Magento has a strong reputation as a powerful ecommerce platform for B2B companies when customised for these complex business models. But how should companies such as manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, that are not yet on the platform but are considering moving to it, use Magento? And how effective is Magento for those industries? As technical director of Magento B2B agency Fluid Commerce, and creator of a Magento B2B feature platform, I explain in this article.
With the support of a Magento B2B specialist agency such as Fluid Commerce, businesses can use the platform to grow their online revenue by increasing not the number of online orders placed, but also their value.
Why getting Magento B2B right matters
In today’s digital-first economy, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors are under pressure to modernise the way they sell. B2B buyers now expect a seamless, self-service experience with ecommerce platforms and self-service customer portals that provide the pricing, workflows, and terms that only business transactions require.
That’s where Magento shines. It offers a robust, flexible platform designed to handle complex catalogues, bulk orders, and multi-layered buyer relationships, exactly what industrial and wholesale businesses need. When used alongside the Hyvä Commerce front-end theme, a Magento site is not only highly B2B focused, but also incredibly fast and user friendly.
Below, I’ll walk through how to effectively use Magento B2B, from setup and configuration to workflow automation and best practices, so you can unlock its full potential for your business.
Step 1: Understand your B2B model and goals
Before implementing Magento B2B, take the time to map out your business model and goals. This ensures that every Magento B2B feature you configure aligns with what your customers need when purchasing from your company online.
Ask yourself:
- Who are your buyers? Retailers, dealers, or other distributors?
- What’s your selling model? Do you rely on bulk orders, negotiated contracts, or regional distribution networks?
- How complex is your catalogue? Do you sell thousands of configurable SKUs or only a few high-value items?
- Which backend systems must integrate? ERP, CRM, WMS, and PIM systems are often critical.
These questions determine which Magento modules and workflows to prioritise, such as quote management, custom pricing, or company accounts.
Step 2: enable and configure Magento B2B features
Adobe Commerce includes a comprehensive suite of B2B-specific modules built to support manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to sell their products online, but also charges a significant license fee. Magento, whilst open source and therefore free to utilise, needs to be customised to include those B2B features (which is what led Fluid Commerce to develop our Magento B2B platform Portal)
Let’s look at the key B2B features that can be incorporated into a Magento B2B ecommerce site and how they can be used to improve the ordering process for customers:
Feature | What It Does | How You Can Use It |
Company Accounts | Lets each customer business create multiple sub-users with roles and permissions. | A retail chain’s purchasing team can have buyers, approvers, and managers, each with defined access levels. |
Custom Catalogues & Pricing | Displays different products or prices per customer segment. | Offer volume discounts or bespoke customer agreed prices. |
Quote Management (RFQ) | Buyers can request quotes that your sales team negotiates and converts to orders. | Ideal for customised manufacturing or contract-based pricing. |
Quick Order / CSV Upload | Enables bulk orders by typing SKUs or uploading files. | Perfect for repeat orders from distributors. |
Credit Limits & Payment Terms | Allows agreed payment terms and credit accounts for individual customers | Great for trusted wholesale relationships. |
Repeat Order Lists | Saves recurring order templates for fast reordering. | Simplifies reordering for your best customers. |
Purchase Orders (PO) | Supports internal company POs. | Matches how manufacturers and large buyers already purchase. |
ERP/CRM Integration | Syncs customer, pricing, and order data. | Keeps sales, operations, and fulfillment aligned. |
Step 3: build your store for your business’ workflows
Unlike B2C, B2B commerce isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about efficiency and accuracy. Manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors should work with a Magento B2B specialist agency to build a Magento store that reflects how their customers actually buy.
The following should be key considerations for companies:
Product catalogue design
- Segment products by category or industry, for example, Industrial Tools → Fasteners → Screws.
- Use configurable or bundled products for items with variations or components.
- Include technical specifications, datasheets, and compliance documents for professional buyers.
Checkout optimisation
- Add a purchase order field to support business procurement workflows.
