How to Switch from Shopify Plus Wholesale to a B2B-Native Platform

Why Wholesale Teams Leave Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is a retail platform. The wholesale channel was added later and it shows. Our research into B2B ordering workflows surfaced the same complaints from multiple teams: limited pricing tier options, no native matrix ordering for variants, basic net terms that require third-party apps, and a checkout flow designed for consumers.

At $2,300/month base price before apps, Shopify Plus is also one of the most expensive options for wholesale-only operations. If you’re not using the retail storefront, you’re paying for capabilities you don’t need.

The migration feels daunting, but the actual work is straightforward with a structured approach.

Step 1: Export Your Data

Shopify makes data export simple. From your admin panel, export three CSV files: Products (full catalog with variants, prices, and images), Customers (all buyer accounts with email addresses and tags), Orders (historical order data for reference).

Save these exports in a folder you can reference throughout the migration. You’ll also want to screenshot your pricing tier configurations and any custom scripts or workflows you’ve built.

Step 2: Evaluate B2B-Native Alternatives

The platform you move to should handle wholesale ordering without plugins. Our evaluation criteria for B2B platforms: customer-specific pricing tiers without workarounds, net terms and invoicing built into the platform, matrix ordering grids for products with variants, purchase order number support at checkout, and total cost under $2,300/month (otherwise why switch).

See our B2B ordering platform comparison for a detailed breakdown.

Step 3: Migrate Catalog and Pricing

Import your product CSV into the new platform. Most B2B platforms accept Shopify’s export format or need minor column mapping. After import, verify three things: product names and SKUs match, images transferred, and variant structures (size, color, pack size) are intact.

Then recreate your pricing tiers. If you had Shopify Plus wholesale price lists, map those to customer pricing tiers on the new platform. Spot-check 20 products across each tier to confirm prices match.

Step 4: Set Up Buyer Accounts

Create accounts for every active buyer using the same email addresses they used on Shopify. Assign each to the correct pricing tier. Send password reset emails so buyers can set their own credentials.

If you have buyer-specific pricing overrides (not just tier-based), migrate those per-account price lists as well. These are the most tedious to verify and the most damaging to get wrong. A buyer who sees incorrect pricing will call your sales desk within minutes.

Step 5: Notify Your Dealers

Communication matters. Send an email 2 weeks before the cutover with the new portal URL, a 2-minute video showing how to log in and place an order, and a note that their pricing and terms remain the same.

Call your top 10 accounts. These are the buyers whose adoption matters most, and a 5-minute phone call prevents weeks of support tickets.

Step 6: Run Both Systems in Parallel

Don’t flip a switch. Run Shopify Plus and your new platform at the same time for 30 days. Accept orders through both. This gives stragglers time to transition and gives you a fallback if something breaks.

Track weekly: what percentage of orders come through the new portal versus Shopify. You should see the new platform pick up 50%+ of volume within the first two weeks if the buyer experience is solid.

Step 7: Decommission Shopify Plus

Once 90% or more of your order volume runs through the new platform, cut over. Downgrade your Shopify plan or cancel. Before you do: confirm all historical order data has been exported and archived, verify no active integrations depend on Shopify (shipping, accounting, inventory), notify any remaining holdout buyers with a firm cutoff date, and export your theme and any custom Liquid templates you may want for reference.

The $2,300/month you stop paying Shopify Plus hits your bottom line right away.