How to Build a Powerful B2B Store on Shopify (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’re considering a B2B store on the Shopify, it’s easy to see why. Selling to businesses typically brings larger orders, repeat purchases, and better profit margins compared to selling directly to consumers.

With the right setup, Shopify makes it possible to build a flexible B2B store that supports everything from custom pricing and bulk orders to tailored buying experiences.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to create a B2B store on Shopify step by step, along with best practices and real-world examples to help you build a setup that truly drives business success.

What Is a B2B Store on Shopify?

A B2B store on Shopify is an online store built for selling to other businesses, such as wholesalers, retailers, distributors, or corporate buyers, instead of individual consumers. 

On Shopify, B2B can be run as a dedicated wholesale store or as part of a blended setup where B2B and DTC operate from the same Shopify admin and storefront infrastructure. 

Shopify’s native B2B tools are built around companies and company locations, which let merchants control pricing, product access, payment terms, checkout behavior, and customer permissions for business buyers.

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Why use Shopify for B2B eCommerce?

Shopify is attractive for B2B because it lets merchants run wholesale operations on the same core commerce platform many already use for DTC. That means shared product data, centralized operations, and, in some setups, one admin for both retail and wholesale. 

Shopify’s native B2B offering includes features like company profiles, catalogs, quantity rules, price breaks, payment terms, customer accounts, and automation support through Shopify Flow.

Common reasons merchants choose Shopify for B2B include:

• one platform for B2B and DTC, which can reduce operational complexity

• self-serve wholesale buying, so buyers can log in, see their pricing, and place orders more easily

• custom pricing and product access through catalogs

• native company management, including company locations and permissions

• automation and workflow tools, especially for onboarding and order handling

Do you need Shopify Plus for a B2B store?

No, not necessarily. As of 2026, Shopify B2B is available on all plans, and merchants on Basic, Grow, and Advanced can access foundational native B2B features, including company profiles, up to 3 active catalogs assignable across B2B markets, quantity rules, quantity price breaks, net terms, etc.

However, Shopify Plus unlocks more advanced B2B capabilities:

• unlimited B2B catalogs

• direct catalog assignment to companies and locations

• deposit requirements

• partial payments

• payment requests per fulfillment.

So the practical answer is:

• If you only need a simple wholesale setup, you may be able to run a B2B store on the Shopify successfully on a non-Plus plan.

• If you need deeper native B2B controls, more catalogs, more payment flexibility, and more complex account-level customization, Shopify Plus is the stronger fit.

Besides, if you are not on Shopify Plus, but Shopify’s native tools do not fully match your workflow, third-party apps can extend B2B functionality. 

Shopify’s own B2B documentation notes B2B apps and integrations as part of the ecosystem, and the App Store includes tools for onboarding, approvals, pricing, and wholesale account management. 

Read more: Shopify Plan Review: Full Pricing Breakdown & Real Costs Explained

B2B vs B2C Store on Shopify

The biggest difference is that B2B needs account-based pricing, company-level controls, payment terms, and bulk-order workflows, whereas B2C is usually centered around standard retail pricing, faster checkout, and simpler customer journeys. 

Another important difference is the login and account experience. 

B2B customers on Shopify use customer accounts tied to company records, and Shopify notes that B2B customers cannot use legacy customer accounts. 

B2C stores can still use standard customer account experiences for regular shoppers to view orders, reorder, manage returns, and edit profile details.

Here is a simple comparison table:

However, you can also build a store that serves both B2B and B2C customers. Now, let’s walk through how to set up B2B functions for a store on Shopify.

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up a B2B Store on The Shopify

As we’ve mentioned earlier, you have 2 methods to set up B2B functions for a store on Shopify.

Method 1: Use Shopify Plus with Shopify’s native B2B features

Step 1: Upgrade to Shopify Plus

Go to Shopify Plus page and choose “Start for free”

Next, Shopify will ask you a few questions about your business. You can either skip them or choose the answers that best fit your preferences and business needs.

Step 2: Set up B2B customers as companies

In Shopify, B2B customers are managed as companies with multiple locations, where pricing, catalogs, payment terms, and checkout settings are assigned.

