If selling to other businesses is on your ecommerce roadmap, you might be at the stage where examples of B2B stores can be a much-needed source of inspiration.
The global B2B ecommerce market is five times the size of B2C. It’s thriving. But if you search for examples of B2B ecommerce sites, you might run into outdated, inflexible B2B examples that don’t look like anything you’d want for your customers.
These 11 B2B ecommerce examples will inspire you to build a modern buying experience for your B2B customers. All of them run on Shopify, so you can see how brands use a single commerce platform to serve both B2B and DTC customers. You’ll see brilliant use cases for customer account features, educational content, product discovery, detailed product descriptions, and custom storefronts—all to help get your creative mind turning as you look to the future.
B2B ecommerce examples
- Dermalogica Pro: The ultimate educational hub
- Mokobara: Personalized B2B storefronts
- Angelus Direct: Streamlined B2B ordering and production
- Who Gives A Crap: Social values and shared mission
- Tony’s Chocolonely: The “Chocoportal”
- CeramicSpeed: Speedy user experiences
- The Conran Shop: Trade program for interior designers
- AMR Hair & Beauty: Advanced search and filtering
- Allied Medical: Search-optimized content hub
- DECKED: Custom dealer locator app
- The Somewhere Co: Exclusive retail partnerships
1. Dermalogica Pro: The ultimate educational hub
Dermalogica is a professional-grade skincare brand founded in 1986 by skin therapist Jane Wurwand. They cater both to consumers and skin therapists.
The latter shop through the brand’s Dermalogica Pro site. Although the entire ecommerce section is gated with a login page, the whole site is made to lead skincare professionals toward the most relevant, valuable resource based on what they need.
Here’s what retail partners can reach within a few clicks:
- A learning library with on-demand learning, plus workshops customers can book and join online or in-person
- Product fact sheets for items used by professional skin therapists
- FaceMapping PRO, a digital platform for professionals to start client appointments and treatments
Even without viewing the ecommerce side of Dermalogica Pro, it’s easy to see why many skin therapists buy from the brand again and again.
2. Mokobara: Personalized B2B storefronts
Mokobara was a luggage DTC brand before they expanded into B2B operations. They migrated to Shopify to launch a password-protected customer portal for wholesale buyers. This portal displays:
- Dynamic bulk pricing
- Self-serve ordering and reordering
- Product-customization options—for example, engravings or corporate branding
The site takes B2B personalization a step further with localized storefronts for two of the brand’s main markets: India and the UAE. The portal automatically adjusts currency, language, and payment methods based on each buyer’s location.
The result? Mokobara doubled revenue, experienced 30% growth, and saw a 30% increase in customer retention year-over-year.
3. Angelus Direct: Streamlined B2B ordering and production
Leather paint and sneaker-customization brand Angelus Direct once experienced a major B2B ecommerce challenge: a lack of unified data. Sales processes were lengthy and manual—their team didn’t have the insight they needed to forecast demand and plan accordingly.
“Order entry used to be this manual process of people writing things down on a scratchpad or writing out orders that came through fax or email, and there were constant errors," says CEO Tyler Angelos. "Now we channel wholesale partners to our B2B portal on Shopify, so there's no discussion or intermediate area where someone might make a mistake.”
Since the B2B portal runs on Shopify, order history, inventory, and production data all sit in one place. As a result of this streamlined B2B ordering process, Tyler says the brand went from 100% wholesale distribution to a much healthier balance. Greater insight into how their clients buy—collected through unified data that aided a 10x increase in global sales—also enabled more efficient production.
“Because everything is connected, our production manager can now project months ahead of time with confidence," says Tyler. “We're not doing redundant production runs anymore because we have real-time visibility into exactly what we need.”
4. Who Gives A Crap: Social values and shared mission
Who Gives A Crap is a sustainable household product brand with a purpose. It’s a B Corp that sells toilet paper and other goods made from 100% recycled or sustainably sourced products. This is paired with a social-cause marketing strategy that encourages other climate-concerned businesses to choose their products:
- Half of profits are donated to projects that provide clean water and sanitation to those in need.
- Their VP of growth offers advice on how wholesale partners can scale their own businesses while prioritizing social impact.
- Product descriptions on their wholesale storefront reference sustainability credentials, like plastic-free packaging and B Corp certifications.
