Setup checklist for dedicated B2B stores

This checklist is for businesses that want to set up a dedicated B2B store. A dedicated B2B store is a separate Shopify store that's used only for B2B customers and orders. A dedicated B2B store requires you to create a new, separate Shopify store for your B2B business.

Choosing a store type is a key decision in using Shopify B2B. Make sure to review the differences between blended and dedicated stores.

Before you start

Review the requirements and considerations for using Shopify B2B.

Choose whether to use a theme from the Shopify Theme Store, such as Trade or a custom theme.

Step 1: (Optional) Migrate existing customer information within Shopify

If your B2B customers are already set up as Customers in your Shopify admin, you can transfer their information and order history to a new, dedicated store and then migrate it to Companies. Complete the following steps to retain your existing customer data.

Duplicate a Shopify store or move data between stores using a third-party store data importer app, such as Matrixify.

Migrate customer information and order history to companies.

Step 2: Create companies and company locations

Companies represent your B2B customers in Shopify. Each company can have multiple company locations, and customers assigned to it. You can create companies and locations in your Shopify admin, or import them in bulk using Matrixify, a third-party app.

Option 1: Set up companies from your Shopify admin

Create a company.

Add company locations to a company.

Add customers to companies and company locations.

Customize company location details, such as payment terms and tax exemptions.

Optional: Add metafields and metafield values to companies and company locations.

Option 2: Import companies using Matrixify

Import customers.

Import companies, company locations, location details, metafields, and customer permissions.

Step 3: Create catalogs

Catalogs determine the pricing and products your B2B customers have access to in your online store. You can create an unlimited number of catalogs, and assign up to 25 catalogs to a single company location.

Set up your products:

Option 1: Set up your products in your Shopify admin.
Option 2: Import your products using CSV files.

Optional: If you sell internationally, then activate local currency.

Create a catalog:

Option 1: Create a catalog in your Shopify admin.
Option 2: Import your catalog using CSV files.

Optional: If you want to display products only to specific B2B customers, then exclude products from catalogs.

Assign catalogs to companies and company locations:

Option 1: Assign catalogs individually or in bulk from your Shopify admin.
Option 2: Assign catalogs in bulk using the Matrixify app

Customer accounts allow B2B customers to authenticate themselves before accessing B2B-specific pricing, products, and account information, and manage their account online after they login.

Activate customer accounts.

Optional: Restrict store access to B2B customers.

Step 5: Set up payment and shipping methods

Set up the payment and shipping methods available to your customers at checkout. These payment and shipping methods are available only to B2B customers in a dedicated store.

You can customize the availability of specific payment and shipping methods for specific B2B customers using the free Checkout Blocks app. For example, you can make PayPal available to specific B2B customers, but not all customers.

Activate payment methods.

Set up your order fulfillment and shipping settings:

Shipping rates
Optional: Shipping locations
Optional: Shipping rules using shipping profiles
Optional: Fulfillable inventory

Optional: Create payment reminders

Optional: Install Checkout Blocks to hide, rename, and reorder payment methods for specific B2B customers based on conditions you set.

Step 6: (Optional) Customize your online store

If you sell internationally, such as to the United States, Australia, or France, then you can customize the online store experience for the different markets that you sell to.

If you’re using a free Shopify theme (version 11.0+), then you can customize the online store using the theme editor. Some features, such as quantity rules and volume pricing, are displayed automatically with these themes. If you use a custom theme, then you need to use Liquid code to access the same features and customizations.

Shopify’s B2B-optimized theme, Trade, has a pre-built support for quick order list, quantity rules, and volume pricing.

For free Shopify themes (version 11.0 or later):

Optional: If you use a free Shopify theme that's older than version 11.0, then update your theme to version 11.0 or later.

Customize store content in the theme editor.

Add a quick order list in the theme editor.

For custom themes:

Customize store content using the customer.b2b liquid variable.

Add quick order list to your theme using code.

Add quantity rules and volume pricing to your theme using code.

Step 7: (Optional) Activate sales staff ordering in your Shopify admin

If you employ sales staff, then you can give them restricted access to your Shopify admin. Your staff can take orders and manage accounts for the company locations they manage, and access a central source of customer, product, pricing, and inventory data. You control staff access to your Shopify admin using staff permissions.

Add sales staff as users in your Shopify admin.

Create a user role to select the permissions available to sales staff. You can create multiple user roles if certain sales staff need access to different permissions.

Adjust Company staff permissions to restrict access to B2B data.

Assign sales staff to the appropriate user role.

Assign sales staff to their respective company locations..

Step 8: (Optional) Add additional features and functionality to your B2B store

You can install apps from the Shopify App Store to support additional use cases in your online store and streamline order processing. If you want to offer discounts on top of catalog prices, then contact Plus Support to activate discounts in your store. Discounts apply to all customers by default, but you can customize their availability using customer segmentation.

Contact Plus Support to activate discounts, and use segmentation to customize their availability.

Allow prospective customers to request access to your store by installing the free Shopify Forms app.

Automate back office tasks using B2B templates in the free Shopify Flow app.

Activate global tax settings, such as Include sales tax in product price and shipping rate.

Support additional use cases, such as quoting workflows, order upload via CSV, downloadable invoices, and integrate to ERP and accounting solutions using third-party apps.

Step 9: Test and finalize your B2B store setup

Before you launch your online store, login as a customer and place some test orders to preview the customer experience.

Create a test customer and login to test your setup.

Invite B2B customers to login and start placing orders.