The verdict in three sentences
For a professional supplies wholesaler, Shopify Plus fits if your price lists stay simple and your ERP has a standard connector. Once you manage negotiated prices per customer, 30-day payment terms and discounts by product family, a custom platform at 40,000 to 110,000 EUR excluding VAT becomes cheaper over 3 years. In both cases, targeting 35% of orders online after one year is realistic, provided you bring your inside sales team along.
What trade customers actually expect
A professional buyer does not browse like a consumer. They know their item codes, reorder the same products every month and want to see their price, not the list price. The features that move orders from the phone to the web are rarely spectacular: quick entry by SKU or CSV import, one-click reorder from history, visible credit balance and invoices, multi-user accounts with manager approval.
| B2B feature | Shopify Plus (native + apps) | Custom | Impact on adoption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prices per customer or group | Native B2B catalogues, limits on cascading discounts | Unlimited, rules read from ERP | Decisive |
| 30 or 60-day payment terms | Native payment terms, limited reminders | Credit balance, limit, automatic hold | Decisive |
| Quick order by SKU | Third-party app, 100 to 400 USD/month | Included | Strong |
| Reorder from history | Basic | Recurring lists, suggestions | Strong |
| Multi-buyer accounts with approval | Partial | Custom workflows | Medium |
| ERP sync (Sage, Cegid, Odoo) | Connector 300 to 1,500 EUR/month | Built in the project | Decisive |
| Online invoices and credit notes | App or development | Included | Medium |
Total cost over 3 years
Shopify Plus is billed from 2,300 USD per month (about 2,000 EUR) with variable fees depending on processed volume. A custom platform costs more in year one but pays no subscription or apps. The table below compares two realistic scenarios for a wholesaler doing 6,000,000 EUR of online revenue from year two.
| Item (3 years, EUR excl. VAT) | Shopify Plus | Custom (mid-size project) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and integration | 30,000 to 50,000 | 60,000 to 85,000 |
| Platform subscription | 72,000 | 0 |
| B2B apps (quick order, quotes, credit) | 9,000 to 18,000 | 0 |
| ERP connector | 11,000 to 54,000 | included |
| Hosting and maintenance | included | 27,000 to 38,000 |
| Enhancements (2 releases per year) | 15,000 to 25,000 | 15,000 to 25,000 |
| 3-year total | 137,000 to 219,000 | 102,000 to 148,000 |
These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude. A custom build at 40,000 EUR corresponds to a portal without credit management or advanced workflows. The top of the range, 110,000 EUR, includes a complex pricing engine, a sales rep area and a mobile ordering app.
How to choose without regret
Three questions settle most cases. How many distinct price lists exist in your ERP? Beyond 50 conditions per customer, Shopify Plus forces workarounds. Does your ERP have a maintained Shopify connector? If not, integration cost quickly catches up with custom. Does your catalogue exceed 20,000 SKUs with packaging variants? Large catalogues remain manageable on Shopify, but search by supplier reference often needs a search app at 300 USD per month.
| Wholesaler profile | 2026 recommendation | Indicative initial budget |
|---|---|---|
| 500 customers, group pricing, Odoo | Shopify Plus or Odoo eCommerce | 25,000 to 40,000 EUR |
| 1,500 customers, 3 price lists, Sage 100 | Shopify Plus with connector | 35,000 to 55,000 EUR |
| 4,000 customers, negotiated prices, 30-day terms | Custom | 60,000 to 85,000 EUR |
| 4,000 customers, multi-depot, field reps | Custom + rep app | 85,000 to 110,000 EUR |
| Franchise or member network | Custom multi-account | 90,000 to 140,000 EUR |
Mini case study
Laurent runs a professional supplies wholesaler in Lyon: 4,000 customers, 40,000 orders a year, almost all taken by phone by 5 inside sales reps. A phone order costs him about 11 EUR (entry time, errors, callbacks), an online order about 3 EUR.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
He launches a custom platform at 75,000 EUR, with 12,000 EUR a year of maintenance. After one year, 35% of orders go online, i.e. 14,000 orders. Saving: 14,000 x 8 EUR = 112,000 EUR per year. Net gain after maintenance: 100,000 EUR. The project pays back in about 9 months, and inside reps now spend 40% of their time reactivating dormant customers.
FAQ
How long does it take to launch a B2B platform?
Allow 8 to 12 weeks for Shopify Plus with a connector, and 14 to 20 weeks for a custom platform at 60,000 to 85,000 EUR. Acceptance testing with 20 pilot customers takes 3 to 4 weeks in both cases.
Does Shopify Plus handle 30-day terms?
Yes, B2B payment terms are native. However, credit limits, automatic holds beyond 45 days overdue and graduated reminders require an app or development, often 5,000 to 15,000 EUR.
How do we win over customers used to the phone?
Wholesalers reaching 35% in a year give reps an activation target, offer a 2 to 3% welcome discount on the first web order and import purchase history to enable one-click reorder.
Do we need a mobile app?
Not at launch. A responsive site covers 80% of buyers. An app makes sense for field reps or customers ordering from job sites, for an extra 15,000 to 25,000 EUR.
Can we migrate from Shopify Plus to custom later?
Yes, customer, product and order data can be exported. Plan 15,000 to 25,000 EUR for migration and 2 months of parallel running.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of trade customers, your ERP and your pricing rules: we will compare Shopify Plus and custom over 3 years with an indicative budget and an 8 to 20 week plan. 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.