To create a company:

• Go to Customers > Companies in your Shopify admin

• Click Add company

• Enter a company name (visible to customers when they log in)

• Add a company ID (optional, useful for ERP or external system integration)

• Select a main contact:

• Choose an existing customer profile or create a new one

• Ensure the contact has a valid email address

• Note: the main contact has ordering permission by default

• Enter the shipping address and billing address

Note that a customer can belong to only one company, but they can be assigned to multiple locations within that company

Step 3: Add company contacts and permissions

The next step to create a B2B store on the Shopify is to assign actual buyers (company contacts) and define what they can do. These are the users who will log in and place orders on behalf of each company.

You can add customers to an entire company or limit their access to a specific company location. If a customer is assigned to only one location, they’ll only be able to view and order for that location.

Here’re some key things to keep in mind:

• Customers must be linked to a company before they can place B2B orders

• You can add existing customers or create new profiles

• When adding existing customers, you can choose whether to migrate their order history

• For large datasets, you can bulk upload customers using apps like Matrixify or tools like Shopify Sidekick

To add a customer to a company:

• Go to Customers > Companies

• Click the company you want to manage

• In the Customers section, click the menu (⋮) > Add customer

• Add a customer:

• Select an existing customer from the search bar, or

• Click Add new customer to create a profile

• Assign the customer to one or more company locations

Then, set permissions for each location:

• Ordering only:

• Can place orders

• Can view their own order history

• Location admin:

• Can place orders

• Can view all orders for that location

• Can update address details

Properly assigning contacts and permissions ensures that each buyer has the right level of access, helping you streamline operations while maintaining control over your B2B workflows.

Step 4: Create B2B catalogs

B2B catalogs are where you control exactly what each business customer can see and buy in your store on Shopify Plus.

B2B catalogs allow you to customize the buying experience for each company or company location. You can decide which products are available, adjust pricing, and tailor offers based on your relationship with each client. 

For example, you might show your full product range to a key distributor, while limiting access for smaller wholesale buyers.

To create a catalog:

• Go to Markets > Catalogs 

• Click “Create catalog”

From there, you can choose to include all products or only selected items, depending on your strategy.

Pricing is where catalogs become especially powerful. You have multiple ways to set it up:

• Apply an overall percentage adjustment (e.g., 20% off retail prices for wholesale clients)

• Set fixed prices for specific products or variants

• Create volume pricing to encourage bulk purchases

You can even combine these methods. For instance, apply a general 15% discount across your catalog, but override it with fixed pricing for selected high-volume products. Just note that fixed prices always take priority over percentage adjustments.

Each company location can have up to 25 catalogs assigned, whether through markets or direct assignment. If you want more control, you can assign catalogs directly to specific companies or locations instead of using markets.

To assign a catalog to a company location:

• Select the catalog you want to use

• Under the title, choose “Company location”

• Click “Add a company location”

• Select the relevant locations

Step 5: Set pricing, quantity rules, and volume discounts

After creating your catalogs, the next step to create a B2B store on the Shopify is to fine-tune how your B2B customers purchase. In Shopify, these settings are managed directly within your catalogs, giving you full control over how each product is sold to different companies.

Set up quantity rules

Quantity rules help you control how much a customer can (or must) buy. This is especially useful in B2B, where you often want to enforce minimum order quantities (MOQ) or sell in specific increments (e.g., packs of 10).

To configure quantity rules:

• Select the catalog you want to edit

• In the Products and pricing section, click Manage > Manage products and pricing

• Choose whether to apply rules to a product or a specific variant

• In the Quantity rules column, click “+ Add”

In the setup dialog, you can define:

• Increment: The step quantity customers must follow (e.g., buy in multiples of 5)

• Minimum: The minimum number of units required per order

• Maximum: The cap on how many units can be purchased in a single order

These rules ensure your orders stay aligned with your wholesale strategy and operational limits.

Set up volume pricing

Volume pricing allows you to reward customers with better prices when they buy more, encouraging larger orders and increasing average order value.

To set up volume discounts:

• Under the Quantity rules, you’ll find the Volume pricing column, click “+ Add”

In the configuration:

• Click “+ Add break”

• Define pricing tiers based on quantity (e.g., 10+ units = $8 each, 50+ units = $6 each)

• Ensure each price break is higher than the minimum quantity and follows the increment rules

• Add multiple tiers if needed, then click Done

Step 6: Configure checkout and payment terms

A key difference in B2B selling is flexibility at checkout, especially when it comes to how and when customers pay. In Shopify, you can set payment terms that allow business buyers to place orders now and pay later, based on agreed conditions like Net 15, Net 30, or upfront deposits.

