Want to serve both retail and wholesale customers in one store? Shopify Plus, paired with Alinga, makes it easy for Australian businesses to manage B2B and B2C operations from a single platform. Here’s what you need to know:

Shopify Plus Features: Handle high traffic (up to 8,000 orders/min), set up tailored pricing, and use tools like the Wholesale Channel for B2B needs.
Alinga Expertise: Build customised stores optimised for both customer types, integrate systems like inventory and POS, and drive growth.
Key Benefits:
- Unified inventory and pricing management.
- Customised experiences for retail and wholesale customers.
- Simplified operations and consistent branding.

With features like tailored checkouts, customer segmentation, and localised solutions (GST compliance, BPAY support), this setup is perfect for Australian businesses looking to streamline and scale. Ready to grow? Dive in to learn how to get started.

B2B and B2C Store Basics

Combined Store Fundamentals

A combined B2B and B2C store on Shopify Plus allows Australian merchants to manage both retail and wholesale operations through one storefront and admin interface. This setup simplifies how businesses handle customer relationships, process orders, and manage pricing – all from a single dashboard.

The store adjusts the shopping experience based on the type of customer. Wholesale buyers see their specific prices and product options, while retail customers browse standard retail offerings. Features like tailored pricing and customised checkout processes are built around this structure.

Key Features for Success

To effectively serve both B2B and B2C customers, your store needs these features:

Unified Inventory Management: A single inventory system ensures accurate stock levels for both retail and wholesale orders, preventing overselling.
Tailored Pricing: Retail customers see standard prices, while wholesale customers access their pre-set rates. Discounts are limited to the right customer groups.
Authentication for Wholesale Buyers: B2B customers must log in to access wholesale pricing, bulk order options, customised catalogues, and special payment terms.
Customised Checkout: Using Shopify Functions, you can offer payment and delivery options based on customer type – like Net 30 terms for wholesale buyers or bulk shipping rates.

Why Combine Operations?

Running a blended store offers several clear advantages for Australian businesses:

Simplified Management: With one platform, you can centralise customer data, orders, and analytics, making it easier to make informed decisions.
Consistent Branding: While the shopping experience adapts to customer type, the storefront maintains your brand’s core identity across all interactions.
Easy Customer Segmentation: The system supports complex segmentation without added hassle. You can limit discounts to specific groups, customise notifications with liquid code, control product availability, and separately analyse B2B and B2C performance.

This approach not only streamlines operations but also ensures your business is set up for growth, offering a seamless experience for all customers.

Setting Up Your Store on Shopify Plus

Store Setup and Organisation

When setting up your Shopify Plus store, you’ll need to decide whether to go with a blended or dedicated store format. A blended store serves both B2B and B2C customers through a single admin interface, making it a good option for businesses looking for consistent branding and simplified inventory management.

For Australian merchants, some key setup steps include:

Customer Segmentation: Create distinct customer groups to control access and visibility.
Inventory and Navigation: Build an easy-to-navigate store that aligns segmentation, inventory, and navigation for a smooth customer journey.

Once your store structure is ready, focus on configuring pricing to cater to both retail and wholesale customers.

Price and Discount Setup

Shopify Plus offers a Catalogs feature that simplifies pricing for different customer groups. You can use it to:

Define wholesale pricing rules directly in Shopify or via CSV uploads.
Set minimum and maximum order quantities for B2B customers.
Create company-specific pricing through detailed Company profiles.

Keep in mind, Shopify Plus displays all pricing as gross, so adjustments may be needed if you work with net pricing.

With pricing in place, the next step is to customise the checkout experience for your audience.

Payment and Checkout Configuration

Shopify’s Checkout UI extensions let you personalise the checkout process for your customer segments.

For B2B customers, you can:

Set payment terms (e.g., Net 30) in their Company profiles.
Offer multiple delivery address options.

For B2C customers, keep things straightforward with:

Standard payment gateways.
Regular shipping calculations.
A familiar checkout flow.

Many Australian businesses prefer offline payment methods for B2B transactions, like BACs, to minimise transaction fees. A properly configured store ensures B2B customers automatically see their assigned payment terms and delivery options, while B2C customers enjoy a retail-style checkout. This unified setup helps maintain a smooth experience across the board.

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Managing Different Customer Types

Creating Separate Customer Experiences

Shopify Plus offers tools to design tailored shopping experiences for various customer groups while keeping everything managed through a single backend. With B2B on Shopify, you can customise the shopping interface to suit different customer needs.

