The Australian B2B wholesale portal pattern.
Roughly 25% of our consumer-book revenue comes from hybrid B2C+B2B-wholesale brands. The Bujairami pattern (Shopify B2B with MYOB Acumatica integration), the Paint Pinot pattern (WooCommerce + Wholesale Suite), the RG Enterprises + Gillie and Marc patterns (Shopify with company accounts). Architecture decisions that matter.
What B2B wholesale portals actually require
Not just "tiered pricing per customer". A real B2B wholesale portal includes:
- Logged-in retailer storefront with separate UX from B2C
- Tiered pricing by retailer group (silver / gold / platinum tiers)
- ABN / business-verification gating before catalogue access
- Account credit + terms (NET-30, NET-60, etc.)
- Order minimums + quantity-break pricing
- Sales-rep ordering tools (rep places orders on behalf of retailer accounts)
- Klaviyo segment isolation (B2C vs B2B audiences) for email cadence
Three platform patterns
Pattern 1, Shopify B2B (company accounts)
Shopify's native B2B layer (Shopify Plus). Company accounts, customer-specific catalogues, tiered pricing, NET-30 account credit, B2B checkout. Bujairami pattern, re-platformed from WooCommerce to Shopify with MYOB Acumatica as system of record. Cleanest implementation when ERP integration is required.
Best fit: brands at monthly revenue with both B2C and wholesale arms, ERP integration requirements, multi-region considerations (Markets pricing).
Pattern 2, WooCommerce + B2B for WooCommerce / Wholesale Suite
WooCommerce native + B2B for WooCommerce (Barn2 Plugins) or Wholesale Suite. Tiered pricing, ABN gating, NET-30 terms, sales-rep ordering tools. Paint Pinot pattern. More cost-effective than Shopify Plus for mid-market brands; more configurable than Shopify B2B for unusual catalogue / pricing structures.
Best fit: brands at - monthly revenue with mixed B2C+B2B, complex catalogue structures, no Shopify Plus budget, comfortable with WordPress + WooCommerce maintenance discipline.
Pattern 3, Shopify with custom company accounts
For brands that don't justify Shopify Plus pricing but need B2B-style features. RG Enterprises + Gillie and Marc pattern. Shopify Standard with custom-app or theme-customisation for B2B-style features. Less complete than Shopify B2B native, but cost-effective for brands with simpler wholesale arms.
Best fit: brands at - monthly revenue with smaller B2B arms, simpler wholesale pricing structures, preference for Shopify ecosystem over WooCommerce.
How we choose
Three practical decision criteria:
- Is there an ERP integration requirement? If yes → Shopify B2B (Bujairami pattern) or WooCommerce + custom integration.
- What's the brand's monthly revenue + Shopify Plus budget tolerance? Shopify Plus pricing kicks in around monthly revenue.
- How complex is the wholesale-pricing logic? More complex → WooCommerce + Wholesale Suite. Simpler → Shopify native B2B or custom company accounts.
Read more:
Got both B2C and wholesale arms?
Forty-five-minute call. We'll review your platform architecture, your wholesale-pricing logic, and your ERP integration requirements.
Book a Discovery