Trade buyers behave differently
A retail shopper browses, compares and decides. A trade buyer knows exactly what they want, wants their price, and wants to reorder last month's list in under a minute.
A store designed entirely around retail browsing serves them badly, which is why trade customers so often end up phoning instead.
What trade needs
- Account-specific pricing, visible only after login
- Credit terms rather than card payment at checkout
- Minimum orders and case quantities enforced
- Rapid reordering from history or a saved list
- Prices excluding tax, displayed that way
Reordering is the feature trade buyers actually care about. If reordering last month's list takes ten clicks instead of one, they will phone, and you have gained nothing.
One store or two?
| Approach | Suits |
|---|---|
| One store, customer tags | Small trade side, similar catalogue |
| Shopify's B2B features | Serious trade volume, on the right plan |
| A separate trade store | Different catalogue or very different experience |
| Trade portal, custom-built | Complex pricing or ordering rules |
Application, not open registration
Trade accounts should be applied for and approved. That lets you verify the business, set the right price band and agree terms before anyone sees trade pricing.
- Company details and trade references captured
- A named approver, with a same-day service level
- Price band assigned on approval
- Terms agreed and recorded
Do not show trade pricing publicly
Retail customers finding trade prices creates an awkward conversation and can damage relationships with your trade accounts.
Pricing must be gated behind authentication properly, not hidden with a theme condition that a determined visitor can bypass.