Migrating from Shopify Plus Wholesale Channel to Shopify B2B: A Comprehensive Guide
The Shopify Plus wholesale channel is set to be deprecated on April 30, 2024, so businesses using this channel need to migrate their data to Shopify B2B before then. Shopify B2B is a suite of features built into Shopify that allows companies to make business-to-business (B2B) sales directly from their online store.
This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on how to migrate from the Shopify Plus wholesale channel to Shopify B2B.
Understanding the Migration Process
Migrating from the Shopify Plus wholesale channel to Shopify B2B is a process of moving your existing wholesale customer data and product pricing to Shopify B2B. Shopify B2B offers a suite of features that allows businesses to sell to wholesale customers directly from their Shopify store. It offers several advantages over the Shopify Plus wholesale channel, including:
- A wider range of customizable features, such as themes, APIs, Markets, and Functions.
- The ability to operate a blended store that accepts both B2B and direct-to-consumer orders, or a dedicated B2B-only store.
- Enhanced B2B capabilities, such as creating custom pricing tiers, offering volume discounts, and managing customer accounts more efficiently.
Learn more about the Shopify B2B features here
The migration process itself is relatively straightforward. Shopify provides a migration tool that can be used to copy your wholesale customer data and product pricing to Shopify B2B. However, it is important to carefully plan your migration and test it thoroughly before launching your Shopify B2B store.
Steps to migrate from Shopify Plus Wholesale Channel to Shopify B2B
Creating B2B Companies for Wholesale Customers
After the initial review, the next step is to convert existing wholesale channel customers into B2B companies. Use the bulk company setup tool to achieve this. Review the newly formed companies and make any adjustments to location settings, payment terms, and editable shipping addresses as needed.
Transferring Price Lists to B2B Catalogs
The next step in the migration process involves transferring wholesale channel price lists to B2B catalogs using the migration tool provided in the wholesale channel. Review your B2B multicurrency settings to ensure smooth operation post-migration.
Launching Your B2B Store
Once the price lists have been transferred successfully, you can launch your B2B store. Set up the B2B customer login, create a test company profile, and log in as a customer to test your B2B setup. Invite your customers to your B2B store by sending access emails or your communications that include a link to create a new B2B customer account.
Choosing a Store for B2B
The decision on whether to use the same store for B2B or to set up a new, separate store depends on whether you want to run a blended store or a dedicated B2B store. If you decide to set up Shopify B2B on a new, separate store, then the Plus wholesale channel data, such as customers, orders, themes, and price lists, must be moved to that store before setting up B2B.
Setting Up B2B Companies
Companies in the B2B context are the businesses you sell to using Shopify B2B. You can use the bulk setup tool to set up B2B companies from your existing wholesale customers. Depending on the number of customers you have, the bulk customer setup tool may need to run in the background to complete the setup process.
Copying Price Lists to B2B Catalogs
Catalogs in the B2B context are the equivalent of Plus wholesale channel price lists. The process of copying price lists to catalogs involves selecting the price lists you want to move to Shopify B2B, choosing whether to automatically assign catalogs to the companies you've set up, and clicking on the "Copy price lists" button.
In Conclusion: Migrating to Shopify B2B
Migrating from the Shopify Plus wholesale channel to Shopify B2B is a significant step for businesses. However, with careful planning and execution, the transition can be smooth and beneficial. Shopify B2B offers a suite of powerful features built into your Shopify admin, allowing you to make business-to-business sales directly from your online store, thereby enhancing your business capabilities and growth potential.
If you are considering migrating from the Shopify wholesale channel to Shopify B2B, MLVeda can help you make the transition smooth and successful. Reach out to us at support@mlveda.com and we can take it forward.