Payment terms define the timeframe a company has to complete payment after placing an order, and they’re displayed clearly to customers during checkout and on their order details. 

To assign payment terms at the company location level:

• Go to Customers > Companies

• Click the company

• In the Payment terms section, click the edit icon

• Choose a payment term from the dropdown

You can also require a partial deposit at checkout:

• Enable “Require deposit on orders created at checkout”

• Enter a percentage

Step 7: Customize the storefront for B2B

In Shopify, your storefront plays a crucial role in how business customers browse products, place bulk orders, and interact with your brand.

Shopify offers 800+ free and paid themes that you can use as a starting point. If you need more advanced design and functionality, premium themes typically range from $150 to $400 (one-time cost) and come with enhanced layouts, navigation, and customization options tailored for eCommerce.

However, if you want a more affordable and flexible way to customize your store without coding or hiring developers, you can use a page builder like GemPages. This tool allows you to design high-converting pages visually while still maintaining full control over your brand experience.

GemPages comes with a large library of professionally designed templates, elements, and blocks, helping you build polished pages quickly. Some of its standout features include:

• AI-powered Image-to-Layout: Turn a screenshot or mockup into a ready-to-use layout instantly

• 200+ customizable templates: Use pre-built designs for campaigns or evergreen pages

• Smart A/B testing with GemX: Test different headlines, layouts, or CTAs to improve conversions

• Seamless integrations: Connect with tools like Klaviyo, Meta Pixel, Google Analytics, Judge.me, Loox, and Yotpo

• Mobile-first design control: Optimize layouts separately for desktop and mobile

• Advanced customization: Add custom HTML, CSS, or JavaScript when needed

• One-click global styling: Apply consistent fonts, colors, and branding across your site

Read more: Shopify Website Design: Complete Guide to Building High-Converting Stores with GemPages

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Step 8: Test and launch your B2B Shopify store

It’s recommended reviewing all key elements of your B2B store on the Shopify to avoid errors that could impact the buying experience.

Start by testing the customer login experience. Make sure B2B customers can log in successfully and are assigned to the correct company and location. 

Once logged in, verify that they see the right catalogs, products, and pricing based on their assigned settings.

Next, place a few test orders to check how your checkout performs. Confirm that:

• Pricing reflects the correct discounts or volume rules

• Payment terms appear correctly

• Shipping and billing details are accurate

• Orders are processed and recorded as expected

You should also review company permissions and roles to ensure each customer has the right level of access.

Once everything is working as expected, you’re ready to officially launch your B2B store. 

Method 2: Use a regular Shopify plan with third-party B2B apps

If you’re not ready to upgrade to Shopify Plus, you can still build a B2B store using standard plans like Basic, Grow, or Advanced on Shopify.

Shopify does offer limited B2B functionality on these plans, but there are important constraints. For example, you’re restricted to up to 3 active catalogs, and you won’t have access to true B2B catalogs with direct assignment to companies or locations. 

In practice, this makes native features quite limited, especially if you’re managing multiple customer groups, pricing tiers, or product variations. So, for growing or serious B2B operations, we suggest you utilize third-party B2B apps to fill the gaps. 

Some popular B2B apps on Shopify include:

• Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B: start from $24.99/month

• Clay • B2B Wholesale Pricing: start from $17/month (free plan available)

• B2B Wholesale, Volume Discount: start from $24.90/month (free plan available)

• SparkLayer B2B & Wholesale: start from $49/month (free plan available)

With these apps, you can unlock features like:

• Wholesale pricing and bulk discounts

• Customer registration and approval workflows

• Quote requests

• Advanced payment terms

They also support customer groups and role-based pricing, helping you tailor the experience for different types of business clients.

B2B Store on The Shopify Examples

Here are 3 of our favorite examples of brands that have elevated their Shopify B2B operations.

1. DAISO

A great example of B2B success on Shopify Plus is DAISO, the well-known Japanese retailer famous for its affordable, everyday products.

DAISO initially launched a bulk ordering website designed specifically for large B2B purchases, with minimum order quantities starting at 500 units (later reduced to 300). 

Their business customers needed smaller, more flexible order sizes. So, they introduced the DAISO Online Shop, powered by Shopify Plus, to support smaller and more accessible B2B transactions while maintaining operational efficiency. With Shopify Plus, they were able to:

• Customize checkout flows to match their unique delivery and fulfillment model

• Use tools like Script Editor to automate shipping calculations

This hybrid approach allowed DAISO to serve both high-volume and smaller B2B buyers, improving flexibility without compromising efficiency. 

