Don't App-ologize Finding Your Perfect Shopify Wholesale Solution

A Guide to B2B Sales on Shopify

When searching for the Best Shopify wholesale app, many merchants find these options highly effective for their B2B operations:

• Wholesale Club: Often called the most installed, great for general wholesale pricing.
• Wholesale Gorilla: Excellent for creating custom B2B buying experiences.
• SparkLayer B2B & Wholesale: A detailed app for customized buying experiences.
• MyWorks: Essential for strong QuickBooks integration and accounting.
• Streamlined: A top choice for simplifying B2B payments and invoicing.

Wholesale on Shopify has unique challenges. Unlike DTC sales, B2B transactions involve special logins, custom pricing, bulk orders, and specific payment terms like net invoicing. Shopify's standard setup is for retail and often falls short for the complex needs of wholesale buyers.

Previously, many businesses ran a separate Shopify store for wholesale, but managing two stores is difficult and time-consuming. This is where a dedicated Shopify wholesale app becomes essential. These apps bridge the gap, letting you run both retail and wholesale from one store. They add features for a smooth, professional B2B customer experience.

Steve Pogson, a Shopify Expert and E-commerce Growth Specialist, has over two decades of experience helping businesses find and use the Best Shopify wholesale app solutions. As First Pier's founder, he leads a team that builds high-performance online stores for top brands.

Shopify Plus B2B vs. Third-Party Apps: Which Path is Right for You?

When adding wholesale to your Shopify store, you face a key decision: use Shopify's built-in B2B features or a third-party app? Let's break down both options to help you choose.

If you're a Shopify Plus member, you get access to powerful native B2B tools. The biggest advantage is running both wholesale and retail from one store, eliminating the headache of managing two separate storefronts.

Shopify Plus's native B2B features include a specialized checkout for net payment terms and wholesale discounts. You can create detailed price lists for specific company profiles, so each B2B customer sees their custom pricing. Buyers also get self-serve portals to manage their orders and accounts.

But here's the catch: Shopify Plus has a significant monthly cost. For many businesses, especially those just starting or scaling their wholesale side, this price isn't realistic.

This is where third-party wholesale apps shine. Many offer features that rival Shopify Plus, like custom pricing, tiered discounts, quick order forms, and customer portals. The key difference is they are often more affordable for businesses on standard Shopify plans.

If you're not on Plus or need specific features the native tools lack, third-party apps are often the Best Shopify wholesale app approach. They offer flexibility without the heavy monthly cost. Check out our guide on Shopify Wholesale Without Plus for more details on this approach.

Many merchants don't realize you don't have to choose one or the other. The best setup can be a hybrid. You could use Shopify Plus's core B2B features and add a third-party app for advanced order forms or specific integrations. My team and I regularly help clients decide between native features, third-party apps, or a hybrid setup that fits their needs.

To help you compare, here's how Shopify Plus B2B stacks up against typical third-party wholesale apps:

The right path depends on your budget, Shopify plan, and the features your wholesale buyers need. Need help deciding? That's what we do at First Pier. Learn more about B2B on Shopify and how we can help you build the perfect wholesale setup.

Key Features to Look for in a Wholesale App

Choosing the Best Shopify wholesale app is about finding tools that simplify B2B operations and help you grow. I've seen which features make a real difference. Here's a checklist to guide you.

Customer Segmentation and Personalized Pricing

Unlike retail, B2B pricing isn't one-size-fits-all. Wholesale clients have special agreements and buying habits. A great wholesale app lets you segment your customers, tagging them to apply unique pricing rules.

For example, offer tiered pricing (price per item drops with quantity) to encourage larger orders. You can also set volume discounts based on the total purchase. For key clients, you might want custom pricing on specific products. Apps like Wholesale Gorilla are well-known for helping create these personalized B2B experiences.

These features help build strong relationships by offering fair, custom prices. My team at First Pier helps businesses use these strategies to boost their B2B on Shopify sales.

Simplified Order Management

B2B orders are typically larger and more frequent. Wholesale clients want a quick, easy process, not a retail shopping experience. Look for apps with custom order forms that let buyers add many products to their cart from a single page. Wholesale Order Form & Reorder is a good example of an app made for this.

Another key feature is a quick reorder option. Since many B2B clients place repeat orders, an app that lets them reorder with a few clicks saves time and builds loyalty. Wholesale Order Form & Reorder is built specifically for this. Finally, the app needs to be able to handle large, varied orders easily.

Flexible Payment and Shipping

In B2B, net payment terms (like Net 30 or Net 60) are common. Your app should let you offer these terms to approved clients, which helps their cash flow and builds trust. For payment processing, an app like Streamlined stands out with smart invoicing and B2B payment features to help you get paid faster. You'll also need to set wholesale-specific shipping rates, which often differ from retail rates due to order size and destination.

