Shopify wholesale: A practical guide to B2B setup and management

You've been running your online store for a while. Sales are steady, but lately, you've started getting messages from boutiques or distributors asking about bulk orders or partnership opportunities. It's exciting, a clear sign your brand is growing, and it might be the right moment to think bigger about where your business could go next.

Now's the perfect time to explore it. The global B2B eCommerce market was valued at USD 18.7 trillion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 57.6 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 18.2% (Grand View Research). Wholesale isn't just a side opportunity; it's a major growth engine for merchants ready to scale.

As promising as it sounds, stepping into wholesale also comes with questions many Shopify merchants share:

• Is Shopify wholesale available for your current plan, and how exactly does it work?
• How exactly does wholesale on Shopify work?
• Do you need Shopify Plus to sell to distributors or bulk buyers?
• How should you handle wholesale pricing, manage B2B customers, or keep retail and wholesale operations running side by side without complexity?

In this guide, you'll learn everything about Shopify wholesale, whether you're running a DTC or B2C business ready to expand into B2B sales, or you're already selling wholesale on another platform and considering Shopify for your next stage of growth.

Let's dive in!

1. What is Shopify wholesale?

1.1 Understanding the Shopify wholesale model

Wholesale means selling your products in large quantities at discounted prices to other businesses, such as retailers, resellers, or organizations, instead of directly to individual consumers. These buyers purchase in bulk, then resell your products at retail price for a profit.

A wholesale business typically involves managing multiple moving parts: maintaining the right inventory levels, setting competitive volume-based pricing, and coordinating distribution and logistics to deliver goods efficiently. It also focuses on building reliable B2B relationships, ensuring product quality, and helping manufacturers or brands expand their reach to new regions or retail channels.

An image showing a typical wholesale process.

In the typical wholesale process, goods move from manufacturers or suppliers to distributors, then to retail stores, and finally to end customers. Each step is supported by agreed pricing, logistics, and fulfillment terms.

Shopify wholesale refers to setting up your Shopify store to handle B2B transactions with features like tiered pricing, minimum order quantities, and private access for wholesale customers.

Selling your products in large quantities at discounted prices to other businesses (B2B) is called the wholesale model.

1.2 Wholesale vs retail: What's the difference?

While both involve selling products online, the business model, pricing, and customer relationships are entirely different. Retail (B2C) focuses on individual customers, quick purchases, and convenient features like reviews, discounts, and instant checkout.

Wholesale (B2B), on the other hand, centers around bulk orders, flexible pricing (volume discounts or trade pricing), company accounts with multiple buyers, and often net payment terms or invoice-based purchases. It may also integrate with systems like ERP or CRM for smoother operations.

The key differences between wholesale and retail lie in who you sell to, how relationships are managed and price discrimination, as shown in the overview below.

Aspect	Retail (B2C)	Wholesale (B2B)
Customer type	Individuals	Businesses/resellers
Order size	Small, frequent	Large, bulk
Pricing	Fixed retail price with occasional discounts, promotions, or bundles.	Tiered or discounted pricing based on volume and contract length.
Checkout/payment	Instant payment	Net terms (30/60) or invoicing
Customer relationship	Short-term or one-off and loyalty-based.	Long-term and recurring. Long-term contracts and repeat orders
Catalog/access	Public storefront	Hidden/exclusive wholesale portal

Today, many brands run a B2B store Shopify, serving both retail and wholesale customers on one platform, with B2B buyers logging in to access their own prices, catalogs, and payment methods.

1.3 When should you add wholesale to your Shopify store?

Consider expanding into Shopify wholesale if:

• You're receiving frequent bulk inquiries from retailers or distributors.
• Your profit margins can support wholesale discounts.
• You maintain steady production or inventory to handle bulk orders.
• You want to diversify revenue beyond seasonal retail cycles.

Once your DTC store is stable, the next step is to sell wholesale on Shopify to scale faster and build reliable, long-term business relationships.

2. Does Shopify support wholesale? Understanding your options

Many merchants wonder, "Can I do wholesale on Shopify?" or "Does Shopify do wholesale?"

The short answer: Yes. Shopify fully supports wholesale. You can run both retail and B2B sales from the same platform.

While Shopify doesn't promote its B2B capabilities as widely as its DTC features, the platform has been steadily expanding and improving its wholesale tools to better support growing businesses. Shopify provides two main paths to set up a Shopify wholesale store, depending on your plan and business size.