- Enable saved addresses and custom shipping options such as freight or pallet delivery.
- Offer tiered pricing and “Price on Request” for high-value or negotiable items.
Stock and fulfillment
- Use Multi-Source Inventory (MSI) to manage multiple warehouses or distribution centres.
- Display accurate stock levels per buyer or region.
- Integrate your WMS for real-time inventory visibility and automated replenishment.
Step 4: automate and streamline operations
Automation is the secret weapon for efficiency in B2B commerce. Magento’s workflows and integrations help businesses to reduce manual labour, while also improving accuracy.
Manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors should use Magento to:
- Set workflows to automatically assign sales reps to key accounts or trigger approval processes.
- Automate alerts for quote approvals, low stock, or overdue invoices.
- Sync leads, orders, and customer communications through CRM integration for smoother follow-up.
- Use Magento BI to track purchase frequency, customer value, and reorder trends, and use that data to drive upsells or loyalty programs.
Automation not only saves time but also ensures consistency and transparency across a business.
Step 5: enhance the customer experience
Modern B2B buyers want more than just a digital catalogue, they expect convenience, personalisation, and transparency. Magento helps businesses deliver that.
- Offer self-service portals for orders, invoices, and credit balance.
- Design a mobile-friendly interface, as many B2B buyers now order via smartphones or tablets.
- Integrate live chat or ticketing systems for faster support.
- Create personalised dashboards showing reorder recommendations or account status.
A great B2B user experience doesn’t just improve satisfaction, it strengthens long-term customer retention.
Step 6: scale and evolve over time
Once your Magento B2B online store and customer portal are running smoothly, you can expand their capabilities as your business grows.
- Add multi-store and multi-language support for global markets.
- Introduce B2B2C models, allowing distributors or dealers to sell directly under your brand.
Magento’s flexibility ensures an ecommerce store evolves with the business, not against it.
Step 7: best practices for B2B success
Area | Best Practice |
Data | Keep product data structured and enriched, a PIM system helps maintain accuracy. |
Pricing | Use Customer Specific Catalogues to create custom catalogues instead of manually customising pricing rules. |
Performance | Optimise caching and hosting (make sure your hosting company is a B2B specialist), as large B2B catalogues can strain servers. |
Security | Apply role-based access control for staff and buyer accounts. |
Training | Educate clients on how to navigate their B2B portals and place orders. |
The Magento B2B key takeaways:
To summarise, Magento B2B is most effective when your company works with a specialist Magento B2B agency to:
- Enable and configure the right B2B modules for your online store. .
- Integrate deeply with your ERP, CRM, and logistics systems.
- Optimise for user experience and speed to simplify complex purchasing processes.
- Automate repetitive workflows such as quote approvals or order routing.
- Use analytics to improve decision making and customer retention.
Magento isn’t just an ecommerce platform, it’s a digital foundation for your B2B growth. With the right set up and strategy, it can transform how your manufacturing, wholesale or distribution business sells, serves, and scales.
After applying the above, how effective will Magento be?
Having worked with Magento development for many years, I believe it is a highly effective platform for manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors if used appropriately (with the right Magento B2B agency, planning and alignment).
For maximum effectiveness, you’ll want to ensure:
- You have clearly defined your B2B business requirements (catalogue complexity, buyer types, pricing models, ERP/CRM/WMS integration, multi-warehouse needs).
- You’re ready to invest in the implementation and ongoing maintenance (development hours, agency or internal team, integrations, testing).
- You choose a Magento agency experienced in B2B commerce (not just B2C).
- You measure the expected ROI: e.g., quicker ordering, higher average order value, better customer loyalty, lower cost to serve, improved scalability.
If your business is large scale (many buyers, many SKUs, global operations, complex pricing and workflows) then Magento B2B is one of the best platform choices.
Need further advice?
The team at Fluid Commerce is always happy to talk to businesses that are thinking of moving their existing ecommerce site to Magento and can answer any questions on this subject. Contact us here and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
