The verdict in three sentences
For a Moroccan cosmetics brand supplying 600 para-pharmacies, a custom reseller ordering portal costs 250,000 to 550,000 MAD excl. VAT (about 23,000 to 51,000 EUR) and ships in 3 to 4 months. The main gain comes from ending orders by phone, WhatsApp and Excel files, which often tie up two or three sales assistants full time. The budget depends on three points: pricing per network, ERP integration and the handling of regulatory product sheets.
What the portal must do, and what each block costs
A sales director managing para-pharmacies, retail pharmacies and regional distributors does not need a consumer store. She needs a tool where each outlet sees its own prices, discounts and terms, orders in a few minutes and tracks delivery without calling customer service.
| Functional block | Scope | Indicative 2026 budget (MAD excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Reseller accounts and roles | Created by the brand, several buyers per pharmacy, account approval | 25,000 to 45,000 |
| Pricing per network | Para-pharmacy, pharmacy and wholesaler grids, volume tier discounts | 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Regulatory catalogue | INCI sheets, leaflets, batch numbers, downloadable registration documents | 30,000 to 70,000 |
| B2B cart and minimums | Minimum order (e.g. 3,000 MAD), case multiples, quick reorder | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| ERP integration | Stock, price and invoice sync (Sage, Odoo, SAP B1) | 50,000 to 140,000 |
| Delivery tracking | Statuses, carrier, proof of delivery, SMS or WhatsApp alerts | 25,000 to 55,000 |
| Sales dashboard | Sales by network, region and rep, stock-outs | 30,000 to 60,000 |
A core version (accounts, pricing, catalogue, cart, order export to the ERP by file) sits around 250,000 MAD excl. VAT. The full version with real-time ERP sync, carrier tracking and a mobile app for medical reps rises towards 550,000 MAD excl. VAT.
Three budget scenarios compared
| Criterion | Core | Intermediate | Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build budget | 250,000 MAD excl. VAT | 380,000 MAD excl. VAT | 550,000 MAD excl. VAT |
| Timeline | 3 months | 3.5 months | 4 months |
| Outlets supported | 600 | 1,500 | Unlimited |
| ERP integration | Daily file export | API, hourly stock | Real-time API, invoices and credit notes |
| Regulatory sheets | PDF per product | PDF and batch numbers | Batches, expiry, product recalls |
| Hosting and maintenance | 3,500 MAD/month | 5,000 MAD/month | 7,500 MAD/month |
| Online payment | No, 60-day invoicing | Card via CMI as an option | CMI, bank transfer, credit limit |
In Moroccan para-pharmacies, payment at 30 or 60 days remains the norm. The portal must therefore manage an authorised credit limit per account rather than force card payment. The CMI module becomes useful for new outlets with no credit history.
What derails a cosmetics project
The first risk is product data quality. A brand with 180 SKUs, three sizes and INCI sheets scattered across PDFs often spends 4 to 6 weeks cleaning its catalogue. That work must start in parallel with development.
The second risk is commercial terms. If each rep has negotiated discounts case by case, they must be formalised into rules (network, region, volume) before being coded. Plan two workshops with sales management and financial control.
The third risk is adoption. Pharmacists order out of habit through the rep. A successful launch combines a 2 to 3% welcome discount on the first online order, a 15-minute walkthrough by the rep and one-click reorder from order history.
Mini case study
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Nadia, sales director of a dermatological skincare brand in Casablanca, manages 600 para-pharmacies. Three assistants key in about 2,400 orders a month, at a loaded cost of 27,000 MAD per month. Keying errors cause 4% returns, roughly 18,000 MAD per month in transport and handling.
With a portal at 380,000 MAD excl. VAT and 5,000 MAD monthly maintenance, 70% of orders move online after six months. One assistant is reassigned to sales follow-up and errors fall to 1%. Monthly savings reach about 9,000 MAD in keying and 13,500 MAD in returns, so 22,500 MAD. Net of maintenance, the gain is 17,500 MAD a month and the investment pays back in 22 months, before counting the higher average basket from easier reordering, often 8 to 12%.
FAQ
Is a B2B portal on Shopify or WooCommerce enough?
For fewer than 150 outlets and a single price list, yes, with a budget of 80,000 to 150,000 MAD excl. VAT. Beyond three pricing networks and an ERP to sync, stacked plugins cost more in maintenance than dedicated development.
How are regulatory sheets and batch numbers handled?
Each product carries its INCI sheet, leaflet and registration documents as PDFs with an update date. The full tier also links delivered batches to each order, enabling a targeted recall in under 24 hours.
Do medical reps need a mobile app?
Not at launch. A responsive web version covers 90% of use cases. A dedicated app with offline order taking in pharmacies adds 80,000 to 130,000 MAD excl. VAT.
What timeline for 600 outlets?
Allow 3 to 4 months of development, then 6 to 8 weeks of rollout in regional waves. Casablanca and Rabat first, then Marrakech, Tangier and Fez.
Can the portal be bilingual French and Arabic?
Yes, adding Arabic with right-to-left display costs about 25,000 to 45,000 MAD excl. VAT, catalogue translations included if supplied by the brand.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of outlets, your price grids and your ERP: we will price a reseller portal between 250,000 and 550,000 MAD excl. VAT, delivered in 3 to 4 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.
