Shopify has long been recognized as one of the best platforms for DTC eCommerce, powering some of the world’s biggest brands. While its primary focus is on DTC operations, Shopify also caters to B2B businesses, enabling companies to handle both retail and wholesale seamlessly.
Whether you’re using Shopify Plus for advanced B2B features or leveraging third-party apps for wholesale pricing, setting up a seamless experience for your bulk buyers is essential. In this guide, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process to configure wholesale pricing, manage B2B customers, and optimize your store for both retail and wholesale operations. Let’s get started!
Plan requirement
Shopify’s B2B features are exclusively available to Shopify Plus customers. But don’t worry—if you’re on another Shopify plan and want to set up wholesale pricing, there’s a solution for you! You can directly skip here for insights on these features. Interestingly, even Shopify Plus customers often rely on apps to unlock additional advanced features, making their B2B operations even more robust and tailored to their unique needs. Whether you’re on Shopify Basic, Advanced, or Plus, there are options to scale your wholesale business effectively!
Blended vs. Dedicated Stores for B2B on Shopify
Before setting up B2B on Shopify, you’ll need to decide whether to create a blended store (serving both B2B and DTC customers) or a dedicated store exclusively for B2B operations. This decision is crucial as some features may not fully separate B2B and DTC orders, potentially leading to mixed notifications, order adjustments, and overlapping reports. Understanding the key differences between these options will help you make the right choice for your business strategy.
Setting Up B2B Wholesale in Shopify Plus
Step 1: Set Up Companies
What is a Company in Shopify?
In Shopify, a “Company” represents your B2B customer, allowing you to manage them as a group rather than individuals. Companies can have multiple contacts, locations, and tailored payment terms.
How to Set Up a Company:
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Go to Customers > Companies in the Shopify Admin.
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Click Add Company and fill in details like company name, address, and contact persons.
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Assign locations to track where orders will be shipped or billed.
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Set payment terms (e.g., Net 30) and define staff permissions for company contacts.
Set Up a Catalog
What is a Catalog?
A catalog is a collection of products with specific pricing tailored to a company or group of companies.
How to Set Up a Catalog:
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Go to Products > Catalogs in the Shopify Admin.
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Create a catalog and assign it to a company or customer group.
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Add products and set:
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Pricing Rules: Adjust pricing for wholesale customers.
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Quantity Rules: Minimum/maximum order quantities.
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Volume Pricing: Discount tiers based on order size.
Step 2: Designing a B2B Store
Why B2B Design is Different:
B2B customers prioritize efficiency. They often order in bulk and need features like quick “Add to Cart” and easy navigation.
How to Design a B2B-Friendly Store:
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Use a Shopify Plus theme optimized for B2B, or create a custom design.
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Focus on functionality like bulk order forms, fast product listing, and clear categories.
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Make the shopping cart easy to access and edit.
(Even if you are using Shopify's native B2B feature, there are certain features that are missing, such as registration forms and workflow approvals. For example, with Shopify's native tools, you still need to manually enter company details, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. However, you can use the Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools app to fill these gaps. It simplifies and automates tasks, making processes like customer onboarding, approvals, and form submissions much more efficient and hassle-free. This app is an excellent addition to enhance your B2B operations on Shopify.)
Setting Up B2B Wholesale With Kumo ‑ B2B Wholesale Tools
Step 1: Install Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools from Shopify App Store.
The Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools app is a comprehensive solution designed specifically to enhance the B2B shopping experience. With this app, you can set up unlimited custom pricing rules that apply automatically to specific customer groups, create registration forms, and manage manual or automatic approval of form submissions. This app is thoughtfully crafted to cater to the needs of B2B wholesale businesses. Even if you are using Shopify’s native B2B features, you’ll find Kumo’s features worth exploring for additional flexibility.
Step 2: Set Up B2B Pricing
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Navigate to your Shopify Admin.
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Click on Apps, then select Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools.
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Go to Setup Pricing, where you can configure:
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Volume Discounts: Offer tiered pricing based on order quantity.
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Customer Conditions: Show prices only to logged-in customers or those with specific tags.
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Product Conditions: Apply discounts to certain products or categories.
Advanced Features:
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Set specific discounts based on customer groups or tags.
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Define conditions like requiring customers to log in to view pricing.
Step 3: Set Up Registration Forms
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Go to your Shopify Admin, click on Apps, and select Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools.
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Click on Forms, then choose a template.
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Use the drag-and-drop editor to fully customize your registration form.
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Choose from a wide range of fields to design a form that suits your needs.
This flexibility allows you to create professional registration forms that align with your B2B business requirements.
Step 4: Set Up Workflow
While creating a form, you'll find the Workflow section below the form builder. Here’s what you can do:
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Approval Options:
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Approve forms manually for better control.
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Approve forms automatically for streamlined onboarding. (Tag-based automatic approval is available for specific customer conditions.)
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B2B Company Management:
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Create/update a B2B Company in Shopify.
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Approve company location for ordering.
This feature ensures efficient management of wholesale customer submissions.
Step 5: Manage Your B2B Submissions
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Go to Shopify Admin, click on Apps, and open Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools.
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Navigate to the Submissions tab.
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Check the status of customer submissions.
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Update submission statuses as needed (e.g., approved, pending, or rejected).
This tab provides a central location to monitor and manage your B2B customer onboarding process.
Why Use Kumo ‑ B2B Wholesale Tools Instead of Shopify’s Own B2B Features?
The Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools app offers all the features Shopify's native B2B platform provides, such as price rules, quantity rules, and volume discounts. However, Kumo goes a step further by introducing additional features not available in Shopify's native B2B tools, including:
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Registration: Provides form templates for B2B customer registration, with support for multiple translations, making onboarding easier for businesses catering to international clients.
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Workflow: Enables automatic or manual approval of form submissions, giving you control over customer onboarding.
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Theme Integration: Updates prices automatically without requiring manual edits to your Shopify theme, ensuring a seamless user experience and faster implementation.
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Checkout: Utilizes the latest checkout extensibility features for smooth and integrated B2B checkout experiences.
Conclusion
For Shopify Plus Users:
Shopify's B2B feature is undoubtedly great, offering robust tools for managing wholesale operations. However, Kumo – B2B Wholesale Tools elevates your wholesale business with advanced features like pricing customization, automated workflows, and efficient customer management. It’s designed to handle the complexities of B2B wholesale seamlessly, ensuring you have all the tools you need to succeed.
For Other Shopify Plans:
If you're not on Shopify Plus, don’t worry! The Kumo app bridges the gap by providing essential B2B features like custom pricing, registration forms, and workflow automation. This makes it possible for businesses on any Shopify plan to create a professional and streamlined B2B experience without upgrading to Shopify Plus.
