B2B and DTC on Shopify: Complete Guide to Hybrid Commerce
B2B and DTC don’t compete — they complement each other. Learn how to structure Shopify stores, manage customer-specific pricing and payment terms, and scale hybrid commerce without adding operational complexity.
- Sean Purdy
- February 27, 2026
- 5:56 am
Table of Contents
What You'll Learn:
How to choose between blended store and dedicated store configurations for B2B and DTC customers
Essential strategies for managing customer data across multiple countries, languages, and multiple currencies
Why unified commerce systems eliminate operational complexity and reduce technical debt
How to configure customer specific pricing, payment terms, and approval workflows at scale
Proven strategies for leveraging predictive analytics to optimize inventory planning
The lines between wholesale and retail commerce are disappearing. If you run business to business and direct to consumer on Shopify, you are working in one of the fastest growing areas of ecommerce. You are also facing one of the hardest operational challenges. With 80 percent of business to business commerce expected to happen online by 2025, merchants can no longer manage wholesale and retail as separate systems.
Hybrid commerce means more than adding business to business features to an existing store. For merchants selling in multiple countries, languages, currencies, and units of measurement, it requires strong product information management, simple localization workflows, and clear rules for managing business data.
A unified commerce approach in 2025 makes it possible to run both business to business and direct to consumer models in Shopify using native tools. To scale successfully, however, merchants still need the right infrastructure to support growth without adding unnecessary complexity.
1. Understanding Hybrid Commerce on Shopify
Why Hybrid Commerce Matters Now
The business to business ecommerce market is valued at $7.7 trillion worldwide, which is more than twice the size of direct to consumer commerce. It is expected to grow by 18 percent each year through 2030. At the same time, 73 percent of wholesale buyers now expect the same smooth shopping experience they get as retail customers. This shift is often called the consumerization of business to business commerce, and it is changing how merchants design their business models.
Today’s business buyers do not separate business to business and direct to consumer experiences. Millennials and Gen Z make up 64 percent of business buyers, and they expect easy self service portals, clear pricing, and fast order fulfillment. These expectations stay the same whether they are buying for work or for personal use.
Complementary Strategies, Not Competing Channels
B2B and DTC models serve different market opportunities and mitigate distinct risks, making them complementary rather than competing strategies. Many brands use both B2B and DTC approaches to provide stable revenue and build brand equity simultaneously.
Relying solely on DTC sales can concentrate risk in digital marketing channels. Wholesale relationships provide revenue streams independent of digital marketing volatility. Conversely, pure wholesale businesses lack direct customer feedback and margin control that DTC operations deliver. A hybrid business model that combines B2B and DTC creates diversified revenue streams and operational stability.
Understanding the Fundamental Differences
Business to business and direct to consumer channels can work well together, but they follow very different rules. Understanding these differences helps merchants design systems that support both models.
Sales cycles and motivation
Business to business purchases are driven by logic and return on investment. Sales cycles are longer and often involve multiple decision makers. Direct to consumer purchases are more emotional and lifestyle focused, with shorter sales cycles that allow for impulse buying.
Pricing structures
Business to business pricing is usually negotiated and tiered. It often includes volume discounts and custom pricing agreements. Direct to consumer pricing is fixed, with occasional promotions, and is generally more consistent and easier to manage.
Order patterns
Business to business orders are typically larger and placed less often. These orders may require longer lead times for fulfillment. Direct to consumer orders are smaller and more frequent, with customers expecting fast processing and shipping.
Account complexity
Business to business transactions involve more complex account management, such as credit limits and multiple users on one account. Direct to consumer transactions are centered on individual customers and use much simpler account structures.
The Impact on Customer Acquisition Costs
One major benefit of running business to business and direct to consumer on the same ecommerce platform is much lower customer acquisition costs. In the past, wholesale sales relied on large sales teams, in person meetings, and sales reps managing each account by hand. That approach was expensive and slow.
With modern hybrid commerce, wholesale customers can find products on their own, review wholesale pricing, and place bulk orders through self service accounts. This reduces the need for manual sales work while creating a faster and easier buying experience for customers.
2. Setting Up Your Blended or Dedicated Store Strategy
Choosing Your Store Architecture
Shopify Plus offers merchants two approaches to managing B2B and DTC: blended stores and dedicated stores. The choice significantly impacts operational efficiency and customer experience.
