The verdict in three sentences
For a London cosmetics brand selling to 900 salons and pharmacy resellers in the UK and abroad, the right choice depends on three variables: the existing ERP, the complexity of country pricing and minimum order quantities, and the total cost horizon. Shopify Plus B2B is fastest to launch, Sana Commerce wins if SAP already drives pricing and stock, and a custom build becomes cheapest over 3 years once commercial rules leave the standard path. Over 3 years, the gap between options ranges from 20 to 45% depending on the scenario, which justifies a proper comparison before signing.
What a reseller-led brand actually needs
The export director of a skincare brand sold through salons and pharmacies handles realities B2C never sees. A London salon orders a minimum of 24 units per SKU, an Irish pharmacy chain gets its own euro price list, a Gulf distributor pays by bank transfer at 60 days, and new launches are reserved for trained resellers. Cosmetics add their own constraints: batch numbers, expiry dates, INCI sheets, and since Brexit separate UK and EU responsible person documents to download.
| Requirement | Shopify Plus B2B | Sana Commerce | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country and customer pricing | Native B2B catalogues, limits on complex rules | Pulled from SAP in real time | No limit |
| MOQs and order multiples | Native per product | Pulled from SAP | No limit |
| Payment terms (30 to 60 days) | Native, simple terms | Pulled from SAP | Per defined rules |
| Batches, expiry, INCI and UK/EU documents | Third-party apps | Via SAP | Native in the data model |
| Launches reserved for trained resellers | Tag workarounds | Configuration | Native |
| Time to launch | 3 to 4 months | 4 to 6 months | 5 to 7 months |
| Vendor dependency | High | High | Low, you own the code |
Three-year total cost
The figures below are 2026 UK market ballparks, excluding VAT, for 900 resellers and about 600 SKUs. They include subscription or licence, integration, third-party apps and ongoing development.
| Item (3 years) | Shopify Plus B2B | Sana Commerce on SAP | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial integration | 20,000 to 40,000 GBP | around 55,000 GBP | 60,000 to 150,000 GBP |
| Subscription or licence | 2,300 USD per month, about 65,000 GBP | 22,000 to 35,000 GBP per year, 66,000 to 105,000 GBP | 0 GBP |
| Third-party apps (B2B, batches, documents) | 13,000 to 22,000 GBP | 4,000 to 9,000 GBP | 0 GBP |
| Hosting and monitoring | included | 5,000 to 10,000 GBP | 8,000 to 16,000 GBP |
| Enhancements and maintenance | 18,000 to 30,000 GBP | 22,000 to 35,000 GBP | 22,000 to 40,000 GBP |
| Indicative 3-year total | 116,000 to 157,000 GBP | 152,000 to 214,000 GBP | 90,000 to 206,000 GBP |
How to read it: Shopify Plus stays competitive if commercial rules fit its B2B catalogues and online revenue stays below the point where a variable fee is added to the fixed subscription. Sana makes sense when SAP is the single source of truth and IT refuses any double entry. A custom build wins over 3 years once more than 3 third-party apps would be needed on Shopify, and it removes licence increase risk. The wide custom range reflects scope: the low end covers a focused reseller portal, the high end a full B2B and B2C platform.
How to decide in 4 weeks
The most reliable method is to write 20 real scenarios (an Irish pharmacy orders below MOQ, a salon requests a specific batch, a distributor exceeds its credit limit) and ask each option to demonstrate them. Then weight: 40% functional fit, 35% three-year total cost, 25% timeline and dependency. This scoping takes 4 weeks and avoids the 30% overruns that appear when a forgotten rule forces urgent development. Our approach to B2B e-commerce projects always starts from these scenarios.
Mini case study
Sophie, export director of a cosmetics brand in Shoreditch, serves 900 resellers in 7 countries with an average order of 950 GBP and 5 orders per reseller per year, or 4,275,000 GBP of B2B revenue. Today, 4 coordinators key orders received by email. With 70% of orders online, she redeploys 2.5 roles to reseller growth, about 100,000 GBP per year fully loaded. The chosen scenario, a custom build at 85,000 GBP with 3 years of maintenance at 30,000 GBP, totals 115,000 GBP over 3 years against 300,000 GBP of cumulative gains. Shopify Plus would have cost about 140,000 GBP over the same period, with 4 third-party apps for batches and INCI documents.
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FAQ
Does Shopify Plus really handle B2B in 2026?
Yes, native B2B covers company accounts, catalogues, payment terms and MOQs. It reaches its limits beyond 10 to 15 overlapping price lists or batch-level rules.
Does Sana Commerce work without SAP?
Sana also supports Microsoft Dynamics, but its value lies in native ERP integration. Without one of those ERPs, it loses most of its advantage, which is zero double entry.
Is a custom build riskier?
The risk lies in scoping, not technology. With 20 scenarios validated up front and releases every 3 to 4 weeks, average overrun stays under 10%.
Who owns the code and data?
On Shopify and Sana, you own the data but not the platform. With a custom build, the code is yours, which makes changing supplier possible without migration.
Do we need a separate B2C site?
Not necessarily: all three options support a B2C storefront and a B2B area. Budget 15 to 25% extra to run both journeys cleanly.
Let's scope your project. We write the 20 reseller scenarios with you and compare the three options on your real total cost, in a 4-week scoping phase. 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.