2.1 Option 1: Shopify Plus built-in B2B features

If you're using Shopify Plus, you already have access to a dedicated wholesale section Shopify built right into your admin dashboard. These tools let you create a B2B store on Shopify that operates alongside your retail storefront.

Shopify Plus supports wholesale on Shopify with outstanding built-in features.

Key features include:

• Company profiles: Create profiles for each business buyer, including multiple users per account.
• Custom pricing: Assign wholesale pricing or volume discounts to individual buyers or buyer groups.
• Payment terms: Offer net payment terms (like Net 30 or Net 60) and purchase order management.
• Catalog management: Control which products or collections are visible to specific customers.
• Separate B2B storefront: Run a dedicated wholesale site with its own URL while managing both stores from the same backend.

Shopify Plus pricing starts at around $2,000 per month. If you're already on Plus or plan to upgrade, the native B2B features handle everything from wholesale catalog to payments and account management without needing extra apps.

2.2 Option 2: Shopify wholesale apps for standard plans

If you're not ready to upgrade to Shopify Plus, you can still set up a working wholesale system through third-party wholesale apps. These apps extend your standard Shopify plan with B2B features like custom pricing, customer approval, and catalog restrictions.

If you're on standard Shopify plans, you can still use third-party apps to sell wholesale. These apps replicate key B2B functions, like tiered pricing Shopify, wholesale registration forms, and customer-specific catalogs for a fraction of the cost of Shopify Plus.

There are many third-party apps now helping you answer "Can you sell wholesale on Shopify with a lower budget.

Typical Shopify wholesale app features include:

• Wholesale signup forms to screen and approve new business buyers.
• Customer tagging and segmentation to separate retail from wholesale buyers.
• Wholesale pricing controls, including volume discounts and tiered pricing.
• Catalog restrictions to hide specific products from retail customers.
• Dedicated wholesale login pages or customer portals.

Popular wholesale apps include:

• Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B: Adds tiered pricing and volume discounts based on customer tags.
• Sami B2B Wholesale Pricing: Provides signup forms, pricing controls, and account approval.
• SparkLayer B2B & Wholesale: Offers a full B2B checkout experience with quote requests and custom catalogs.

Most apps work on Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plans, with pricing typically starting around $20 to $200 per month depending on features. This approach is a good way to test wholesale before committing to a larger platform investment.

2.3 "Can I run retail and wholesale in the same Shopify store?"

Yes. Shopify allows you to run both retail (B2C) and wholesale (B2B) from the same store without creating separate storefronts or managing duplicate inventory.

The most common Shopify wholesale setup involves:

• A public retail storefront where individual customers can browse and purchase.
• A hidden or password-protected wholesale section accessible only to approved business buyers.
• Different pricing for retail and wholesale, managed through customer tags (with apps) or price lists by customer (in Shopify Plus).
• Separate checkout flows (optional) with features like net payment terms or bulk ordering for B2B customers.

Running both channels under one roof has advantages: unified inventory management, streamlined order fulfillment, and consolidated reporting. You also avoid the extra costs and complexity of maintaining multiple Shopify accounts or separate ecommerce platforms.

So yes, Shopify wholesale allows retail and B2B coexistence on one platform. In fact, Shopify is built specifically to support this structure, especially if you use Shopify Plus or choose the right wholesale apps.

3. Shopify Plus vs Shopify wholesale apps: Which wholesale method is right for you?

Both Shopify Plus B2B and wholesale apps for Shopify can help you answer the question of how to sell wholesale on Shopify, but their value depends on your scale, goals, and operational needs.

Below is a quick comparison between the 2 methods before going into detail in the next section.

Criteria	Shopify Plus B2B (Built-in)	Wholesale apps
Pricing	Starts around $2,300/month with native Shopify wholesale features	App-based ($50–$100/month per app)
Setup	Fully integrated Shopify wholesale setup	Install and configure one or more B2B wholesale apps
Wholesale pricing	Wholesale pricing Shopify tools: price lists by customer, customer-specific pricing, and trade pricing	Tiered pricing Shopify or tag-based discounts
Catalog management	Built-in wholesale catalog management, show or hide products per buyer	Hidden collections or password-protected pages
Accounts & login	Dedicated wholesale customer accounts, B2B customer login, and wholesale account approval workflow	Manual customer tagging and external login pages
Checkout & payments	Net terms, purchase orders, and branded B2B checkout flow	Draft orders or manual invoicing
Scalability	Supports large catalogs, global markets, and automation	Suitable for smaller catalogs and domestic operations
Support & reliability	Shopify Plus 24/7 support and SLA-backed uptime	Support provided by individual app developers
Ideal for	Businesses managing high-volume or long-term B2B operations	Small to medium stores exploring wholesale options

3.1 Shopify wholesale pricing plans & setup options

About Pricing plans, the Shopify Plus plan starts at around $2,300 USD per month and includes a built-in Shopify wholesale setup as part of its B2B feature set. This setup runs directly in your Shopify admin, so you can manage both retail and wholesale operations within one system.