Blended stores operate both channels through a single online store. B2B and DTC customers interact with the same storefront but see completely different customer touchpoints based on their customer segments. The admin experience in a blended store is efficient, as all customers, orders, and prices are managed from a single admin interface, which simplifies administration.
In a blended store, all company profiles are managed within a single admin interface. Catalog features apply only to B2B customers while maintaining standard pricing for DTC customers. Payment terms can be applied to B2B customers while maintaining standard immediate payment requirements for DTC customers.
Dedicated stores create separate Shopify instances through a dedicated expansion store strategy. A dedicated B2B store provides more granular control over the customer experience for wholesale audiences and requires maintaining separate admin interfaces for B2B and DTC operations, which provides complete separation of business data.
A dedicated store allows businesses to group customers according to companies, enabling separate catalogs, payment terms, and checkout options for each location. With a dedicated store, catalogs can be managed independently from DTC pricing structures, allowing for completely separate pricing strategies for wholesale channels. A dedicated store also allows for more complex payment structures and approval workflows that might be confusing in a DTC environment.
Configuring Company Profiles and Customer Accounts
Company profiles in Shopify B2B let merchants manage multiple buyers and locations under one organization. Each profile represents a wholesale customer and can include several buyers, different company locations, and assigned permission levels. Merchants can also apply custom pricing, flexible payment terms, tax exemptions, and product access rules to each company.
The Shopify B2B customer account portal gives approved buyers control over their own purchasing experience. Buyers can view order history, manage account details, and place orders without help from a sales rep. This self service setup reduces work for sales teams while allowing business buyers to shop on their own schedule.
For merchants selling in multiple countries, company profiles need to support regional differences across markets.
Customer specific price lists that reflect local market conditions and contract based pricing agreements
Region appropriate payment terms that align with local business practices, such as Net 30 or Net 60
Tax handling that supports VAT, GST, and other location specific tax rules
Unit systems that match local standards, including metric or imperial measurements
Managing Multiple Buyers and Locations
Large wholesale customers often have complex company structures. One corporate account may include buyers at several locations, each with different permission levels and minimum order requirements. Business to business transactions usually involve more advanced account features, such as credit limits and multiple users on one account. Direct to consumer transactions, by contrast, focus on single customer accounts with much simpler setup.
When all buyers within a company share the same business data, sales reps can manage relationships more effectively while still allowing each buyer to place orders on their own. Business to business sales depend on ongoing account management and long term relationships, while direct to consumer sales are centered on emotional appeal and fast purchasing decisions.
Building Customer Specific Catalogs
Personalized product catalogs and pricing are essential for B2B customers who require different options than DTC. Not every B2B customer should see your entire catalog. Fashion brands might restrict certain collections to specific retail partners. Industrial manufacturers might offer different product lines to different customer segments based on purchasing agreements or market positioning.
Combined with the Best PIM for Shopify, merchants can automate catalog curation based on customer type, geography, purchasing history, or contractual agreements—without manual spreadsheet management.
Bulk Ordering and Draft Order Workflows
Wholesale business models require different purchasing mechanics than retail stores. Quick bulk ordering in Shopify B2B enables buyers to place large, multi-SKU orders quickly from product pages or bulk order forms.
Shopify B2B includes a dedicated business to business checkout that allows for draft order submission and approval workflows. Brands using Shopify can automate the quote-to-cash process with built-in draft order workflows, streamlining the path from inquiry to purchase.
Wholesale buyers expect:
Minimum order quantities that protect your margins and justify wholesale pricing
Quantity rules that enforce case packs, pallet minimums, or production lot sizes
Quick bulk ordering interfaces that let customers add dozens of SKUs efficiently
Draft orders capabilities for sales teams to prepare custom quotes
3. Managing Multi Country Operations with PIM Software
Why Unified Systems Are Non Negotiable
Running business to business and direct to consumer operations on Shopify across multiple countries creates a high level of data complexity. When these operations are managed in separate systems, costs increase due to duplicated platforms and inefficient workflows. This often leads to inconsistent customer experiences, inventory issues, and more manual work for teams.
