5 key things brand needs to consider when implementing B2B on Shopify.

✅ 1. HYBRID VS STANDALONE STORE: Decide early on whether you should use your existing Shopify store for B2B or make the leap and split out into a separate store.

A hybrid approach will reduce overhead initially (one store to manage everything, all content is shared, etc), but as you grow, you may begin to hit a number of roadblocks: how will you manage inventory across channels, how will you split out product catalogues, how will you block non-B2B customers from accessing specific content or promotions (or vice versa).

Going standalone will offer advantages if you want to simplify your Shopify setup.

✅ 2. AUDIT YOUR INTEGRATIONS: You need to understand how your current apps and integrations play with a new B2B channel (many won’t). There can be complications especially around reporting and segmentation (e.g. how do you split your DTC and B2B metrics?). This can be an easy way to justify the “standalone” approach above since each Shopify store will have separate integrations and you can control which apps and integrations you use.

✅ 3. HANDLING B2B PAYMENTS: Nearly all B2B customers will have specific payment types and/or payment terms (e.g. net 30, pay by invoice). Think about how you’re going to adapt the checkout experience to accommodate this so the customers see the right payment types. For upfront payments, analyse your AOV so you can work out the economics of allowing customers to pay upfront e.g. what are the associated transaction fees for a $40,000 order made by card payment.

✅ 4. B2B PRICING: there’s a different level of complexity around B2B pricing versus DTC. Consider how you’ll set pricing for pack-size rules, quantity pricing, minimum and maximum quantities, specific customer discounts, different currencies. Many brands take the opportunity to consolidate their pricing and simplify their pricing logic and rules alongside launching their new B2B store. If you already have a source of truth for pricing (e.g. ERP, PIM), integrate this right from the get-go!

✅ 5. B2B SHIPPING: Shipping can sometimes be an afterthought but it can massively affect the ordering experience if it confuses your B2B customers. Many brands will manage B2B shipping costs after an order has been placed (effectively B2B shipping is FOC), you’ll need to think about how you convey this to customers. Shopify has a robust shipping tool built-in but it won’t easily handle B2B vs DTC shipping rules without configuring scripts - there are also plenty of third-party apps that can manage more sophisticated shipping rules to save you time.

number 6… think about how your customers buy, and how you can support them in that journey. If you’re regularly taking orders FOR your customers, or you have a team of sales reps out putting orders through, make sure you have a system that allows you to do that. Importantly, it should also help you, and not hinder you, by having all your orders going into one place!