Inventory and Product Visibility

Managing stock for both retail and wholesale is tricky. A good app helps with inventory management by letting you control product visibility. You can hide products from retail customers, making them visible only to logged-in wholesale buyers. This creates an exclusive B2B shopping experience. Advanced apps can also help manage B2B stock, especially for pre-orders or reserved inventory for specific clients.

Integrations and Scalability

Your wholesale app must integrate with other business tools. This includes CRM (Customer Relationship Management) integrations to track client relationships and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) integrations for a smooth data flow between sales, inventory, and accounting.

For example, MyWorks is crucial for syncing Shopify data with QuickBooks, ensuring your financial records are accurate.

Finally, consider scalability: can the app grow with your business? Also, look for the "Built for Shopify" badge. It shows the app meets Shopify's highest standards for performance, design, and integration, giving you peace of mind.

The Roundup: Finding the Best Shopify Wholesale App for You

The Shopify App Store has over 130 wholesale apps, which can feel overwhelming. Don't worry, I'm here to help. Based on my experience, I've listed some of the Best Shopify wholesale app options. We'll review them by category, use case, pricing, and free trials.

All-in-One Suites: The Best Shopify Wholesale App for a Wide Range of Features

If you want one app for most wholesale needs, these all-in-one apps are a great choice. They often provide a complete B2B portal, reducing the need for multiple apps.

Wholesale - All In One lives up to its name, offering a complete package. It lets you set up custom discounts, wholesale pricing, and tiered or volume pricing for specific customer groups. It's a great pick for covering most wholesale needs with one app. You can find more details about the Wholesale - All In One app here.

BSS Commerce B2B/Wholesale Solution is another complete option designed to improve wholesale processes. It aims to provide a good B2B customer experience while giving you the necessary management tools. You can explore the BSS B2B/Wholesale Solution app here.

SparkLayer B2B & Wholesale helps create custom B2B buying experiences. It lets you set unique pricing, catalogs, and product visibility per customer account. It's praised for turning a Shopify store into a powerful B2B ordering system that automates tasks and saves time.

These apps provide a dedicated portal experience with custom pricing and easy order forms, helping businesses grow by bringing key B2B functions together.

Specialized Pricing & Discount Apps

If your main goal is managing complex pricing and discounts for wholesale partners, these specialized apps excel.

Wholesale Club is a popular Shopify wholesale app. It's great for encouraging larger orders with tiered discounts, which increases your average order value. It uses customer tags to apply wholesale pricing easily, without needing a separate store. You can find more details about the Wholesale Club app here.

Wholesale Pricing Discount is another strong option for setting up custom pricing and volume discounts for wholesale customers, separate from retail. It's a useful tool for growing a wholesale business on Shopify with flexible pricing. You can find more details about the Wholesale Pricing Discount app here.

These apps are excellent for setting up smart pricing strategies to encourage larger orders and increase revenue.

Simplified Order & Payment Management

For your B2B clients, getting orders and making payments easily is very important. These apps are built to make those processes as smooth as possible.

Wholesale Gorilla was created by former wholesale store owners, so they understand B2B needs. It's a simple, powerful app for custom B2B experiences, with quick order forms, customer-specific pricing, and custom net payment and shipping terms. You can learn more at the Wholesale Gorilla app details page.

Wholesale Order Form & Reorder (or Wholesale Order Form & Reorder) simplifies ordering for wholesale customers. It provides a fast way to place large orders and reorders, which is great for B2B stores with frequent repeat business.

For payments, Streamlined modernizes B2B invoicing. Its smart features let customers pay how they prefer, saving you time on accounting and reconciliation. It's a B2B payment app that helps businesses get paid faster with less administrative work. For more insights into what it can do, you can visit Streamlined's features page.

These apps focus on an easier buying process and professional, efficient B2B payment handling.

Backend Integrations: The Best Shopify Wholesale App for Business Operations

For your wholesale business to run without a hitch, your Shopify store needs to connect with your other business tools. These apps are key for linking your sales on the front end with your office systems on the back end.

MyWorks is a top choice for connecting Shopify with QuickBooks. It ensures your orders and accounting software are always in sync, which is crucial for B2B. Wholesale orders have different accounting needs (invoices, payment terms), and MyWorks helps prevent costly errors. For businesses in Portland, ME, and elsewhere, accurate financial records are essential, and MyWorks delivers.

For stock management, Finale Inventory offers strong control for growing businesses. It helps manage stock across Shopify, Amazon, and warehouses in one central system. Accurate inventory data is essential to avoid overselling to wholesale partners.