A unified system for managing both business to business and direct to consumer operations helps businesses grow in both areas without creating friction. When product data, customer data, and inventory are managed in one place, teams can work more efficiently and stay aligned. Companies that operate both models can also use insights from each channel to improve inventory planning and make better demand forecasts.
Consider a single product across your ecommerce business.
Base product information, such as specifications, materials, and features
Country specific variations, including regulatory requirements and certifications
Multi language content, like product descriptions, marketing copy, and SEO metadata
Customer specific pricing, including regional markup strategies
Unit conversions for dimensions, weights, and volumes
Channel specific attributes, such as wholesale minimum order quantities or retail package sizes
Product Information Management software acts as a single source of truth for this data. It automates translations, unit conversions, and data distribution so product information stays consistent across Shopify stores and all sales channels.
The Power of Unified ERP Integration
A unified ERP system built for both direct to consumer and business to business operations removes data silos because you’re managing both channels in one place. It creates a single source of truth for product and inventory data, which helps keep your information consistent across retail and wholesale channels.
When business to business and direct to consumer operations run through the same ERP system, your teams can spend less time fixing errors and reconciling data between platforms. This approach reduces operational friction and lowers the risk that comes with managing separate systems. Over time, a unified ERP also helps reduce technical debt by simplifying integrations and long term system maintenance.
Key capabilities of unified ERP platforms:
Customer specific management: Unified ERP platforms support customer specific pricing and payment terms. That means it’s now possible to manage complex pricing for both B2B and D2C consumers… without manual work!
Streamlined order processing: A unified ERP brings your retail and wholesale orders into one system. Orders will follow the correct fulfillment workflow based on whether they’re business to business or direct to consumer, which reduces errors and delays.
Financial consolidation: With one ERP system, financial data from both sales models is combined. This improves revenue tracking and cash flow forecasting, and your overall financial visibility.
Enhanced forecasting: Unified ERP systems improve demand forecasting by using sales data from both wholesale and direct to consumer channels. This helps teams plan inventory more accurately and predict reorder patterns for business to business customers.
Supporting Multiple Currencies and Pricing Logic
Pricing is one of the hardest parts of running a hybrid commerce business. Different customer types need different pricing rules, and those rules must work across regions and channels.
Volume based wholesale pricing that adjusts automatically based on order size
Contract pricing that follows negotiated agreements with fixed prices
Market based pricing that reflects local competition in each region
Custom discounts for loyalty programs or seasonal promotions, which Shopify B2B can apply to specific wholesale customers
Multiple currencies with region appropriate conversions
Business to business operations also need more advanced inventory management to support bulk orders and reserved product allocations. Direct to consumer sales usually rely on simpler inventory logic. Managing both models together through a unified system makes it easier to deliver the right pricing, inventory, and experience to each type of customer, which improves overall customer satisfaction.
4. Optimizing Payment, Pricing, and Currency Management
Configuring Flexible Payment Options
Shopify B2B supports flexible payment options so wholesale customers can place orders with terms like Net 30 or submit orders without paying right away. This fits how business to business buyers typically operate. Direct to consumer customers, by contrast, usually pay in full at checkout.
Shopify Plus lets merchants set payment methods based on customer type. In blended stores, wholesale customers see their approved payment terms after they sign in. Direct to consumer shoppers see standard options like credit cards and digital wallets. This setup keeps the checkout experience simple and appropriate for each audience.
Understanding Payment Term Structures
DTC features on Shopify include simple, instant checkout, broad promotions, guest checkouts, and loyalty programs. These streamlined experiences contrast sharply with B2B requirements.
Business buyers expect flexible payment options that align with their procurement cycles:
Net 30/60/90 payment terms that enable buyers to receive inventory before payment
Credit limits based on customer relationships and payment history
Purchase order workflows that route through approval workflows
Invoice batching that consolidates multiple orders for accounting efficiency
The dedicated B2B checkout supports these complex payment structures while maintaining simple instant checkout for DTC customers.
Building Customer Loyalty Across Channels
Loyalty programs that support both business to business and direct to consumer customers help encourage repeat purchases and stronger relationships. While direct to consumer programs often focus on points, discounts, or free shipping, business to business loyalty programs usually offer different benefits. These may include volume rebates, longer payment terms, or early access to new products.
