Shopify B2B: which solutions for your business?

Although both are online businesses, there are significant differences between B2B and B2C, mainly in terms of the target audience, the nature of the sales and the degree of complexity of the transactions.

B2C (Business to Consumer) e-commerce concerns companies that carry out transactions with end consumers who purchase their products and services for personal use. In contrast, B2B commerce involves companies selling to other companies and not to individuals. Their target audience is therefore the first difference between the two types of e-commerce.

Another major point of divergence is that B2C transactions are characterized by low purchase volumes, unlike B2B transactions which represent greater volume. The products and services purchased here are not intended for the final consumer, but for operations, resale or integration into a company's production process.

Likewise, level of transaction complexity There's no comparison between the two types of e-commerce. Whereas a B2C transaction is simple, one-off and short-lived, a B2B transaction is more complex, requiring commercial negotiations between the two parties that can lead to long-term partnerships.

So, if you're looking for a B2B e-commerce platform that meets the needs of a professional clientele, you'll want to take a look at Shopify's B2B solution: Shopify Plus.

While Shopify was already a recognized B2C e-commerce platform, the CMS launched Shopify Plus in 2023 to better meet the expectations of B2B e-tailers. Its B2B features are designed to meet the needs of a professional market and simplify the shopping experience for your business customers. If you'd like to learn more about this Shopify B2B solution, here's an overview of the main features that should improve your daily life and that of your customers.

Shopify Plus makes it possible to create a product catalog specific to your B2B target. This can be configured with purchasing conditions tailored to your clientele. There's nothing to stop you from creating a mixed store for both B2B and B2C customers, with a user experience tailored to their profile.

Shopify's B2B solution lets you define specific rates and discounts, with differentiated pricing based on purchase volume and/or customer status.
In particular, you can create "customer groups" and set your own discount criteria, such as products or purchase thresholds. You can also set up dynamic pricing to reward your best customers.

With Shopify Plus, you'll enable your business customers to place orders for up to 500 items. These bulk orders can be validated either automatically or manually, depending on your preferences.

Your B2B customers have access to a dedicated portal to manage their billing information, track the shipment of their orders and consult their previous purchases. Similarly, for your business customers who use purchase orders, Shopify Plus has a feature that assigns a purchase order number for each transaction completed.

Note that stock and shipping management for multiple warehouses is also possible with Shopify +.

To ensure that only your B2B customers have access to your specific rates and dedicated features, Shopify Plus lets you set up a validation procedure for business accounts. What's more, you can better manage the distinction between a business customer and his or her various contacts within the company, enabling you to facilitate invoicing in particular.

To track each of your B2B customers and assign them specific payment methods and terms, you also have a Company Tracking function. Filtering by sales rep is possible, to optimize the management of customer portfolios for each sales rep.