According to research from Bain & Company, this is becoming increasingly important: Half of B2B buyers assign more business to sustainable suppliers—a figure that could increase to two-thirds within the next three years.
Because their wholesale experience runs on a unified commerce platform, it’s easier to align B2B pricing and sustainability messaging across every channel.
5. Tony’s Chocolonely: The “ChocoPortal”
Tony’s Chocolonely has a valuable mission woven into the roots of their business. The brand was founded by Dutch TV journalist Teun van de Keuken after he learned of illegal labor in the chocolate supply chain and decided to launch his own confectionery brand.
Tony’s started with a one-off batch of 5,000 fair trade and traceable chocolate bars—but they were a hit. It’s since grown into one of the fastest-growing chocolatiers in the world.
A network of retail partners plays a role in Tony’s success. They sell to other businesses through an online “ChocoPortal,” where buyers can manage tiered B2B pricing, view flexible pricing options, and apply volume discounts.
Plus, as a result of the B2B portal pulling inventory, order, and customer data from the same unified commerce platform that powers its DTC storefront, Tony’s has experienced double-digit revenue growth across four key markets.
6. CeramicSpeed: Super speedy user experiences
CeramicSpeed is a premium bicycle parts manufacturer with inventory handbuilt in their Denmark HQ. But the B2B brand isn’t limited to the local area when selling to B2B customers. They have a storefront that reaches buyers across the globe, and serves them a world-class user experience as they browse.
Business buyers often know exactly what SKUs they need and value speed, reliability, and bulk volume features. CeramicSpeed delivers on these expectations using Shopify to offer:
- Advanced search and filtering options
- An app that lets traveling agents place orders for stores 5% faster, thanks to unified data inside the commerce platform
“In the US, our sales reps drive to different bike shops in America, and one feature we could not live without is the Shopify app,” says ecommerce specialist Lukas L. Dalsgaard. “It’s a back-end user app where sales reps can log in on their phone and easily place orders on behalf of customers whilst on the road.”
7. The Conran Shop: Trade program for interior designers
The Conran Shop is a premium furniture B2B brand with two branches to their business: wholesale and trade. They host a specialist program for the latter, created exclusively for industry professionals such as interior designers and architects.
This trade program gives partners:
- A dedicated account manager
- Competitive wholesale pricing and bundles
- Flexible payment and delivery options
- Access to private store events
- Consultations and showroom appointments at its London retail store
The Conran Shop uses Shopify’s unified data model to personalize the experience for trade members both online and offline.
“For a high-consideration proposition like The Conran Shop, [unified commerce] enables customers to be much more seamless in the way they move between the online and in-store experience, whereas before it was totally separated,” says digital director Richard Voyce.
8. AMR Hair & Beauty: Advanced search and filtering options
B2B beauty brands contend with large product catalogs as each item has multiple variations. AMR Hair & Beauty faced this challenge firsthand. Founder Ammar Issa described seven years of “torture” with their previous ecommerce platform, which hosted a product catalog of over 6,000 items.
AMR Hair & Beauty turned to Shopify to deliver better user experiences to buyers. Now, they have advanced search and filtering options that allow B2B customers to narrow down what they’re looking for alongside B2B pricing and incentives.
“Right now, we have two login options, one for public consumers and one for B2B customers,” Ammar says. “We have 10 different pricing tiers for B2B customers, and Shopify automatically shows them the right one based on their customer status.”
This approach has led to a 77% rise in B2B average order value (AOV), alongside a 200% increase in sales and 93% growth in conversion rate year-over-year.
9. Allied Medical: Search-optimized content hub
Allied Medical is a healthcare brand with a custom portal to facilitate online B2B orders. To drive buyers toward this site, they publish a range of SEO-focused content on their website to target long-tail keywords such as:
- Why is sitting important?
- How to travel with a powerchair
- Fixed frame vs. folding wheelchairs
What’s especially great about this B2B marketing strategy is that each article subtly references related products. In this one about wheelchairs, for example, they compare the two types of chair and shortlist factors to consider when purchasing one. Below that, readers find recommendations of B2B products that meet the criteria:
Because Allied Medical’s portal runs on Shopify, buyers can move from educational content to a tailored product catalog in a few clicks.
10. DECKED: Custom dealer locator app
DECKED is a B2B brand that sells truck bed storage, tools, and accessories. But instead of selling exclusively to other brands, DECKED uses their network of retail partners to sell direct-to-consumer.
