Operational Reality of B2B + DTC: Why Platform Choice Actually Matters

When manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers decide to sell direct-to-consumer, they face an issue: B2B and DTC aren't just different sales channels; they're fundamentally different businesses running side-by-side, with competing demands on inventory, pricing, and customer experience.

One business sells in bulk to buyers with negotiated pricing, net terms, and approval workflows, while the other sells individual units to price-conscious consumers expecting instant payment and guest checkout. Both require real-time inventory visibility, and both demand different customer experiences. Both need margin protection through entirely different mechanisms.

Many companies attempt to solve this by bolting DTC onto their existing B2B platform using third-party apps, custom code, or separate websites. All three approaches work operationally, but none are efficient. This guide explores why understanding what you're actually trying to do matters more than platform choice itself, and which operational model your business can sustain.

Understanding What Each Business Actually Requires

B2B ecommerce isn't a website for wholesalers. It's a system that manages pricing complexity DTC platforms don't handle. Customer-specific pricing means rates are locked in per account, volume discounts will tier automatically at quantity thresholds, and contract pricing can be locked for specific periods. Some companies adjust pricing seasonally based on supplier costs. None of this is optional in B2B.

Buyer Workflows

The buyer workflows are also operationally complex, as there are multi-step approval processes that require order approval, budget approval, and manager sign-off before processing. Role-based access means procurement teams see different data than finance teams. Purchase orders need to exist alongside payment on net terms for 30, 60, or 90 days. A DTC platform handling this is like a sports car hauling freight, where it's technically possible but constantly strained.

Catalog Management

Catalog management across customer segments adds complexity. Different customers see the same product at different prices, while some SKUs remain hidden and only available to specific accounts. High-volume buyers need bulk upload and reorder capabilities, and many place orders via CSV spreadsheets. Managing these variations requires the platform to handle pricing logic, inventory visibility rules, and order processing in ways that go beyond standard ecommerce merchandising.

Real-Time ERP 

Real-time ERP integration ties everything together. Inventory syncs across channels, pricing updates propagate without manual intervention, and customer data stays consistent. This is essential because tax calculations change with business type and location, while shipping rules differ for bulk orders versus individual units. Payment tracking becomes part of the platform itself to handle these complexities automatically. When a company attempts B2B selling on a DTC-first platform, they face three costly options: building these features from scratch via apps and custom code, operating without them and losing deals, or maintaining a separate B2B site entirely.

DTC Ecommerce

DTC ecommerce optimizes for conversion speed through guest checkout without friction, multiple payment options including credit cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later solutions, and fast shipping options prominently displayed. Since most traffic arrives on mobile, the experience is mobile-first. Discovery and merchandising work differently, relying on personalized recommendations, AI-powered search that handles typos and determines intent, dynamic category pages based on purchase history, as well as abandoned cart recovery reminders via email. Content and storytelling drive customer engagement in DTC. Product comparisons, how-to guides, reviews, and brand narratives all influence purchase decisions more than traditional marketing does alone. To sustain engagement, DTC platforms can also incorporate subscription options, loyalty programs, marketing automation, and self-service portals that keep customers returning and reduce churn.

When a company tries to run DTC on a B2B-first platform, bulk order logic, approval workflows, and contract pricing get in the way of simple purchasing. A platform built for one model can technically support the other but not without real tradeoffs. The question isn't whether it's possible, but whether the operational complexity is worth the cost.

Three Ways Companies Currently Approach This

Separate Websites (Two Platforms)

B2B buyers visit wholesale.yoursite.com while DTC consumers visit yoursite.com. Two separate ecommerce platforms manage two separate inventories and two separate customer databases. Each site is fully optimized for its audience, allowing pricing and messaging to differ completely without feature compromise.

The cost is operational chaos. Inventory management becomes a nightmare when you update products in one system and forget the other, resulting in overselling. Customer data is split across two systems; if someone buys wholesale and DTC, they appear as two separate clients. Product content work doubles because you're uploading everything twice, while platform fees, hosting, and headcount all double as well. Channel conflict management is manual since you have to prevent the same item from being cheaper on one site than the other. This approach is common because many wholesalers started here before understanding the downstream costs. It works operationally, but it's expensive and creates data silos that hurt your business over time.

Single Platform with Best-of-Breed Integrations (Pluggable Architecture)

Another way companies approach this is using one ecommerce platform layered with third-party apps for B2B features like pricing and approval workflows, plus other apps for DTC features like personalization and subscriptions. You get a single inventory source of truth and unified customer database, which is technically better than two sites. The problem is that it's technically fragile.

Platform integration complexity requires apps to talk to each other, and when they don't, operations break. Feature fragmentation becomes the issue since approval workflows live in App A, bulk pricing in App B, and inventory in the core platform. When something needs to work across all three, coordination becomes manual. App maintenance is constant as apps get updated, break integrations, and require patches. Each app adds load to the site, degrading performance and creating support problems. When an order doesn't process, it's unclear whether the issue is the platform, App A, or App B. A company using multiple third-party apps for B2B pricing, DTC marketing, and custom approval workflows maintains separate support relationships with no single vendor accountable for the whole system.

This approach works for small catalogs and simple workflows, but for complex B2B operations or high-SKU scenarios, integration maintenance becomes the primary job rather than an operational cost.

Single Platform Built for Both (Native Hybrid Architecture)

A third option is to use a single ecommerce platform with native B2B features where customer type segmentation is built into the core and pricing, visibility, and workflows are all understood by the platform itself. One inventory, one customer database, and one admin interface serve both models. 