Shopify wholesale apps on lower-tier plans often advertise starting prices around $20–$100 per month, but in practice, most merchants end up spending at least $200 monthly to access the features needed to run wholesale effectively.

These apps function as external add-ons, meaning you may need to combine multiple tools to cover everything from pricing rules to customer management.

3.2 Wholesale pricing strategy on Shopify Plus vs apps

Shopify Plus includes advanced options for wholesale pricing Shopify, such as price lists by customer, customer-specific pricing, and trade pricing.

Wholesale apps usually provide tiered pricing Shopify or quantity-based pricing, which work well for basic wholesale pricing strategies but may be limited for complex discount structures.

Shopify Plus includes advanced options for wholesale pricing, while wholesale apps can replicate them.

3.3 Shopify wholesale catalog and account management

With Shopify Plus wholesale, you can customize wholesale catalog management, controlling which products or prices appear to each buyer. You can also manage wholesale customer accounts and approval workflows directly in your admin.

Wholesale apps can achieve similar results through hidden collections or password-protected sections, though catalog updates and access control often rely on manual configuration.

3.4 B2B checkout and wholesale order experience on Shopify

Shopify Plus supports B2B checkout with net payment terms, purchase orders, and tax exemptions, all managed within your wholesale program. Each buyer can access their wholesale customer account via a secure B2B customer login page.

Wholesale apps replicate this flow through draft orders or manual invoicing. It's a workable solution for smaller wholesale programs but involves more manual steps for order processing.

3.5 Recommendation: Choosing the right Shopify wholesale method

Many merchants begin with B2B wholesale apps to validate demand before investing in Shopify Plus, since the Plus pricing plan starts at a higher level.

Using Shopify wholesale apps allows you to test essential features such as wholesale signup forms, wholesale pricing Shopify, and wholesale catalog management at a lower cost and with minimal operational change.

When wholesale becomes a consistent revenue source, upgrading to Shopify Plus wholesale offers stronger integration, centralized price lists by customer, and full automation.

Can you use Shopify for wholesale by yourself? Next, let's explore how to set up wholesale on Shopify step-by-step, whether through Shopify Plus or third-party apps.

4. How to set up wholesale on Shopify?

Setting up wholesale on Shopify depends on your plan. If you're on Shopify Plus, you'll use the built-in B2B features. If you're on a standard plan, you'll rely on wholesale apps. Both approaches follow similar steps but use different tools.

4.1 Method 1: Setting up wholesale using Shopify Plus

If you have access to Shopify Plus, follow these steps to enable and configure your B2B store:

Step 1: Enable the wholesale section

Log in to your Shopify admin and navigate to Settings, then select B2B. Activate the B2B feature to unlock wholesale tools.

Step 2: Create wholesale company profiles

In the Companies section, add business buyers manually or let them apply through a signup form. Each company gets its own profile, which can include multiple users (such as different buyers from the same organization).

Add each wholesale buyer as a company, including their tax, billing, and contact information. Each company can have multiple contacts linked to one profile, making account management easier.

Choose Wholesale to start selling wholesale on Shopify.

Step 3: Set up wholesale pricing

Assign wholesale pricing to companies or customer groups through price lists. You can set percentage discounts, fixed pricing, or volume-based tiers. Also, enable payment terms like Net 30 or Net 60 if needed, allowing buyers to purchase now and pay later.

This is where you configure wholesale vs retail pricing without creating duplicate stores.

Step 4: Manage wholesale catalog access

Through wholesale catalog management, you can decide which products or collections each company can access. Catalogs can be customized per buyer or region.

Step 5: Set up wholesale customer accounts

Each buyer receives a wholesale customer account and secure credentials for wholesale login. You can manage wholesale account approval directly in your admin to ensure proper verification before granting access.

Effective customer segmentation also plays a key role in wholesale management, allowing you to assign unique pricing, catalogs, or payment terms to different groups of buyers.

