Shopify B2B stores for wholesalers and manufacturers

What do wholesale buyers need from a Shopify store?

Wholesale buyers want to see their own price, order in the right pack sizes and reorder in minutes. They aren't browsing; they're restocking.

Many manufacturers we talk to still run wholesale on PDF price lists, spreadsheets and emailed orders that someone retypes into an ERP. Every one of those steps is a chance for a wrong price or a missed line. A good B2B store moves that work to the buyer: they log in, see their catalog, hit the minimums and check out on terms.

The details that matter most for trade buyers:

• Prices, minimums and case packs that match their agreement
• Search by SKU or product code, not only by browsing
• A quick order list to enter quantities for many variants at once
• Order history and one-click reorders
• Spec sheets, certificates and lead times on the product page
• Net terms, PO numbers and invoices instead of card-only checkout

Do manufacturers still need Shopify Plus for B2B?

Usually not. Since April 2, 2026, the core B2B features are part of Basic, Grow and Advanced at no extra cost, so Plus is now about scale and contract pricing, not access.

Every plan from Basic up gets companies and company locations, up to 3 B2B catalogs assigned through Markets, quantity rules, price breaks, net payment terms, vaulted cards and the quick order list. Shopify Plus (from $2,300 a month on a 3-year term) adds unlimited catalogs, catalogs assigned directly to a single company or location, deposits, partial payments and full checkout customization.

Our take: if your pricing comes down to a few tiers, such as retailer, distributor and export, three catalogs plus price breaks go a long way. If every large account has its own negotiated price list, that points to Plus. Our Shopify B2B guide has the full feature table, and Shopify B2B without Plus covers the non-Plus side.

Which Shopify features solve common wholesale problems?

Most wholesale requirements map to a native feature. The gaps are usually ERP sync and very customer-specific pricing.

Sources: Shopify's B2B features by plan and the April 2026 changelog.

Should wholesale and retail share one store?

If you sell the same products to both audiences, one blended store is usually simpler and cheaper. A separate wholesale store makes sense when you need a fully gated site, separate inventory or different branding.

In a blended store, logged-in buyers tied to a company location see their catalog prices and everyone else sees retail. You can't lock the whole store to B2B buyers, but the theme can hide prices or trade-only sections from guests. On Advanced and Plus, Markets lets you show different storefront content to B2B and DTC customers. Shopify warns that switching store types later means redoing companies, catalogs and storefront setup, so we settle this in discovery.

How does a B2B store connect to an ERP and product data?

Through a connector app or a custom integration on Shopify's APIs. Budget for it separately, because connectors often cost more than the Shopify plan.

Manufacturers tend to have product data spread across an ERP, a PIM or a shared drive. We map it into Shopify products, variants and metafields, so technical specs, materials, certifications and downloadable data sheets show up consistently on every product page. Shopify Flow handles lighter automation, such as tagging new companies, alerting a sales rep about large orders or holding orders above a credit limit.

A few limits to plan around: B2B orders and draft orders cap at 500 line items, accelerated checkouts like Shop Pay don't work for B2B, and subscriptions aren't supported on B2B orders. Some third-party apps aren't B2B compatible, so we check each one before recommending it.

What design and UX matter most for a wholesale portal?

Speed and clarity beat visual flourish. A buyer placing a 60-line restock order needs dense, scannable pages that work on a laptop and a phone on the warehouse floor.

We prioritize SKU search, list-style collection pages with quantity inputs, clear minimums next to the add-to-cart button, visible pack sizes and lead times, and an account area where buyers switch between their company locations. Shopify's free Trade theme is a solid B2B starting point; for brands that also sell retail, we usually design one theme that serves both audiences.

Wholesale terms belong on the site too: who can apply, minimum opening orders, payment terms and returns for trade accounts. A simple application form that creates a company for review saves your team a lot of back-and-forth.

How we build wholesale and manufacturer stores

We've worked with 400+ companies since 2017, including wholesale manufacturers and factories moving trade orders online. We start with how you price and sell today, choose blended or dedicated and the right plan, then design the buyer experience in Figma before building catalogs, companies and integrations. See our Shopify B2B services, Shopify Plus work and migrations to Shopify, or request a free Shopify audit of your current setup. Selling to interior designers or retailers? See our pages on furniture and home decor and wallpaper.