When customer data is unified, merchants can recognize the same customer across every channel they use. This makes it possible to create loyalty strategies that feel consistent and rewarding, no matter how or where customers choose to buy.
Dynamic Pricing Strategies
Managing business to business and direct to consumer sales on Shopify Plus allows merchants to use flexible payment terms and custom pricing for different customer groups. A successful hybrid commerce setup depends on clear, customer specific pricing rules that work automatically.
Wholesale pricing tiers apply volume discounts based on order size. A distributor ordering 1,000 units receives better pricing than one ordering 100 units, without sales rep involvement.
Customer specific price lists support contract pricing. Enterprise customers with annual agreements see their negotiated prices automatically, which builds trust and reduces manual work.
Channel specific margins help protect profitability. Wholesale sales may operate on lower margins, while direct to consumer sales support higher margins. PIM software helps maintain these differences across customer accounts.
5. Scaling Your Hybrid Commerce Operations
Leveraging Shopify Flow for Automation
Shopify Flow is a built-in automation tool that allows merchants to create custom workflows to automate repetitive business to business processes. The operational overhead of managing business to business and direct to consumer customers across multiple countries can quickly overwhelm sales teams without proper automation.
Key automation opportunities include:
Order routing based on customer type, company locations, and fulfillment requirements. Wholesale customers ordering from a distributor’s warehouse follow different workflows than retail customers expecting direct shipment.
Inventory synchronization across sales channels and warehouses. Your online store reflects real-time availability whether customers are placing bulk orders or single-unit purchases.
Price updates triggered by cost changes, competitive analysis, or promotional calendars. Customer specific catalogs automatically reflect new pricing without manual updates across thousands of customer accounts, thanks to automatic product catalogs.
Content publishing that deploys localized product information to appropriate markets. International wholesale operations demand this automation to maintain consistency while respecting regional requirements.
Optimizing for Mobile Commerce
Mobile experience is crucial as over 70 percent of sales occur on smartphones. Both business to business and direct to consumer customers increasingly expect seamless mobile experiences. While direct to consumer mobile shopping has been optimized for years, business to business mobile experiences now require equal attention as business buyers conduct research and place orders from mobile devices.
Managing Operational Complexity
Managing both B2B and DTC operations on Shopify can create operational complexity due to different pricing structures, order volumes, and fulfillment requirements. However, a unified ERP system can help manage both B2B and DTC operations seamlessly within a single platform, reducing operational friction.
To maximize revenue on Shopify with B2B and DTC, specialized apps for B2B features are recommended when native functionality doesn’t cover specific use cases. However, Shopify’s continuous platform updates reduce dependency on third-party solutions.
Enhancing Customer Service
Unified ERP systems facilitate better customer service by providing representatives with complete visibility into customer interactions across both B2B and DTC channels. When sales reps can see a complete customer history, whether that customer previously purchased wholesale or retail, they can provide more personalized, informed support.
Measuring Success Across Channels
Shopify’s B2B-specific reporting filters enable merchants to analyze wholesale business and retail performance independently while maintaining unified business operations. Key metrics include:
Channel-specific conversion rates comparing how wholesale buyers and DTC customers interact with your online store. Understanding these differences helps optimize the customer experience for each segment.
Customer lifetime value segmented by B2B vs. DTC. Wholesale customers typically have higher lifetime value but longer sales cycles, while retail customers convert faster but purchase smaller quantities.
Geographic performance across different markets. International wholesale operations might outperform domestic retail in certain product categories, informing inventory and marketing decisions.
Operational efficiency metrics including time-to-market, error rates, and manual intervention requirements. As you scale, these indicators reveal where automation investments deliver the highest returns.
Customer acquisition costs by channel. Compare what you spend acquiring wholesale customers versus retail customers, factoring in different lifetime values and purchase patterns.
Key Takeaways
Unified commerce eliminates silos: A unified approach to managing B2B and DTC through Shopify Plus and integrated ERP systems reduces technical debt, operational complexity, and platform duplication costs while providing diversified revenue streams.
Choose your architecture strategically: Blended stores centralize administration through a single admin interface, while dedicated stores provide complete separation of business data… the right choice depends on your complexity requirements and customer segmentation needs.
PIM software enables scalability: Managing customer data, pricing logic, and product information across multiple countries, languages, and currencies requires centralized product information management that serves as a single source of truth for all channels.
