What is B2B?
B2B stands for “business-to-business”. It refers to any transaction or commercial activity between two businesses, rather than between a business and an individual consumer. In a simple way, B2B stands for business-to-business transactions between two businesses.
What services does Shopify offer for B2B businesses?
Shopify offers a built-in feature called Shopify B2B, which enables businesses to conduct B2B (business-to-business) sales directly through their online store without the need for third-party apps. It’s important to note that this feature is only available on the higher-tier Shopify Plus plan.
Get Start B2B with Shopify
Getting started with B2B on Shopify is a great way to take your business to the next level. With Shopify’s powerful platform, you can easily create a B2B storefront that is tailored to the needs of your business customers. To get started, you’ll need to sign up for a Shopify account and choose a plan that’s a higher-tier Shopify Plus plan. From there, you can start customising your store, adding products, and setting up your B2B pricing and discounts. With Shopify, you’ll have all the tools you need to succeed in the world of B2B e-commerce.
Built-in features for everything wholesale
There are several ways to represent multiple buyers and locations with unique payment terms and user permissions in a Shopify B2B store:
Customer Profiles with Locations:
Create individual customer profiles for each company that you do business with. Within each customer profile, you can manage multiple locations belonging to that company. Each location can have its own Payment Terms and User Permissions.
Payment Terms:
Set specific payment terms (e.g., net 30, net 60) for each location. This allows you to offer different credit terms based on the customer’s creditworthiness or purchase history.
User Permissions:
Assign user permissions within each location. You can create different user roles (e.g., administrator, buyer) and grant specific access to features like placing orders, viewing pricing, or approving invoices.
Price Lists and Tags:
Create different price lists with specific product pricing for various customer groups or locations. You can then assign these price lists to individual customer profiles or locations. Also, apply tags to products or categories to associate them with specific customer groups or locations. This allows you to dynamically show relevant products and pricing based on the user’s login information.
| Feature | Customer Profiles with Locations | Price Lists and Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer Representation | Individual customer profiles | Customer groups or locations |
| Location Management | Multiple locations under one profile | Not directly managed |
| Payment Terms | Set per location | Not directly set, achieved through price lists |
| User Permissions | Set per location user roles | Not applicable |
Choosing the Right Approach:
The most suitable approach would depend on your requirements.
- If you have a large number of buyers with complex location-based requirements for payment terms and permissions, using customer profiles with locations is ideal.If you have standardised pricing across locations but want to offer different product sets to different customer groups, price lists and tags might be sufficient.
Additional Tips:
- To offer more price flexibility, you can make use of discount codes for particular customers or locations.Consider installing a B2B app from the Shopify app store if the built-in functionalities do not meet your requirements. These apps come with advanced features such as custom workflows and self-service portals for your B2B customers. Also, You can hire a developer to develop functions who can fulfil your needs.
Global expansion
Expand globally by creating localised storefronts, accepting multiple currencies, and applying tax exemptions for wholesale customers worldwide.
Customer-specific product publishing
Shopify B2B offers a powerful feature called customer-specific product publishing. It enables you to curate the buying experience for each of your customers by creating personalized catalogs and tailored assortments based on factors like purchase history, industry, and volume discounts. This helps your customers find what they need quickly, streamlines the buying process, and fosters stronger business relationships. To implement this feature, you need to segment your customers, create product catalogs, and assign them to customers. By leveraging customer-specific product publishing, you can create a more engaging and efficient B2B buying experience on your Shopify store, leading to increased sales and stronger customer relationships.