For taxes, Numeral simplifies compliance. This is helpful for B2B transactions with varied tax rates and reseller certificates. Numeral automates calculations and paperwork, which helps manage sales tax exemptions for wholesale buyers.

Connecting your wholesale apps with your CRM, ERP, and accounting software is essential for growth. My team at First Pier often helps clients manage these complex integrations to ensure their e-commerce system works smoothly.

Here are some important types of integrations for running your B2B business:

• Accounting Software Integration: This is key for syncing orders, invoices, payments, and customer details for correct financial reports.
• ERP Integration: This links sales data with inventory, making products, and supply chain management for a full view of your business.
• CRM Integration: This ties together customer conversations, past purchases, and communications to give you a clear picture of your B2B clients.
• Inventory Management Systems: These ensure that your stock levels are up-to-date across all your sales channels, helping you avoid selling too much.
• Shipping and Fulfillment Platforms: These make the process of delivering large wholesale orders go smoothly.

These backend integrations, with the right Shopify Plus Integrations, build a strong foundation for a successful wholesale business.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shopify Wholesale Apps

It's natural to have questions when improving your wholesale business on Shopify. Here are some common ones.

Do I need a wholesale app to sell B2B on Shopify?

The short answer is: probably. While Shopify's native B2B features for Plus users are good, standard plans lack the features for a smooth wholesale experience. If you're not on Shopify Plus, an app is a must-have.

Your B2B customers need different pricing (tiered, volume, or custom), specific payment terms (like Net 30), and a dedicated portal to place large orders quickly. Standard Shopify isn't built for this. Without an app, you'll face manual work, frustrated customers, and lost sales. To efficiently use Shopify Wholesale, an app is your best bet.

How much do Shopify B2B apps typically cost?

The cost of Shopify B2B apps varies widely based on features. You'll find a range of pricing models:

Many apps offer a free basic plan or a free trial (7-30 days) to test them out. Most paid apps use a monthly subscription, with costs based on features, order volume, or customer count. Some may have usage-based fees, like per-transaction charges.

As a guide, while Shopify Plus has a high monthly cost, wholesale apps can range from affordable to several hundred dollars per month, depending on complexity. Specialized tools, like for QuickBooks, may have separate fees. Always compare the app's cost to the value it provides in time saved and increased sales.

How do I choose the right wholesale app for my business?

Choosing the Best Shopify wholesale app isn't a one-size-fits-all decision, but I can guide you through the process:

First, understand your needs. What are your main wholesale challenges? Is it complex pricing, order management, payment terms, or inventory visibility? What B2B customer experience do you want to create? Do you need a full portal or just custom pricing?

Next, consider your budget. Are you on Shopify Plus or a standard plan? This affects your options. How much can you invest monthly? Remember to factor in potential efficiency and profit gains.

Then, look for essential features. Refer to our checklist. Do you need customer segmentation, tiered pricing, custom order forms, net terms, or specific integrations? Prioritize features that solve your problems and help you reach your goals, like increasing average order value.

Also, check for ease of use. Is the app's design simple? Is it easy for your team to manage? Does it have good support? Use free trials to test how easy it is to use.

Think about integrations. Does the app connect with your CRM, ERP, or accounting software? Smooth data flow is key. Look for the "Built for Shopify" badge, which indicates the app meets Shopify's highest standards for performance and design.

Finally, plan for scalability. Can the app grow with your business? Check for limits on customers or orders.

My team at First Pier helps businesses in Portland, ME, and beyond make these decisions daily, ensuring they pick tools that help them grow.

To Sum Up: Building Your Ideal Wholesale Setup

Finding the Best Shopify wholesale app isn't about one magic tool. It's about building a set of tools to support your B2B business. Like assembling a team, you might need one all-star app or a few specialists working together.

You might use Shopify Plus's native features or a powerful all-in-one app. Many successful businesses create a custom set of tools, combining specialized pricing, order management, and backend integration apps like MyWorks for QuickBooks. There's no single right answer, only what's right for your business.

What matters most is a setup that provides a seamless experience for clients while making your life easier. The right apps help increase average order value, simplify bulk orders, and keep data accurate without manual work. It's about working smarter so your business can scale smoothly.

I've noticed a pattern: successful merchants first understand their specific needs. They don't just grab the most popular or cheapest app. They consider their customers' buying habits, their business bottlenecks, and their future goals. Then they choose tools that fill those exact gaps.

You don't have to figure this out alone. My team has helped many businesses in Portland, ME, and beyond, and we'd love to help you. If you're ready to improve your wholesale business and want expert guidance on choosing the right apps, let's plan your wholesale strategy with us. We'll help you build a setup that works for your business.