Shopify Agency for B2B Manufacturers and Technical Wholesalers

Are you faced with the decision as to which e-commerce system your company should use? Shopware 6, Magento, Adobe Commerce, a custom solution - or Shopify? The answer depends on your processes, not on trends. As a certified Shopify partner agency, Blackbit supports you in making this decision based on your requirements - and then implements it professionally. We help you to create your Shopify online store in such a way that it scales internationally and generates long-term growth.

Arrange a consultation - free of charge & without obligation

Platform Comparison

Shopify, Shopware, Magento or Pimcore - What Suits Your Company?

Many companies choose an e-commerce system based on a gut feeling or because the market currently favors it. This costs time and money later on.

But the right choice is based on specific criteria:

your product data complexity, your ERP landscape, your operating resources and your growth model. Our expertise from over 25 years of e-commerce practice will help you to make an informed decision.

The Most Important Decision-Making Axes at a Glance:

Criterion

Shopify (Plus)

Shopware 6

Magento / Adobe Commerce

Pimcore + Shop

Operating expenses

Low - SaaS, no hosting

Medium - own hosting required, Shopware PaaS

High - Infrastructure & Updates

Medium-high - depending on stack

B2B features native

Yes (Plus): Company profiles, price lists, draft orders

Yes: customer groups, net prices

Yes: complex, time-consuming to configure

Individually configurable

PIM integration

Via app/API (no native PIM)

Via plugin/API

Via extension/API

Native PIM strength

ERP connection (SAP, MS)

Good - iPaaS, REST API

Good - broad plugin ecosystem

Complex - Custom development

Strong - native integration

TCO (3 years, medium-sized companies)

Low to medium

Medium

High

Medium to high

GDPR / DACH compliance

Yes - requires clean technical & legal configuration

Yes - DE-localized

Yes - complex

Yes - Compliance-by-Design

Time-to-market

Fast

Medium

Slowly

Individual

Scalability

High - Cloud-native

Good

High - with resources

High

Our conclusion: Shopify - especially Shopify Plus - is the right choice for your online store if you want to go live quickly, need to conserve operational resources and are looking for a stable, scalable B2B foundation. As an e-commerce system, Shopify Store supports international markets, multiple currencies and complex B2B processes.

For companies with highly complex product data and in-depth PIM requirements, we recommend a hybrid setup or a Pimcore-based architecture.

Shopify or Shopware? When Which Platform Is the Better Choice

Shopify is the better choice if you want to go live quickly, minimize operational costs and operate B2B as your primary sales model - especially with international scaling and a clear SaaS advantage.

Shopware 6 makes more sense if strong DACH localization, hosting control or an existing Shopware ecosystem are crucial - or if very complex product logics and deep plugin customizations are required.

Our recommendation: Are you considering Shopify or Shopware? We can help you choose the most cost-effective platform for your processes.

Are you looking into Shopify or Shopware?

We can help you choose the most cost-effective platform for your processes.

Arrange a consultation now

Shopify B2B

What Shopify Can Do for B2B Manufacturers and Wholesalers

Is Shopify suitable for B2B?

Yes - Shopify Plus in particular is suitable for B2B manufacturers and technical wholesalers. Shopify Plus offers native B2B features since 2022: customer-specific price lists, company profiles with multiple buyer roles, payment terms on invoice and a customizable B2B checkout via Shopify Functions.

Shopify Plus typically becomes relevant when B2B processes, buyer roles, pricing logic or international scaling generate higher requirements - there is no fixed sales threshold, the change depends on the depth of the process. For simpler B2B requirements, Shopify Advanced in combination with B2B apps is sufficient.

The following features are particularly relevant for DACH SMEs:

Company profiles with multiple contacts and authorizations
Customer-specific price lists and graduated discounts
Payment terms (invoice, Net 30/60) and draft orders
Password-protected B2B area within a store
Shopify Plus: B2B and D2C in parallel on one platform
Shopify Flow: Workflow automation for order approvals, discount rules and VIP logics - without programming effort
Checkout customizations via Shopify Functions (no theme hack)
REST and GraphQL API for ERP, PIM and CRM integrations

Restriction: No native PIM

Shopify does not have integrated product information management. Anyone who manages complex product data - many variants, technical specifications, multilingual markets - needs an external PIM solution (e.g. Pimcore, Akeneo) and a clean API connection.

We plan and implement this setup: Product data is maintained in the PIM and transferred to Shopify in a structured manner.

Build - Shopify Store Creation, Design & Development

Our Shopify consulting begins before the first line of code: We clarify platform selection, architecture and integration depth - before we implement. For us, theme development does not mean activating a standard layout, but rather designing and implementing a high-performance, brand-faithful storefront with Liquid, HTML5 and CSS that treats conversion and loading time equally.

