BigCommerce B2B and Wholesale: Setup Guide for Growing Brands

BigCommerce B2B and Wholesale: The Complete Setup Guide

B2B e-commerce is projected to reach $36 trillion globally by 2027. BigCommerce stands out as one of the few SaaS platforms offering robust native B2B capabilities without forcing merchants into expensive add-ons.

Why BigCommerce for B2B

BigCommerce provides enterprise-grade B2B features natively:

• Customer Groups with segmented pricing and catalogue visibility
• Price Lists for volume-based and contract pricing
• Company Accounts with buyer roles and approval workflows
• Purchase Orders as a payment method
• Quote Management for custom pricing negotiations

Setting Up Customer Groups

Customer groups form the foundation of B2B on BigCommerce:

Step 1: Define Your Buyer Segments

Common B2B customer groups include:

• Wholesale buyers with volume discounts
• Distributors with contract pricing
• VIP accounts with exclusive catalogues
• New trade applicants with restricted access

Step 2: Configure Group-Specific Pricing

Each customer group can have:

• Percentage discounts off retail prices
• Fixed price lists with custom pricing per SKU
• Volume-based pricing tiers
• Currency-specific pricing for international buyers

Step 3: Set Catalogue Visibility

Control which products each group can see:

• Hide retail-only products from wholesale buyers
• Show bulk packaging options only to distributors
• Restrict new product lines to VIP accounts

Price Lists and Tiered Pricing

BigCommerce price lists offer granular pricing control:

Price lists support:

• SKU-level pricing overrides
• Currency-specific pricing for multi-region selling
• Bulk import via CSV for large catalogues
• API management for ERP synchronisation

Purchase Order Workflows

Enable purchase orders for trusted B2B accounts:

• Buyers submit orders with a PO number instead of payment
• Set credit limits per customer group
• Automate invoice generation and payment tracking
• Integrate with accounting software for reconciliation

Company Account Management

BigCommerce B2B Edition adds sophisticated account structures:

• Company hierarchies with parent and child accounts
• Buyer roles including admin, purchaser and approver
• Approval workflows requiring manager sign-off above spending limits
• Shared shopping lists for team-based purchasing

ERP Integration

Connect BigCommerce to your ERP for seamless B2B operations:

• Real-time inventory sync across all channels
• Automated order routing to fulfilment centres
• Customer data synchronisation for unified records
• Financial data flow for invoicing and accounts receivable

Popular ERP integrations include SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite and Odoo.

Best Practices for B2B Success

• Streamline registration: Create a trade account application form that captures business details and tax information
• Offer self-service: Let buyers reorder from order history, manage addresses and track shipments independently
• Personalise the experience: Use customer group data to show relevant products, pricing and promotions
• Automate communications: Set up triggered emails for quote approvals, order confirmations and payment reminders

Measuring B2B Performance

Track these key metrics:

• Average order value by customer group
• Repeat purchase rate for wholesale accounts
• Quote-to-order conversion rate
• Customer lifetime value by segment
• Self-service adoption rate

Globify specialises in BigCommerce B2B implementations that integrate seamlessly with existing ERP and CRM systems. Contact us for a consultation.