This is a smart move, considering:
- Customer demands are complex. Products are specific to each customer’s vehicle, making search more complicated than in other industries.
- Financing options are confusing. DECKED needed to review their entire checkout process to revamp the customer experience, including the adoption of Shop Pay and in-cart customization options—the latter of which boasts a 50% adoption rate.
- Customers wanted to buy in-store. Instead of operating their own retail stores, DECKED diverts shoppers to local custom dealers. These partners offer installation services to further enhance the customer experience.
Unified data underpins DECKED’s ability to offer this type of seamless customer experience, while using its brand recognition to spotlight partners.
“We can match dealers not just by proximity and location, but also based on those who have our product displays or only carry specific items from our range," says VP of ecommerce Taylor Straley.
"This capability allows us to tailor our customer experience and product discovery recommendation efforts more effectively. Importantly, it benefits the customer by enabling us to gather and utilize search and contact data, ensuring a direct connection from our website to the appropriate dealer."
11. The Somewhere Co: Exclusive retail partnerships
Selling to other retailers is a two-way street. Partners want reliable products they can turn a profit on when reselling—you want greater exposure for your inventory. Where things tend to get tricky, however, is spotlighting those retail partners fairly.
The Somewhere Co. does this with ZIP-code exclusivity. Partners are asked to share their store’s location on the brand’s wholesale application form.
“We know how important it is for our stockists to stand out,” the retailer says. “That’s why we offer postcode exclusivity to stockists who meet our requirements and carry a strong representation of their category.”
By running their wholesale program on Shopify, The Somewhere Co. reduced average order time by 33%, making it easier for retail partners to place fast, accurate orders.
Turn inspiration into brilliant B2B ecommerce action
At this point, it’s clear that B2B brands can put the customer first and make their buying experience not just bearable, but enjoyable.
And they do it for both the DTC and B2B sides of their business from the same platform. These B2B examples are proof it can be done. You don’t have to sacrifice one to make the other one work smoothly.
With the right unified commerce platform, you can do the same and tailor the experience for each buyer—from vendors and dealers to small businesses and professionals—with customized payment terms, product pricing, and quantity rules.
Make ordering (and reordering) in your B2B store a delightful customer journey with Shopify’s B2B ecommerce solution. Leading brands like Brooklinen and SANJO have already done so, going from a manual and time-consuming process to one that’s streamlined and simple. Lean on Shopify to do the same.
Read more
- Craft a Winning D2C Ecommerce Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Develop a B2B Ecommerce Website that Reaches and Engages Today’s Buyers
- How to Build an Ecommerce Tech Stack
- B2B Ecommerce: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
- B2B Ecommerce: Why Taking Your B2B Business Online is a Smart Strategy to Scale
- 12 B2B Ecommerce Trends To Shape Your Business in 2023
- Wholesale Ecommerce: How It Works, Types, and Benefits to Wholesalers
- What Are B2B Payments? Methods & Processing Systems
- B2B Marketplaces: What They Are, How to Succeed, and 8 Marketplaces to Consider
B2B ecommerce examples FAQ
What is an example of B2B ecommerce?
Dermalogica Pro is an example of B2B ecommerce. The brand sells to retail partners—for example, skin therapists and aestheticians—through an online customer portal that displays wholesale price lists, product catalogs, and personalized payment terms.
Is Shopify a B2B or B2C?
Shopify is a commerce platform that supports both B2B and B2C business models. Businesses use Shopify to sell to other retailers, distributors, or professionals, as well as directly to consumers, all from the same platform.
What is a B2B business with an example?
A B2B business is a business that sells to another business, like a wholesaler or a retailer. For example, a hair care product supplier can sell to hair salons and hairdressers, and a fitness equipment manufacturer can sell to gyms and personal trainers.
What is a B2B website?
A B2B website is a business website that facilitates the exchange of information, goods, or services with another business. It’s the home of all digital marketing activities and can assist the sales process for B2B brands.
What are common characteristics of a B2B ecommerce website?
On B2B ecommerce websites, you’ll often find:
- Faceted search
- A range of payment options, including purchase orders
- Educational hubs with tutorials, videos, webinars, and blog posts
- Dynamic pricing
- A dedicated wholesale/dealer portal
- Bulk-ordering capabilities
