Magento B2B guide for warehousing and distribution brands

The growing challenge of B2B platform limitations

If you run a wholesale or distribution business, you know the daily reality: it’s a balancing act between complex operations and rising customer expectations across every stage of the buying journey.

You’re not just shipping boxes out, you’re managing multi-warehouse stock, setting up intricate contract pricing, dealing with freight rules for bulky goods, and trying to glue together ERP and WMS integrations that can break at any time. Meanwhile, your buyers want something simple: a fast, reliable, digital-first ordering experience that mirrors the best of a B2B website.

For most established brands, the frustration lies in the platform itself. It simply wasn’t built to handle the complexity of real-world operations. Pricing rules become difficult to manage, lead times are unclear, and checkout experiences often create more friction than they remove. What should feel streamlined instead feels like a constant compromise between functionality and usability.

Magento changes that. With powerful B2B features, it allows wholesalers and distributors to mirror how they actually work — from account-based approvals and tiered pricing to multi-warehouse fulfilment. 

Magento essentials for multi-warehouse success

B2B commerce doesn’t leave much room for error. If stock levels are off, delivery dates are vague, or customers can’t reorder quickly, the ripple effect can be huge. Magento is designed to address these challenges head-on, making it possible to run complex operations without sacrificing buyer experience.

Multi-warehouse inventory

For distribution brands, it’s common to have stock spread across multiple warehouses, regional depots, or even supplier sites. Without accurate syncing, buyers may see stock as “available” that actually isn’t, leading to delays, cancellations, and unhappy customers.

Magento’s multi-source inventory (MSI) makes it possible to keep stock levels updated in real time across locations. Orders can then be intelligently routed to the warehouse closest to the buyer or the one with the most cost-effective fulfilment option. The result? Fewer errors, reduced shipping costs, and more predictable delivery times — creating a smoother experience for your users.

Contract pricing and governance

B2B isn’t about one-size-fits-all pricing. Your customers have negotiated rates, agreed discounts, or specific product catalogues that must be reflected online.

Magento’s contract pricing and shared catalogue features make it simple to show each buyer only what applies to them. You can even add built-in governance: role-based permissions, spending caps, and approval workflows that match corporate buying structures.

This keeps compliance tight while ensuring day-to-day ordering isn’t slowed down.

Ordering behaviours

Unlike retail buyers, wholesale customers often order the same SKUs in bulk again and again. Magento caters to this with tools like quick order forms, requisition lists, CSV uploads, and saved baskets.

These features allow returning buyers to reorder hundreds of products in just a few clicks, dramatically reducing time-to-order and improving accuracy. For operations teams, it means less manual data entry, fewer fulfilment errors, and more time to focus on higher-value tasks.

Magento features that support B2B growth

Scaling a B2B business isn’t just about doing more of the same, it’s about evolving the way you sell to make growth sustainable. Magento includes a suite of B2B features that directly support this goal, giving both your team and your buyers the flexibility they need.

Magento 2 Company Accounts extension by Amasty

Company accounts and approvals

In B2B, a single customer account might represent dozens of people across procurement, finance, and operations. Magento’s company accounts allow you to model this structure online, complete with role-based permissions, approval flows, and spending limits. For the buyer, it mirrors the way they work internally. For you, it means orders move faster while governance is maintained.

Shared catalogues and custom pricing

No two wholesale contracts are the same. Magento’s shared catalogue feature allows you to show the right products and pricing to the right customers, with complete flexibility over discounts, volume pricing, and region-specific terms. This avoids confusion, reduces disputes, and keeps your digital storefront aligned with the contracts your sales team has negotiated.

Quick order and CSV

Time is everything in wholesale. With Magento, buyers who already know their SKUs can place orders directly through quick order tools or upload an entire CSV in seconds. It’s designed to mirror the way wholesale purchasing happens in the real world, where repeat orders and bulk lists dominate.

Quotes to orders

Negotiation sits at the heart of every wholesale relationship. Using Amasty's quoting extension, you can let buyers request a quote directly through your website, giving your team the flexibility to adjust pricing, quantities, or terms before final approval.

Once accepted, the quote converts seamlessly into an order — no endless email threads or manual admin. It’s a faster, more transparent process that keeps every stage digital, trackable, and efficient.

Clear pricing display

Nothing kills trust faster than unclear pricing. Magento allows you to display prices both inclusive and exclusive of VAT, giving buyers clarity upfront and reducing disputes later.

Warehousing, inventory and fulfillment

For warehousing and distribution brands, fulfilment is just as critical as the sale itself. Magento provides the flexibility to mirror your real-world logistics — managing multiple locations, stock rules, and shipping workflows — so your online store accurately reflects how your business truly operates.

