.png)
Migrating a B2B ecommerce operation is one of the higher-stakes projects a manufacturer can take on. Customer accounts, pricing structures, ERP integrations, order history, and custom workflows all need to land correctly, and your wholesale buyers notice immediately when something breaks.
This post is a practical guide to planning and executing that migration, with a focus on what actually needs to move, what needs to be rebuilt, and what to avoid.
The platforms manufacturers tend to migrate away from share a few common traits. They're expensive to maintain relative to what they deliver. Customizations required to handle B2B workflows (tiered pricing, account-specific catalogs, payment terms) were built on top of retail-first platforms and require ongoing developer attention to keep working. And they often force a choice between a good B2C shopping experience and a functional B2B one.
Common reasons to move:
Shopify Plus addresses most of these with native B2B tooling built into the platform rather than assembled from third-party parts.
The most common migration mistakes happen because manufacturers start building in Shopify before they've fully documented what they're moving from. A thorough audit prevents rebuilding features twice.
Customer and account data:
Product catalog:
Pricing:
Order history:
Integrations:
Shopify Plus B2B uses a company and company location model. Each wholesale account becomes a company, with one or more locations (shipping addresses, billing contacts), and individual buyer logins assigned to those locations.
If your current platform has a flat customer list without company hierarchy, you'll need to decide how to restructure accounts into the company/location model before importing. This is easier to do in a spreadsheet before touching Shopify than to fix after import.
Shopify's built-in CSV import handles customer records. For company records in the B2B context, the Shopify API supports bulk company creation, which most migration tools or custom scripts can use. Your implementation partner will typically write an import script against the API to create companies, locations, and assign contacts.
Shopify supports CSV product import for standard product data. For B2B-specific configurations (catalog assignments, quantity rules, volume pricing per catalog), these need to be set up after the base product import or handled through the API.
Things to flag during catalog migration:
Shopify B2B catalogs (Shopify Plus) are the mechanism for customer-specific pricing. Each catalog can hold a list of products with their own pricing rules (fixed price, percentage off, volume breaks). Companies or company locations are assigned to a catalog.
If your current platform has dozens of customer price groups, map them to Shopify catalogs first. The relationship is roughly one-to-one: each distinct pricing tier becomes a catalog. Catalogs can overlap, but if the same product appears in multiple catalogs assigned to the same company location, Shopify applies the lowest price. Plan your catalog structure to avoid unintended discounting.
For detailed configuration guidance, see Customer-Specific Pricing on Shopify for B2B.
Historical orders from your legacy platform typically don't import cleanly into Shopify's live order system. The most practical approach for most manufacturers is to make historical orders available in a read-only format, either through a CSV export that customer service can reference, or by keeping the old system accessible in read-only mode for a period after cutover.
If customers need to reorder from their history within Shopify, draft orders or saved product lists can replicate that functionality going forward without needing to import legacy order data into the order management system.
.png)
Some features don't have direct equivalents and need a different approach in Shopify:
Complex configurators: If your current platform has a custom product configurator for made-to-order or highly variable products, this will need to be rebuilt using a configurator app (Kickflip, Infinite Options) or custom development.
Advanced approval workflows: Shopify Flow (Shopify Plus) handles order tagging, holds, and notifications. Complex multi-step approval chains (submit, manager review, finance approval) may need custom development or a third-party app. See How to Set Up B2B Order Review Workflows in Shopify for what's achievable natively.
Sophisticated reporting: Shopify's built-in reports cover the essentials. Highly customized operational or production reports from your legacy platform will either need to be rebuilt using Shopify's data exports and a BI tool, or your ERP can serve as the reporting layer post-migration.
This is often the most underestimated part of a migration. Your legacy platform's ERP connection was likely custom-built for that platform's data model. Shopify has a different data model, different APIs, and different webhook structures. The integration doesn't port over.
Plan for a new ERP integration rather than adapting the existing one. Common ERPs for manufacturers (Business Central, Acumatica, NetSuite, SAP Business One) all have Shopify connectors, either native or via established integration tools. The data flows you need to configure:
For a broader look at ERP integration options, see the ShopFab guide on Shopify ERP Integration.
If your current ERP integration is complex or your ERP doesn't have a native Shopify connector, n8n is a strong choice for building custom integration workflows. It handles webhook-triggered automations, API calls in both directions, and data transformation between Shopify's data model and your ERP's, with a self-hosted option that keeps sensitive pricing and customer data under your control.
If you're using QuickBooks Online, Shopify has a native connector. Business Central also has a native Shopify connector. For other accounting systems, middleware tools or custom API work will be needed.
Before full cutover, run both platforms simultaneously for a period with your Shopify build handling a limited segment of orders (selected customer accounts or a specific product category). This validates integrations and workflows in production without risking your full operation.
If your legacy platform has indexed product and category URLs, set up 301 redirects in Shopify from old URLs to the new equivalents before go-live. Shopify supports URL redirects natively in the admin and via CSV import. Missing redirects means broken links in buyer bookmarks and lost search rankings for product pages.
Customers cannot migrate their passwords from your legacy platform. Before cutover, send B2B account holders a proactive notice with instructions for setting up their Shopify account and an explanation of what's changing. B2B buyers who suddenly can't log in to place an order will contact your customer service team, so reducing that friction is worth the communication effort.
If your buyer accounts are set up as new customer accounts in Shopify, customers get a passwordless login via email verification link. This can actually reduce friction compared to password-based logins, but it's different from what buyers are used to, so communicating the change in advance helps.
For guidance on new vs. legacy customer account configuration, see Customer Accounts vs Legacy Accounts: Which Should You Use for Shopify B2B.
Migrating before the ERP integration is tested: Don't go live on Shopify until orders are flowing correctly into your ERP and inventory is syncing accurately. A mismatch between Shopify and your ERP in the first week of live operations is difficult to clean up.
Ignoring the customer communication plan: B2B buyers have logins, saved carts, and order history on your current platform. They need advance notice and clear instructions. A surprise cutover creates unnecessary support load.
Replicating the old platform's structure exactly: Legacy platforms often have accumulated complexity that was never intentional. Migration is an opportunity to simplify product structures, consolidate redundant price groups, and clean up customer account data. Resist the pull to copy everything as-is.
Underestimating catalog setup: Setting up Shopify B2B catalogs with the correct products and pricing for dozens of accounts takes time and requires clean source data. Factor this in when sequencing the migration.
No post-migration monitoring period: After go-live, monitor order flow, ERP sync, and customer login activity closely. Issues surface in the first days and weeks, and catching them early prevents them from compounding.
A B2B platform migration involves Shopify development, ERP integration, data migration scripting, and project management running in parallel. Whether you hire a freelance developer or work with an agency, make sure they have direct experience with Shopify Plus B2B specifically, not just general Shopify development.
For guidance on evaluating your options, see Shopify Developer vs Shopify Agency: What B2B Manufacturers Need.
Migrating your B2B operation to Shopify is a significant project, but the planning is largely reducible to a clear audit, a realistic data migration plan, and a rebuilt ERP integration. The payoff is a platform with native B2B tooling, a unified catalog for wholesale and D2C, and a significantly lower ongoing maintenance burden compared to most legacy B2B setups.
.png)
