B2B eCommerce is the sale of products or services from one business to another through an online platform, rather than by phone, email, sales rep or paper order. Think a manufacturer selling to retailers, a wholesaler supplying trade customers, or a distributor taking repeat orders from dealers, all handled through a website or ordering portal instead of a manual process.
It sounds simple, but B2B selling online works very differently to a consumer store, and that difference is the whole story. This guide explains what B2B eCommerce is, how it differs from B2C, the features a serious B2B platform needs, and the main platforms to consider.
| The short answerB2B eCommerce is selling to other businesses online, through a store or ordering portal rather than a manual sales process. Unlike a consumer store, it has to handle account-based pricing, quotes, bulk and repeat orders, approval workflows, trade terms and integration with the systems that already run the business. It is bigger than B2C and growing fast, which is why more manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors are moving ordering online. |
How big is B2B eCommerce?
Bigger than most people expect. B2B eCommerce is several times the size of the consumer market, because the value of trade, wholesale and manufacturing transactions dwarfs individual retail purchases. Published estimates for the UK vary widely depending on what they count, but they run into the hundreds of billions of pounds and are growing at double-digit rates as procurement moves online.
The direction of travel matters more than the exact figure. Business buyers now expect to research, order and reorder online in the same way they shop as consumers, and the suppliers who make that easy win the repeat business. The ones still relying on phone orders and PDF price lists are quietly losing ground.
How B2B eCommerce differs from B2C
This is the part that trips up businesses who assume a consumer store will do the job. B2B buying is rarely a simple add to basket and checkout. A good B2B platform has to reflect how your business actually sells:
- Account-based pricing. Different customers pay different prices, with negotiated rates, trade discounts and tiered pricing that only show once a customer logs in.
- Quotes and RFQ workflows. Many B2B sales start with a request for a quote rather than a fixed price, so the platform needs to support quoting and approval, not just instant checkout.
- Bulk and repeat ordering. Trade customers reorder the same lists regularly, so quick-order forms, saved lists and reordering matter far more than they do in B2C.
- Approval and purchasing rules. Larger buyers have multiple users on one account, spending limits and approval steps before an order is placed.
- Credit and payment terms. B2B often means invoicing, purchase orders and payment on terms, not just card payment at checkout.
- Customer-specific catalogues. Some customers see only certain products, restricted ranges or their own contracted items.
- Customer portals. A logged-in area where customers manage orders, invoices, documents, users and account details.
- System integration. Pricing, stock and orders usually need to connect to an ERP, CRM or stock system rather than living in isolation.
A longer buying journey sits behind all of this. B2B purchases often involve several people, higher values and more steps, so the platform is there to remove friction and admin for both the customer and your team, not just to take a payment.
What a B2B eCommerce platform needs to do
Not every B2B business needs every feature, but a capable platform should be able to support the following. Use it as a checklist when you are scoping a project:
- Account registration, logins and multi-user accounts with roles and permissions.
- Account-specific and tiered pricing, plus the ability to hide prices behind a login.
- Quote requests, custom pricing and approval workflows.
- Quick order, reorder and saved product lists for repeat buyers.
- Restricted products and customer-specific catalogues.
- Trade terms, purchase orders and flexible payment or invoicing options.
- Stock, availability and product data that stays in sync with your systems.
- Integration with ERP, CRM and stock management, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central where relevant.
- Reporting and account management tools for your internal team.
The main B2B eCommerce platforms
There is no single best platform, only the best fit for your products, customers, systems and budget. Here is a plain summary of the main options and where each tends to work well:
| Platform | Best suited to |
|---|---|
| Shopify (B2B on Plus) | Brands that want a modern, easy-to-manage store, often running B2B and B2C together, with strong built-in B2B features on the Plus plan. |
| Adobe Commerce (Magento) | Large, complex catalogues and enterprise requirements, where you have the budget and development resource to match its power. |
| BigCommerce B2B | Mid-market B2B sellers who want a lot of B2B functionality built in without the overhead of a bespoke build. |
| WooCommerce with B2B extensions | Businesses on WordPress that want flexibility and control, typically smaller or mid-sized catalogues, extended with B2B plugins. |
| Bespoke portal | Businesses whose ordering, pricing or integration needs do not fit an off-the-shelf platform, and who need something built around their exact process. |
Off-the-shelf platform or bespoke portal?
This is the decision most B2B projects come down to. An off-the-shelf platform is faster and cheaper to launch and comes with B2B features ready to configure, which suits the majority of businesses. A bespoke portal costs more and takes longer, but it is built around your exact pricing rules, workflows and integrations, which is the right answer when your process is genuinely non-standard or deeply tied to your internal systems.
The honest advice is to start with the problem, not the platform. Map how your customers actually order, where the friction and admin sit, and which systems the platform has to talk to. Only then does the right approach become clear, and often a well-configured platform does the job without the cost of a full custom build. This is exactly the planning our B2B eCommerce and eCommerce development work starts with.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between B2B and B2C eCommerce?
B2C sells to individual consumers with a simple browse-and-checkout journey. B2B sells to other businesses and has to handle account-based pricing, quotes, bulk and repeat orders, approval steps, trade terms and integration with business systems. The buying journey is longer and usually involves several people.
What is a B2B eCommerce platform?
It is the software that runs a B2B online store or ordering portal. A capable one supports logins and multi-user accounts, customer-specific pricing, quotes, reordering, restricted catalogues, trade payment terms and integration with ERP or CRM systems, so business customers can order online with less friction.
Can Shopify be used for B2B?
Yes. Shopify supports B2B, with the strongest features available on Shopify Plus, including company accounts, customer-specific pricing and price lists. It suits brands that want a modern, manageable platform and often lets you run B2B and B2C from one store.
Do I need a bespoke portal?
Not always. Many B2B businesses are well served by an off-the-shelf platform configured to their needs. A bespoke portal makes sense when your pricing, ordering or integration requirements do not fit a standard platform, or when the online ordering process is central to how the business runs.
Related reading: Best eCommerce platform in the UK and Shopify vs WooCommerce.
Thinking about moving trade ordering online? Book a Growth Call and we will help you scope the right B2B platform for your business.