Websites and B2B shops for wholesalers: customer pricing, reorders and integration
Wholesalers sell to resellers, trades, hospitality or industry, often with customer-specific prices, minimum quantities and dedicated contacts. Phone, email and fax are still common but cost time in the sales office. A B2B shop where existing customers see their prices and reorder in a few clicks relieves sales and keeps customers. Examples use German rules.
What a B2B shop does differently
B2B customers buy differently from consumers. A good B2B shop offers:
- Customer-specific prices, tiered prices and discount groups from the ERP.
- Quick order by item number, order templates and reorders from history.
- Purchase on account with credit limit, not only prepayment or card.
- Several users per customer company with roles, such as buyer and approver.
- Real-time availability and delivery dates.
Net prices and trade customer checks
Germany's Price Indication Ordinance governs prices shown to consumers. If you sell only to businesses, you may show net prices and don't have consumer duties such as the right of withdrawal. But the shop must then be effectively restricted to business customers: check a trade licence or VAT ID at registration and only activate accounts after approval. A "trade customers only" note alone is not enough.
No B2B shop without ERP integration
Prices, items, stock, customers and orders live in the ERP or inventory system. The shop must take this data over and return orders automatically, or work is doubled. Clarify early which interfaces your system offers; most of the effort depends on that. For the shop itself, Shopware, Shopify with B2B features depending on plan, WooCommerce with extensions or a custom build are options.
Winning new resellers and cost
The public website shows range, brands, delivery area, terms for new customers and a form for trade access. Pages per industry, such as hospitality or trades, help you be found for searches like "catering supplies wholesale". A B2B shop starts at €4,000 with us; the effort for ERP integration depends on the interfaces and is estimated up front.
Frequently asked questions
- Do we need a new ERP for the B2B shop?
- Usually not. Most ERP systems have APIs or export options. We check what your system offers before recommending a solution.
- May we show only net prices in the B2B shop?
- Yes, if the shop is effectively restricted to businesses. If you also sell to consumers, consumer price rules apply to them.
- How do we get customers to use the shop?
- With advantages over phone and email: order history, real-time availability, downloadable invoices. The sales office should actively point customers to the shop.
Sources
Tell us your ERP, customer groups and how ordering works today. We estimate shop and integration and give you a fixed price.
Request a B2B shop