Shopify consulting: platform selection, architecture decision, neutral comparison with Shopware 6, Magento, Pimcore
Shopify store creation: Setup, theme configuration, B2B features, checkout logics
Theme development: customization of premium themes or individual Shopify theme development with Liquid, HTML5 and CSS

Migration from Shopware, Magento, OXID or in-house developments

ERP connection (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, proALPHA) via iPaaS or custom connector
PIM integration: data import, attribute structure, product data quality assurance
GDPR-compliant implementation, consent management, server-side tracking

Run - Support After the Launch

As a SaaS platform, Shopify takes care of hosting, infrastructure and platform updates automatically - this is one of the key advantages over on-premise systems such as Shopware or Magento.

What we take care of in runtime operation is at the application level: app management, store configuration, further development and compliance monitoring.

Performance monitoring at store level (core web vitals, INP/LCP, loading times)
App management: selection, configuration, updates and quality assurance of Shopify apps

Further development: new features, checkout adjustments via Shopify Functions, theme updates

Compliance monitoring: GDPR, consent management, server-side tracking
Support and incident management at application level
Retainer model for predictable ongoing support

Grow - Growth & Conversion Optimization After the Launch

Growth begins after the go-live. We optimize conversion rates, increase organic visibility in search engines and AI systems and connect your store with marketing and CRM tools.

SEO and GEO visibility for product catalogs and category pages
Conversion rate optimization: A/B testing, checkout optimization, usability
Lifecycle marketing based on first-party data: Customer loyalty, repurchase rate, segmentation

Marketing integration: HubSpot, CRM connection, lead tracking
Analytics & reporting: GA4, server-side tracking, marketing effectiveness

Growth is measurable - and part of our responsibility.

Phase

Contents

Result

1st Discovery

Requirements analysis, system landscape, target definition

Specifications, project plan

2. conception

Information architecture, UX concept, theme decision

Wireframes, design concept

3. development

Theme development, app configuration, ERP connection

Functional staging store

4. data migration

Products, customers, orders, SEO URLs

Complete database

5. QA & Testing

Function, browser, load and payment tests

Release for go-live

6. go-live & run

Launch, monitoring, post-launch support (4 weeks)

Live store with error monitoring & checkout monitoring

Shopify Apps: Using Extensions in a Targeted Manner

The Shopify App Store offers over 10,000 extensions - from accounting and logistics to B2B-specific functions. The quality and performance of Shopify apps vary considerably. We only recommend tried-and-tested apps that do not place an unnecessary load on the code and are maintained over the long term.

A lean app setup is the basic prerequisite for permanently high loading times and stable conversion rates.

Typical apps for B2B online stores in the SME sector include B2B price lists, inquiry and quotation processes, ERP connectors, tax number validation and customized checkout extensions via Shopify Functions

Shopify SEO: Visibility for Product Catalogs and Category Pages

Shopify offers a solid SEO basis: clean URL structures, customizable meta titles and meta descriptions, structured data and fast loading times thanks to the CDN. For B2B manufacturers with complex product catalogs, however, Shopify SEO is more than just basic technical optimization.

We optimize category and product pages specifically for the search queries of your buyers - including GEO optimization for AI-supported search systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.

An SEO-secured migration ensures that existing rankings are retained when switching platforms.

Migration

Migration to Shopify - Structured, Low-Risk, Seo-Safe

How does a migration from Shopware or Magento to Shopify work?

A migration from Shopware 5, Shopware 6, Magento 1, Magento 2 or OXID to Shopify follows a structured process: technical audit, data structure mapping, theme development, parallel operation, SEO-secured go-live with complete 301 redirect mapping and four weeks of post-launch monitoring. If done incorrectly, a platform migration costs rankings, customer data and trust.

Typical migration steps:

Technical audit of the source platform

Data structure mapping (products, customers, orders, categories)

Theme concept and B2B configuration

Parallel operation and QA phase

SEO-secured go-live with redirect mapping

Post-launch monitoring (4 weeks)

Note: Factor in additional costs for Shopify Plus

In addition to the monthly license, Shopify Plus typically incurs additional costs: Implementation and migration services, professional services and, if necessary, partner support during setup. These costs vary greatly depending on the scope of the project. We calculate transparently: You will receive a complete overview of all cost components - license, services and implementation - before the project starts.

Note on password migration

For security reasons, customer passwords cannot be migrated directly. We set up automated invitation emails that your customers can use to reactivate their accounts themselves. This process is integrated into the launch communication - your customers experience the transition as a professional service update, not a technical problem.

Case Study

Risk-free migration and sustainable growth: Nik the Greek migrates to Shopware 6

The market share of the existing xt:Commerce online store system is declining and active further development is no longer taking place. As a result, Nik the Greek no longer felt sufficiently equipped to meet the demands of a dynamic market. A low-risk platform migration with consistent data integration and process automation was necessary to ensure competitiveness and customer loyalty through active further development of the offering.

