Not long ago, ecommerce was neatly divided into categories: B2B for wholesalers and distributors, B2C for retailers, and DTC for manufacturers selling directly to end customers. But those lines have blurred.
Today’s businesses often sell to both retail buyers and consumers, and sometimes even to resellers, all from the same digital footprint. This shift isn’t just a trend; it’s the new reality of modern commerce.
For many B2B merchants, especially manufacturers and suppliers, expanding into direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels unlocks new revenue streams and builds brand loyalty. Yet, managing multiple sales models on separate systems can quickly turn into a logistical nightmare.
The solution? A unified ecommerce platform that brings every channel together without the overhead of multiple tech stacks.
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Systems
When businesses try to support multiple models with separate ecommerce systems, complexity compounds fast.
Running one platform for wholesale and another for retail often means:
- Duplicate data: Separate catalogs, pricing structures, and customer records.
- Inconsistent experiences: Buyers encounter different interfaces and policies across channels.
- Higher costs: Multiple licenses, integrations, and third-party apps increase total cost of ownership.
- Operational inefficiency: Managing updates and promotions across several systems eats up valuable time.
What starts as a workaround quickly becomes an obstacle to growth. Each new integration adds fragility, slows performance, and increases maintenance demands.
That’s why the future of ecommerce isn’t more systems—it’s smarter unification.
The Smarter Solution: Unified Commerce with Miva
Miva enables merchants to run B2B, B2C, and DTC operations from a single powerful platform, streamlining complexity and creating room for growth.
With Miva’s flexible architecture, businesses can serve diverse customer segments without juggling multiple sites or systems. Here’s how:
- Centralized management: One backend for product data, pricing, and inventory, ensuring consistency everywhere.
- Distinct experiences: Create unique storefronts, catalogs, and promotions for B2B and DTC customers, all powered by the same platform.
- Scalable infrastructure: High performance and zero downtime, even during heavy sales or order spikes.
- Future-ready innovation: Tools like Vexture℠, automation, and personalization built right in.
Instead of piecing together dozens of apps, Miva brings everything under one roof, offering agility, speed, and lower long-term costs.
How B2B and DTC Work Better Together on Miva
Modern buyers expect flexibility. Wholesale customers want self-service tools and bulk pricing, while DTC shoppers crave personalization and fast, intuitive checkouts.
Miva makes it possible to deliver both without compromise.
For B2B sellers:
- Account-based pricing and negotiated terms.
- Quick-order tools and repeat purchase workflows.
- Role-based access and custom catalogs for each client.
For DTC brands:
- Immersive, branded storefronts.
- AI-powered search and product discovery with Vexture℠.
- Native tools for promotions, upsells, and subscriptions.
Shared benefits:
- Centralized inventory and order management.
- Unified analytics to see total business performance across all channels.
- Streamlined workflows that cut costs and reduce human error.
Want to learn more? Check out Streamlining B2B and B2C Operations with Miva to explore how businesses simplify operations across multiple sales models.
Real-World Proof: The Paper Store
A great example of multi-model success is The Paper Store, a specialty retailer with over 90 locations throughout the Northeast.
They needed a way to bring their in-store experience online while managing a large, dynamic product catalog. Before Miva, their setup relied on multiple disconnected systems that made operations slow and complex.
After switching to Miva’s unified platform, they achieved:
- +9% increase in conversions
- +17% increase in transactions
- +37% increase in total revenue
The Paper Store now runs promotions seamlessly across digital and physical channels, manages inventory in real time, and quickly builds landing pages for new campaigns—all within one platform.
This is what happens when you simplify complexity: teams get more time back, customers get a better experience, and growth becomes sustainable.
Smarter Scale: Growing Without the Growing Pains
A unified platform doesn’t just make life easier. It directly impacts your ability to grow.
Here’s how:
- Simplified infrastructure reduces costs and risk.
- Shared data improves decision-making and agility.
- Faster performance supports high-volume operations without downtime.
- Automation scales processes without scaling headcount.
Instead of expanding through endless plug-ins and add-ons, businesses can scale confidently knowing that their foundation is solid, flexible, and ready for what’s next.
One Platform for Every Model
The future of ecommerce doesn’t belong to businesses that stay locked in one model. It belongs to those who can pivot quickly, serve multiple audiences, and grow without friction.
Miva’s unified commerce platform gives B2B and DTC merchants the flexibility to evolve on their own terms. Whether you’re expanding into new markets or consolidating systems for efficiency, Miva helps you simplify complexity and unlock smarter, faster, more sustainable growth. Don’t multiply systems—multiply results.
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