2. CeramicSpeed

Another strong B2B store on the Shopify example is CeramicSpeed, a premium manufacturer of high-performance bicycle parts, with products handbuilt at their headquarters in Denmark.

Understanding that B2B customers, such as distributors and retailers, often know exactly which SKUs they need, CeramicSpeed focuses heavily on speed, accuracy, and efficiency. Their Shopify-powered store is optimized to meet these expectations through:

• Advanced search and filtering: Helping buyers quickly find the exact parts they need without unnecessary browsing

• Streamlined ordering experience: Designed for fast, repeat purchases and bulk ordering

• Sales agent support tools: By using integrated apps, traveling sales representatives can place orders on behalf of retail partners more efficiently

In fact, with unified data across their commerce system, CeramicSpeed has enabled agents to place orders up to 5% faster, improving both internal workflows and customer satisfaction.

3. TileCloud

After upgrading to Shopify Plus, TileCloud was able to create expansion stores, basically separate storefronts that share the same backend. 

They used this to launch a dedicated B2B store just for wholesale customers. This made it easier to design a shopping experience that fits business buyers better, including different pricing for different partners.

To improve the checkout experience, TileCloud used Shopify Functions to customize how things work behind the scenes. One big win was being able to apply multiple automatic discounts at checkout, making the process smoother and more flexible for both B2B and regular customers.

They also took advantage of Shopify Plus’s reporting features to get a clearer view of their data. By tracking metrics like average order value and conversions, the team could quickly see what’s working and adjust their strategy to improve results.

And it paid off. TileCloud:

• Grew its B2B customer base by 24%

• Boosted important metrics like average order value and conversion rate

• Got better insights to keep optimizing their online sales

Key Characteristics of Successful Shopify B2B Stores

The successful B2B store on the Shopify we’ve covered shares several key patterns. Let’s see how you can apply the same strategies to your own business.

1. Create tailored B2B shopping experiences

Brands can take different approaches depending on their goals. Some choose a blended store that serves both B2C and B2B customers, while others build a separate B2B storefront just for wholesale buyers.

No matter which route you take, the key is to deliver a customized experience for your B2B customers, including:

• Personalized catalogs and pricing

• Payment terms tailored to each customer

• Content adapted to different buyer groups

2. Make ordering fast and self-service

Today’s B2B buyers don’t want to depend on emails or phone calls, instead, they expect a quick, self-service way to place orders.

That’s why you should leverage features like quick order forms, bulk add-to-cart, and automated pricing to make a big impact. When brands move from manual processes to digital ordering, they often see faster operations and better scalability right away.

3. Deliver a more personalized B2B experience

At its core, B2B is about relationships, and the best stores reflect that through personalization and ease of use.

To do this well, you need to capture and use customer data effectively. This allows you to deliver tailored experiences, such as remembering past orders, suggesting relevant products, or making repeat purchases faster.

These small but meaningful touches can make a big difference, helping you build stronger relationships, higher loyalty, and long-term partnerships with your customers.

Conclusion

At this point, it’s clear that B2B eCommerce doesn’t have to feel complicated or outdated. With the right setup, you can create a buying experience that’s not just functional, but genuinely smooth and enjoyable for your customers.

Also, as the examples show, successful brands don’t treat B2B and DTC as separate worlds. Instead, they use platforms like Shopify to manage both in one place, without sacrificing performance on either side. This unified approach helps simplify operations while still delivering tailored experiences for different types of buyers.

In short, building a successful B2B store on the Shopify isn’t just possible, it’s a smart move for long-term growth.

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FAQs about B2B Store on The Shopify

Can Shopify support B2B (wholesale) selling?

Yes. Shopify supports B2B selling on all plans, but the level of functionality differs. Basic plans rely more on apps, while Shopify Plus offers advanced native features like company accounts, custom catalogs, and payment terms.

Can I run both B2B and B2C in one Shopify store?

Yes. Shopify allows you to manage both B2B and B2C customers in a single store. You can customize pricing, products, and experiences based on customer groups, so each audience sees what’s relevant to them.

How do I set different pricing for B2B customers?

You can create custom pricing through catalogs (Shopify Plus) or use apps to apply discounts, tiered pricing, or customer-specific price lists. This ensures each buyer gets the right pricing based on their relationship with your business.

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