"The online store is a central sales channel for us. With the new platform, we now benefit from more stable processes, automated data flows and significantly more transparency in our digital sales processes. This gives us the opportunity to further develop our online business in a targeted manner."

Evangelos NikolaouManaging Director

Costs

What Does a Shopify Project Cost? Orientation Framework for SMEs

What does it cost to have a Shopify store created? The total investment is made up of three components: one-off implementation costs, monthly platform fees and ongoing operating costs. The most important price drivers are integration depth, data migration and individual checkout logics.

All three cost blocks must be taken into account in the budget planning: we calculate transparently before the project starts.

Implementation costs - orientation framework:

Project type

Description

Orientation framework

Standard

Premium theme, standard apps, easy migration

from approx. 15,000 €

Individual

Custom design, ERP connection, complex migration

30.000 - 60.000 €

Enterprise / B2B

Shopify Plus, deep system integration, PIM connection

from approx. 75,000 €

Ongoing platform costs (monthly, as at 2026):

Plan

For whom

Costs (approx.)

Shopify Standard

Entry, B2B as an additional channel

from 79 USD/month

Shopify Advanced

Growing stores, multiple locations

from 399 USD/month

Shopify Plus

B2B as the primary model, Enterprise

from 2,300 USD/month

Why Blackbit

Why Blackbit as a Shopify Agency

We are not a pure Shopify service provider. We are a commerce engineering agency that recommends Shopify where it is demonstrably the better choice - and openly states when another platform is a better fit. This sets us apart from agencies that specialize exclusively in one platform.

Our expertise comes from over 25 years of e-commerce practice with manufacturers and technical wholesalers in the DACH region. We know the requirements of SMEs: complex ERP landscapes, international markets, long sales cycles and the desire for a partner who is available in the long term - not just at launch.

Blackbit supports you as a Shopify agency from the initial consultation through to ongoing operation. Our team of developers, strategists and e-commerce experts will accompany you through every project phase.

We build online stores that are not only technically clean, but also offer a user-friendly interface - optimized for conversion, loading time and international scaling.

Our claim: We do not hand over a store that we would not operate ourselves. Every implementation is planned with an operational perspective - including documentation, monitoring and clear SLOs.

Shopify Partner Status

Registered Shopify Partner

25+

Years of experience in e-commerce

Average customer duration

Since 1989

Founded in Göttingen

Souvereign Cloud (Scaleway)

PIM/MDM expertise

Pimcore Platinum Partner

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About the Shopify Agency

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about creating a Shopify store, the services of a Shopify agency, costs and international scaling.

For which company sizes is Shopify suitable? Shopify is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses with 50 employees through to international corporations. Shopify natively supports multiple languages, currencies and international markets - ideal for DACH companies with international sales. Shopify Plus makes sense from an annual B2B turnover of around €500,000. For smaller volumes, the Shopify Advanced Plan in combination with B2B apps is sufficient.

Can we keep our existing ERP process? Yes, Shopify offers a stable REST and GraphQL API that can be used to connect SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, proALPHA and other ERP systems. We recommend iPaaS platforms for bidirectional synchronization of products, inventory, customers and orders.

What does a Shopify implementation cost? Experience has shown that a solid B2B implementation on Shopify Plus costs between €30,000 and €100,000, depending on the amount of product data, depth of integration and individual checkout requirements. We will provide you with a transparent fixed price or retainer offer after the initial consultation.

How does a migration from Shopware to Shopify work? We start with a technical audit of your existing platform, followed by a structured data mapping and a parallel test run. The go-live takes place with complete redirect mapping to ensure SEO rankings. We then accompany the post-launch operation for four weeks.

Does Blackbit also work with other platforms? Yes, we are experts in Shopify, Pimcore, Shopware and BigCommerce. If Shopify is not the best solution for your requirements, we will say so - and recommend the alternative that fits better. This openness is part of our consulting approach.

What is the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus? Shopify Plus is the enterprise version of the platform and differs in three central points: native B2B functions (company profiles, price lists, draft orders), full checkout customizability via Shopify Functions and workflow automation with Shopify Flow. Shopify Plus costs from USD 2,300/month and is worthwhile for B2B companies with an annual turnover of around €500,000 or more or if several buyer roles need to be managed per company.

Can Shopify be connected to SAP or Microsoft Dynamics? Yes, Shopify offers a full REST and GraphQL API that can be used to connect to ERP systems such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and proALPHA. We recommend iPaaS platforms for bidirectional synchronization of products, inventory, customers and orders. We also develop our own middleware solutions for highly customized solutions.

Can I hire someone to manage my Shopify store? Yes, Blackbit takes over the ongoing support and management of your Shopify online store in the retainer model. Our services include app management, performance monitoring, security updates, conversion optimization and further development. This allows you to concentrate on your core business - we support you in achieving sustainable e-commerce success.