In addition, to manage new B2B leads smoothly, many merchants also add a wholesale inquiry form on their store, allowing potential buyers to request pricing or account approval before placing bulk orders.

Step 6. Configure discounts and quantity breaks

Set up volume discounts, bulk order discounts, custom pricing, and quantity-based pricing to reward bulk orders or long-term partners. These tools make it easier to maintain an optimized wholesale pricing strategy.

Step 7. Customize B2B checkout

Use B2B checkout settings to enable payment terms, purchase orders, and tax exemptions. If you're wondering how to add a wholesale login to Shopify, Plus automatically includes this function through the company portal with no extra coding or plugins required.

4.2 Method 2: How to set up Shopify wholesale using apps

This approach is flexible and cost-effective for testing wholesale for Shopify before upgrading to Plus.

Step 1: Install a Shopify wholesale app

Browse the App Store for Shopify wholesale features using apps.

Step 2: Create a wholesale signup or registration form

Add a wholesale signup form to your storefront. You can also include a wholesale inquiry form for leads who want to discuss pricing before registration.

Step 3: Approve and manage new accounts

Use wholesale account approval workflows to verify new buyers. Approved users get tagged automatically and can log in through a custom wholesale login page.

Step 4: Set up wholesale pricing & discounts

In your app's settings, configure wholesale pricing Shopify rules, such as:

• Tiered pricing Shopify: Volume discounts or quantity breaks for bulk orders.
• Custom pricing or wholesale discounts for specific clients.

Step 5: Manage catalog visibility

Use the app's wholesale catalog management tools to control product visibility for different buyers. This is helpful if you want to separate retail and wholesale inventory or apply price discrimination rules between segments.

Step 6: Test checkout and payments

Before launching, test the full flow from wholesale login to checkout to ensure all B2B checkout settings, discounts, and approval steps function as intended.

Callout: Recommended wholesale apps

If you wonder "What apps do I need for Shopify wholesale?", you can consider these popular options:

• Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B: Supports tiered pricing and volume discounts.
• Sami B2B Wholesale Pricing: Includes signup forms and account approval features.
• SparkLayer B2B & Wholesale: Adds B2B checkout and customer-specific pricing tools.

5. Conclusion: Start your Shopify wholesale journey

Whether you use Shopify Plus or third-party wholesale apps, Shopify provides multiple paths to start and grow your B2B business. Shopify Plus B2B offers integrated wholesale management, complete with wholesale customer accounts, advanced pricing controls, and automated B2B checkout.

On the other hand, wholesale apps make it easy to test how to create wholesale pricing tiers or how to set up wholesale accounts on Shopify without large upfront costs.

The key is to start with the setup that matches your current scale and gradually expand. Shopify's ecosystem makes it possible to evolve your wholesale strategy without rebuilding your store from scratch.

From our perspective, it's best to start with apps and upgrade to Shopify Plus once your B2B channel becomes a significant part of your business.

FAQs

1. Do I need Shopify Plus for wholesale?

No. You don't need Shopify Plus to run a wholesale channel.

Merchants on standard plans can use B2B wholesale apps to set up wholesale pricing Shopify, wholesale login, and catalog restrictions. Or newer solutions like Shopify Collective let brands share products with retail partners directly on Shopify for cross-store wholesale partnerships.

Shopify Plus, however, includes these B2B features natively, suitable for larger businesses managing high-order volumes or multiple markets.

2. Can I run retail and wholesale on the same Shopify store?

Yes. Shopify allows you to operate both retail (B2C) and wholesale (B2B) under the same store.

You can use wholesale catalog management and price lists by customer to display different products or prices to each audience. This unified system helps maintain consistent inventory and branding while serving different buyer types.

3. How much does Shopify wholesale cost?

Costs depend on your plan:

• Shopify Plus starts around $2,000/month, including built-in Shopify wholesale features.
• On Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans, you will need to spend at least $200/month on wholesale apps.
• The total cost also depends on your wholesale pricing strategy, order volume, and additional app integrations.

4. How do I hide prices from retail customers?

You can hide wholesale prices from retail customers by using wholesale catalog management or access control tools.

5. Can wholesale customers reorder past purchases?

Yes. Shopify Plus includes a B2B customer portal where approved buyers can view and reorder past purchases directly.

For other plans, many Shopify wholesale apps include reorder buttons or saved order templates, streamlining repeat purchases and simplifying bulk reorders.