus, Examples & More

Table of Contents

What Is Shopify B2B?

What Is the Difference Between Shopify B2B and B2C?

Why Is Shopify Plus Good for B2B?

Why Shopify Themes Are Good for B2B?

#1: User-Friendly Interface

#2: Pre-Designed Templates

#3: Mobile Responsiveness

#4: Customization Options

#5: SEO-Friendly

#6: App Integration

#7: Ongoing Support and Updates

Top Three Shopify Themes for B2B

#1: Symmetry

#2: Impact

#3: Motion

What Are Shopify Apps for B2B?

#1: Wholesale Pricing and Discounts

#2: Order Management

#3: Quoting and Proposal Tools

#4: Customer Account Management

#5: Catalog and Product Management

#6: Integration with ERP and CRM Systems

#7: Sales Representative Tools

#8: Customization and Personalization

#9: Reporting and Analytics

#10: Integration with Payment Gateways and Shipping Providers

Grow your sales with high-performing deals.

Top Three Shopify Apps for B2B

#1: Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B

#2: Bundle Bear ‑ Volume Discounts

#3: PULPO WMS Warehouse Management

Three Great Examples of Shopify B2B Stores

#1: Uline

#2: Bulk Apothecary

#3: FashionGo

Conclusion for Discover Shopify B2B: Wholesale, Shopify Plus, Examples & More

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