Automation through Shopify Flow: Built-in automation tools transform hybrid commerce from a resource drain into a growth engine, automating approval workflows, draft order processes, and repetitive tasks that would otherwise overwhelm sales teams.
Complementary strategies drive growth: B2B and DTC models serve different market opportunities and mitigate distinct risks, making them complementary rather than competing; businesses leveraging both channels can optimize inventory planning, enhance demand forecasting, and build sustainable competitive advantages.
FAQs:
What's the difference between B2B and DTC on Shopify?
Think of it this way. Selling business to business on Shopify is like working with regular clients you know well. Those customers often have full company accounts with multiple buyers and locations. They get their own pricing, can order in bulk, and might pay on terms like Net 30 or Net 60 instead of paying right away.
Direct to consumer sales are much simpler. These shoppers usually want to check out fast, sometimes without even creating an account, and they expect to pay immediately. Orders are smaller and happen more often.
The big difference comes down to how people buy. Business to business sales take longer and involve more planning, with negotiated pricing and larger, less frequent orders. Direct to consumer sales happen quickly, with fixed prices and smaller purchases. Both work well on Shopify, they just need to be set up with different expectations in mind.
Do I need Shopify Plus for native B2B functionality?
Yes, Shopify’s built in business to business features are only available on Shopify Plus. That includes company profiles, customer specific catalogs, the B2B checkout with draft orders and approvals, and the B2B customer account portal.
If you are on a basic Shopify plan, you can add some wholesale features using apps. That can work for simple needs. But those plans do not have the deeper tools needed to truly run business to business and direct to consumer together in one clean system. For merchants trying to scale and keep everything connected, Shopify Plus is what makes unified commerce possible.
Should I use a blended store or dedicated store for B2B and DTC?
A blended store works best when you’re selling similar products to your wholesale and your retail customers. It’s also better if you share inventory and want everything managed in one spot. Company profiles are centrally handled, and special catalogs are only shown to your B2B customers. D2C shoppers see standard pricing and a familiar checkout experience.
A dedicated expansion store makes more sense when you need full separation. This includes very different pricing strategies, separate inventory pools, or even complex payment terms and approval steps that could confuse retail shoppers. Dedicated stores mean managing more than one admin, but they give you complete control and clear separation of business data.
How does unified ERP integration improve hybrid commerce operations?
Unified ERP systems that are built for both direct to consumer and business to business sales help clean up a lot of complexity. Instead of juggling separate systems, everything runs from one source of truth for products and inventory. That means fewer errors, less duplicated work, and lower long term technical debt.
These systems also make daily operations easier. All orders, whether wholesale or retail, flow into one place and follow the right process automatically. Financial data stays connected across both channels, which makes revenue tracking and cash flow planning much clearer.
Because the system can see sales activity from both sides of the business, forecasting improves as well. You can spot direct to consumer trends while also predicting when wholesale customers are likely to reorder. This makes inventory planning more accurate and helps avoid stockouts or overbuying.
What role does PIM software play in international B2B and DTC operations?
PIM software is your central hub for managing all of your product information across countries and currencies. It keeps all of your product data in one spot while automating your translations and unit conversions – even your compliance details! In addition, it supports customer-specific pricing for different markets and sales channels.
Without a PIM, managing B2B and D2C operations separately can lead to higher costs and inconsistent customer experiences. Inventory is harder to manage, and you’ll find more errors. But when both channels are supported by unified systems, businesses can use shared data to plan inventory better and improve demand forecasting.
How can I automate repetitive B2B processes on Shopify?
Shopify Flow is a built in automation tool that helps you handle repetitive business to business tasks… without manual work. It lets you create simple workflows that keep orders, pricing, and approvals moving smoothly.
With Shopify Flow, you can automate the quote to cash process using draft orders and approval steps. You can trigger price updates based on customer segments and route orders by customer type or company location, or require approval for large purchases. You can also offer custom discounts automatically to specific business customers based on their purchase history or contract terms.
When loyalty programs are connected across both business to business and direct to consumer sales, repeat customers can be rewarded no matter how they buy. This kind of automation saves time, reduces errors, and makes it easier to manage both channels as your business grows.
Sean Purdy
