If you're looking for an e-commerce platform for B2B or wholesale, you'll need different features than those of a traditional consumer-facing store: customer groups with their own prices, net pricing, tiered pricing, VAT ID verification, and a robust integration with inventory management software. This guide shows what really matters when making your selection.
At a Glance
- B2B commerce means negotiated prices, customer groups, and approval processes —not a one-size-fits-all price.
- Core features: net/gross pricing logic, tiered and group pricing, automated VAT ID verification for EU shipments, and customer-specific product ranges.
- Without an ERP integration, B2B commerce remains fragmented—inventory, prices, and orders must flow automatically.
- B2B and B2C can be mapped within a single system if the e-commerce platform consistently applies customer groups across the board.
What distinguishes a B2B e-commerce platform from a B2C one?
In retail, there’s one price for everyone; payment is made immediately, and goods are delivered to a single address. In B2B commerce, almost all of these elements are negotiable: business customers expect their own individual terms, purchase on account with payment terms, place recurring orders in large quantities, and require net prices with proper tax treatment. A B2B-compatible e-commerce platform must embody this logic at its core—not as an aftermarket plugin, but consistently throughout price calculation, checkout, and invoicing.
What features do wholesalers really need?
Based on hundreds of conversations with retailers, six functional areas have emerged that are critical to B2B projects:
| Functional Area | What’s Behind It |
|---|---|
| Customer Groups | Retailers, resellers, end customers—each group with its own prices, discounts, and visibility settings (including restricted categories). |
| Tiered and Group Pricing | Volume discounts per item, price lists per customer group, and customized individual prices for key customers. |
| Net/Gross Logic | Business customers see net prices, end customers see gross prices—all within the same store, without a second installation. |
| VAT ID verification | Automated verification of VAT ID numbers and tax-free EU shipping for eligible B2B customers. |
| Payment Methods & Terms | Purchase on account, direct debit, payment method control by customer group. |
| Quick Ordering | Ordering by item number, reorder lists, CSV upload—professional buyers don’t want to click through categories. |
How important is the ERP integration?
For wholesalers, it’s the backbone: inventory, prices, customers, and orders are all managed in the ERP system—the online store is just the storefront. Without automatic synchronization, overselling, outdated prices, and duplicate data entry occur. When selecting a system, therefore, the length of the feature list matters less than the question: Is there a well-maintained connection to my inventory management system—and who maintains it? Interfaces maintained by the manufacturer are more robust here than third-party plugins, which can break with every update.
B2B and B2C in a single store—is that possible?
Yes—if the store system consistently applies customer groups across the board. A guest sees gross prices and the standard catalog; a logged-in business customer sees their net prices, their terms, and, if applicable, exclusive product ranges. It’s crucial that price calculation, tax logic, and documents are correct in every scenario—from the shopping cart to the invoice. Separate systems for B2B and B2C, on the other hand, mean double the maintenance and double the costs.
What XONIC Shops Offer Out of the Box
The XONIC Shop System includes the aforementioned B2B functions as standard—without additional modules: customer groups with their own prices and category visibility settings, tiered and group pricing, customer-specific individual prices, net/gross display per group, automated VAT ID verification with EU tax logic, and 14 inventory management integrations, including JTL and Xentral. B2C operates within the same store—controlled via the customer group. The feature overview provides a summary; the terms and conditions are clearly listed on the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions About the B2B Shop System
Are you switching from an existing system? The data migration transfers customers—including customer groups, orders, and products—to the new store.
Stephan Dunger
Stephan Dunger is one of the brains behind the XONIC store system. He has been developing the platform together with the team since 2012 - from the database to the interfaces to the checkout.
A passionate programmer, technical mind and consultant at the same time: with his in-depth knowledge of store systems and e-commerce, Stephan combines the depth of a developer with an eye for the big picture. Together with the XONIC team, he shapes the technical direction, consistently thinks about functions from the retailer's perspective and advises on customized solutions.
The result is software with a face: customers don't get an anonymous provider, but a direct line to the people who develop XONIC. Pragmatic, fast and at eye level.
