The verdict in three sentences
A builders merchant does not sell like a consumer shop: every tradesperson has negotiated prices, an approved credit limit and a habit of branch collection at 7 am. Shopify Plus B2B fits if your catalogue is clean and your terms are simple, while Sylius or custom becomes necessary once pricing and ERP sync get complex. Aim for 25% of orders online within 12 months, with a 5-month project and a budget of 70,000 to 140,000 GBP.
What a trade customer expects from a merchant portal
The roofer in Croydon or the bricklayer in Walthamstow wants to order in the evening, from a phone, at the price agreed with the account manager, and collect the pallet the next morning at opening. Without a portal these orders arrive by phone and text between 7 and 9 am, overload the trade counter and create 3 to 5% keying errors.
| Must-have B2B feature | Why it is critical | Shopify Plus B2B | Sylius or custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negotiated prices per account | 2,800 accounts, discounts by product family | catalogues and price lists, limited | unlimited grids, real-time ERP pricing |
| Credit limit and 30-day terms | 85% of revenue on account | native payment terms | credit block synced with accounting |
| Stock per branch | 3 branches, 18,000 SKUs | basic multi-location | real-time stock per branch |
| Click and collect with time slot | 60% of pickups | via third-party app | native, scheduled picking |
| Units of sale (m², pallet, linear metre) | constant conversion | workarounds | native unit handling |
| Multiple buyers per account | site manager, owner | yes | yes, with per-user caps |
| ERP sync (Kerridge, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics) | reliable prices and stock | connector to build | dedicated integration |
2026 budget: Shopify Plus B2B versus Sylius
| Item (2026 order of magnitude) | Shopify Plus B2B | Sylius open source | Full custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | 50,000 to 85,000 GBP | 70,000 to 120,000 GBP | 95,000 to 140,000 GBP |
| Platform subscription | about 2,300 USD a month | 0 GBP (open licence) | 0 GBP |
| Hosting and maintenance | partly included | 800 to 1,600 GBP/month | 1,100 to 2,000 GBP/month |
| ERP connector | 14,000 to 35,000 GBP | included in project | included in project |
| 3-year cost | 130,000 to 200,000 GBP | 99,000 to 178,000 GBP | 135,000 to 212,000 GBP |
| Project duration | 3 to 4 months | 5 months | 5 to 6 months |
Shopify Plus starts faster, but the subscription and third-party apps (quotes, units, collection) add up. Sylius, a French PHP framework, offers an open B2B model and removes vendor dependency.
The three workstreams that make the project succeed
- Product data: 18,000 SKUs with images, technical sheets, units and weights. Allow 6 to 8 weeks of cleansing, it is often the critical path.
- Pricing rules: export the terms from the ERP rather than rebuilding them. The portal must show exactly the counter price, otherwise tradespeople call back.
- Adoption: account managers must also earn commission on their customers' web orders. Without that, they slow the project down.
Mini case study
Mark, managing director of a 3-branch builders merchant in south London, handles 9,000 orders a month, none of them online. Each phone order takes 6 minutes of counter time, or 900 hours a month.
With a Sylius portal billed 105,000 GBP and 25% of orders online after 12 months, 2,250 orders move to the web. At 6 minutes saved per order, he frees 225 hours a month, the equivalent of 1.4 counter staff, or about 5,600 GBP of monthly employment cost. Keying errors drop from 4% to under 1% on those orders, avoiding around 70 returns a month. The project pays back in about 18 months, before counting extra sales made in the evening and at weekends.
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FAQ
Does Shopify Plus really handle B2B in 2026?
Yes, with company catalogues, payment terms and multi-buyer accounts, for about 2,300 USD a month. Limits appear with complex units of sale and prices calculated dynamically by the ERP.
How long does it take to launch a merchant portal?
Allow 5 months on average: 6 to 8 weeks of product data, 10 weeks of development and ERP integration, then a 4-week pilot with 50 customers before opening to all.
How do we handle credit limits and 30-day terms?
The portal reads the approved credit limit from the ERP or accounting system and blocks orders above it. Cash customers pay by card, the rest is invoiced on 30 days end of month.
What share of online orders should we target?
A realistic goal is 25% of orders at 12 months and 40% at 24 months, provided account managers are involved and exact negotiated prices are displayed.
Should we keep the trade counter?
Yes. The portal absorbs repeat orders and the counter focuses on advice and complex projects, which carry the best margins.
Let's scope your project. Share your ERP, SKU count and customer terms: we will scope a Shopify Plus or Sylius B2B portal between 70,000 and 140,000 GBP, delivered in 5 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