MSI done right

Magento’s multi-source inventory isn’t just about stock accuracy, it’s about routing logic. Orders can be directed to the best fulfilment centre based on cost, proximity, or available stock. Done right, this reduces wasted time, balances stock levels across warehouses, and ensures buyers get what they need faster.

Lead times and backorders

Transparency matters. Buyers don’t mind waiting if they know when goods will arrive, but uncertainty creates friction. Magento allows you to configure lead times and backorder messaging at product or warehouse level, so customers always know what’s available now and what requires a longer wait.

Split shipments and dropshipping

Wholesale orders are often large and complex. Magento supports split shipments, so if part of an order is ready, it can be shipped without holding up the rest. Dropship integrations also allow suppliers to send goods directly to your customer. Both approaches make fulfilment faster and keep logistics flexible.

Magento 2 Shipping Rules extension by Amasty

Shipping, freight and returns for bulky goods

If you’re moving oversized or palletised goods, you know that shipping isn’t straightforward. Freight costs depend on weight, cube, and class, and buyers need clarity upfront. Magento helps you make freight rules transparent, so there are no surprises at checkout.

Carrier and freight integrations

Magento can connect directly with carriers and freight providers, pulling in real-time delivery rates based on order location and dimensions. Buyers see accurate costs, reducing abandoned carts and disputes.

Rules by weight, cube and class

Magento allows you to set detailed shipping rules based on weight, cube, or freight class, ensuring bulky orders are priced correctly. This gives buyers confidence and helps protect your margins.

Cut-offs and promised dates

By setting warehouse-specific cut-off times and delivery schedules, you can give buyers a precise view of when their orders will be dispatched and delivered. For B2B customers managing their own logistics and inventory planning, that level of transparency builds confidence and makes coordination far easier.

UX patterns that reduce time-to-basket

In B2B, buyers often know exactly what they want — the challenge is making the path from selection to basket as fast as possible. Magento supports UX patterns that make ordering frictionless.

Matrix ordering for variants and pack sizes

Rather than forcing buyers to click through multiple product pages, Magento supports matrix ordering — allowing them to view all variants in an organised table and add multiple items to their basket at once. This streamlined approach saves time and makes large or repeat orders efficient to complete.

Persistent quick order and CSV entry

Quick order tools and CSV uploads should never be hidden away. With Magento, you can keep them front and centre, giving buyers instant access to reorder in bulk whenever they need to. It’s a simple change that makes the reordering process feel effortless.

Lead time badges and shipping location cues

By displaying lead time badges and fulfilment locations directly on product pages, Magento eliminates guesswork and sets clear expectations from the start. This added visibility helps buyers plan more confidently, compare options at a glance, and make better-informed purchasing decisions.

Sticky add to cart with inc/ex VAT

Magento supports sticky add-to-cart bars that display live pricing — showing both inclusive and exclusive VAT — so buyers always have a clear view of costs as they browse. Keeping pricing visible at every stage of the journey builds trust and helps buyers move smoothly from discovery to decision.

Early freight estimate with postcode lookup

No one likes unexpected costs at checkout. Magento allows you to offer early estimates using postcode lookups, giving buyers an accurate idea of delivery charges upfront. This transparency not only builds trust but also reduces cart abandonment and support queries caused by unclear shipping costs.

Working with a Magento B2B agency

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is only half the battle. Success comes from a trusted partner who understands wholesale complexity and knows how to tailor Magento around your business — turning your platform into a true driver of efficiency and growth.

Benefits of partnering with a Magento B2B specialist agency

From ERP and WMS integrations to complex pricing structures and custom freight logic, a Magento B2B agency brings the technical and strategic expertise needed to build a site that not only looks great but works seamlessly with your operations — connecting systems, reducing manual effort, and supporting how your business really runs every day across teams and locations.

Our Magento B2B project process

We start with a discovery phase, mapping your workflows and identifying challenges. From there, we design and configure Magento, integrate it with your ERP, WMS, or freight providers, and rigorously test before launch. The goal? A smooth, risk-free rollout that delivers immediate ROI.

Supporting you after launch

Magento isn’t a set-and-forget platform. It needs ongoing attention after migration to stay secure, fast, and fully aligned with your evolving business goals. We provide support, fixed-cost maintenance and proactive optimisation — ensuring your site grows with your business, not against it.

From performance tuning and extension updates to UX improvements and new feature rollouts, we help keep your Magento store performing at its best long after launch.

Work with Magento experts who understand B2B

B2B eCommerce doesn’t have to be complicated. With Magento, you can simplify complex operations, keep customers satisfied, and scale confidently as your business grows.

Our team of Magento B2B developers and specialists helps distributors and wholesalers streamline ordering, improve inventory accuracy, and optimise fulfilment — turning everyday challenges into opportunities for efficiency and long-term growth.

Book a free discovery call to discuss your goals, integrations and the best route to measurable growth.