For B2B customers, you can provide:

Company-specific catalogues with negotiated pricing
Customised checkout processes showing payment terms
Self-service account portals for easier management

B2C customers, on the other hand, can enjoy:

Standard retail pricing and promotional offers
Simplified product pages for quick individual purchases
A smooth checkout process with regular payment options
Personalised accounts for tracking orders

Managing Multiple Price Levels

Handling pricing for different customer groups in a single store requires proper organisation. Shopify Plus’ price list feature lets you set up distinct pricing rules for each segment.

Some pricing strategies include:

Uploading wholesale price rules via CSV or entering them directly
Designing catalogues with negotiated rates for specific companies
Using tiered pricing for wholesale versus retail customers
Keeping standard retail prices for B2C shoppers

Once your pricing system is in place, you can focus on scaling your store to meet growing demand.

Store Growth and Performance

After establishing effective pricing strategies, boosting your store’s performance becomes essential for growth. Shopify Plus’ infrastructure is built to handle high transaction volumes and scale alongside your business. On average, merchants experience 126% year-over-year growth.

To enhance store performance:

Use Shopify Plus’ Launchpad tool to automate flash sales and special events

For Australian businesses, you can fine-tune your store with localised features such as:

GST compliance for different customer groups
Support for payment methods like BPAY for B2B transactions
Scheduling automation based on Australian time zones
State-based shipping and delivery options

Keep in mind that B2C customers often expect immediate payment processing, while B2B customers may need tailored payment terms. Shopify Plus allows you to set these preferences in company profiles, ensuring every customer gets the right payment options at checkout.

Alinga Customer Examples

Store Success Stories

The Fruit Box Group showcases how a business can successfully manage both B2B and B2C operations. As a workplace essentials delivery service, they handle subscription-based and one-off orders across various locations in Australia.

By partnering with Alinga, The Fruit Box Group introduced a system that manages pricing across over 15,000 locations. This setup complies with interstate business rules while ensuring a user-friendly experience for all customers.

Key highlights include:

Streamlined subscription management with easy modifications
Integration with NetSuite ERP for real-time inventory and pricing updates
Location-specific pricing and product availability rules
Improved user role management for smoother operations

Most Effective Store Features

Drawing from The Fruit Box Group’s results, several features stood out as game-changers:

Advanced Order Management
The system empowers customers to manage multiple delivery locations under one account, with features like:

Editing subscription details for different locations
Making temporary adjustments to standing orders
Meeting minimum order requirements based on location
Handling both recurring and one-off purchases seamlessly

Business Integration Solutions
Integration tools streamlined operations and boosted efficiency:

NetSuite ERP integration for automated inventory and pricing updates
Rudderstack for better customer data analytics
Customer.io for tailored communication with customers

Performance Improvements
Using Alinga’s TakeFlight accelerator, the platform achieved better performance through:

Zero-downtime updates for the front end
Enhanced mobile responsiveness
Faster page load times
AI-powered search features for better usability

Additionally, an invoice portal was included for B2B clients, simplifying payments while keeping workflows for B2C transactions separate. This case study highlights how Shopify Plus, combined with Alinga’s expertise, can elevate operations for businesses serving both B2B and B2C markets.

Conclusion

Why Shopify Plus with Alinga Stands Out

Shopify Plus brings enterprise-level features, and Alinga ensures these are tailored to suit both your B2B and B2C operations. Known for delivering high performance and supporting business growth, this platform is built to handle the demands of scaling eCommerce businesses.

Here are some standout features:

Customised storefronts for B2B and B2C
Seamless integration with tools like NetSuite and Xero
Wholesale-specific functionality
Mobile-friendly designs that boost conversions

How to Get Started

To make the most of these features, follow a simple roadmap:

Planning
Begin with a consultation to outline your business needs and growth goals. Alinga helps identify ways to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
Implementation
Move forward by migrating product and customer data, setting up integrations, customising the checkout using JavaScript and CSS, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly.
Support
Use Alinga’s growth retainers for ongoing technical support, development, and UX improvements to keep your business running smoothly and growing.

Wholesale eCommerce solutions with Alinga
B2B and B2C blended stores
Brisbane eCommerce Specialist Agency – Alinga
Alinga, a leading Brisbane eCommerce Agency

Creating a blended B2B / B2C store using shopify plus and alinga