There is no integration complexity for B2B features because they exist natively, creating a single inventory source of truth and unified customer database. The admin interface is designed for both models, and performance improves since there's no third-party app overhead. Support becomes simpler with one vendor to troubleshoot with. The tradeoff is reduced flexibility: if the platform lacks a needed feature, additional apps cannot be added. Migration from an existing platform requires real effort and time, along with team training on new interfaces and workflows, and potentially paying for unused features.

All three approaches solve different problems. Separate websites solve for messaging separation but create operational complexity. Pluggable architecture avoids migration but creates integration complexity. Native hybrid platforms solve for operational simplicity but require migration upfront. The choice depends on what you're actually optimizing for: simplicity, customization, or messaging separation.

Where Miva Fits: Strengths and Use Cases

Miva was built specifically for companies managing B2B and DTC ecommerce simultaneously. Unlike platforms that bolt B2B features onto a DTC foundation (or vice versa), Miva's architecture treats both models as co-equal operational requirements.

Native B2B Features (No Third-Party Apps Required)

The operational difference shows immediately:

• Account-based pricing: Negotiate a price per customer and lock it with no manual override spreadsheets. Price updates propagate in real-time across that customer's catalog view.
• Tiered volume discounts: Automatic price drops at quantity thresholds. A customer ordering 100 units triggers a different rate than 50 units without human intervention.
• Approval workflows: Orders require a manager's sign-off before processing. Multi-step routing happens within the platform, not via email chains.
• CSV bulk ordering: Buyers upload spreadsheets directly. No re-entry. No data loss. System validates and processes in bulk.
• Payment terms: Net 30, 60, or 90-day arrangements built into order processing. No manual invoicing workarounds.
• Role-based access: Procurement teams see inventory and pricing. Each role sees what's relevant to their decisions.
• Custom catalogs: Show different products to different accounts. Wholesale accounts see bulk sizes. DTC customers see individual units. Same backend, different storefront views.

Real Example: Complexity at Scale

Xtreme Diesel Performance manages over 16,500 SKUs with complex fitment rules where compatibility varies by year, make, model, and engine type. The company implemented dynamic pricing, customer-segment-specific catalogs, and multi-step approval.

On a platform without native B2B features, this would require multiple integrations working in tandem. Every integration is a failure point.

When Miva's Native Architecture Matters Most

High-SKU catalogs with dependent relationships are handled efficiently since the platform manages 10,000+ products with fitment data, configurators, or hierarchical structures without performance degradation. Product variations that depend on parent selections (such as engine choice determining compatible parts) work natively.

Account-based pricing at operational scale functions without performance degradation when managing many B2B accounts, each with unique pricing structures. Volume pricing and contract pricing coexist without system strain, which is tested rather than theoretical.

No-code B2B customization allows non-developers to use PageBuilder and Theme Editor to customize layouts, pricing displays, and workflows. Business teams can adjust approval workflows without developer tickets, reducing reliance on custom development for standard B2B needs.

Manufacturers and wholesalers transitioning to direct consumer benefit from adding DTC channels to existing B2B operations within a single ecommerce platform, which handles both without bolting features on and avoids the separate websites data silo problem.

ERP integration without a middleware layer is possible through an accessible and well-documented JSON API for direct integration. Inventory, pricing, and customer data connect to existing ERP systems without expensive middleware platforms, supported by a developer-friendly architecture designed for direct system connections.

DTC Capabilities (Also Native)

DTC features are built in: AI-powered product search, subscription and auto-reorder options, personalized recommendations based on purchase history, dynamic merchandising and smart collections, and mobile-first responsive design.

These are standard on modern ecommerce platforms. Miva includes them natively, which means you're not choosing between strong B2B and weak DTC, or vice versa.

How to Actually Choose a Platform for B2B + DTC

Stop thinking about which platform is best. Start thinking about which platform's tradeoffs work for your business.

Before evaluating any ecommerce platform, answer these questions:

• How many B2B customers do you have?
• How many SKUs are in your catalog?
• How complex is your pricing?
• How much custom functionality do you actually need?

If you can't answer these, you're not ready to choose a platform yet.

Evaluate features against your actual operational needs.

Your complexity profile determines the right approach:

Simple B2B/DTC with just a few accounts works fine with basic ecommerce platforms plus bolt-on B2B apps. Mid-market B2B/DTC with 100+ accounts, account-specific pricing, and approval workflows benefits from unified platforms with native B2B features. You avoid the integration overhead and constant maintenance headaches of the bolt-on approach. Complex B2B/DTC with 1,000+ products, customer-specific pricing, and advanced workflows requires careful platform choice. Integration complexity compounds fast, and custom development becomes expensive and fragile.

Calculate the total cost of ownership over 5-7 years, not just platform fees. Native hybrid platforms cost more upfront but have lower ongoing integration and maintenance costs. Pluggable architecture platforms cost less initially but require constant app maintenance, custom code, and vendor coordination. The cheapest platform fee rarely translates to the cheapest long-term cost.

Test with your actual use case before you commit. Set up test accounts with your real pricing tiers. Create an actual approval workflow. Upload real CSV data volumes. Build a personalized product page on mobile. Test subscription options. Verify checkout speed and abandoned cart recovery. If the platform struggles with your real workflow, it's not the right choice.

Building Sustainable B2B/DTC Operations (Regardless of Platform)

Choosing the right platform is necessary. What actually determines success is operational discipline.

Unified inventory philosophy means one product, one price, until you intentionally differentiate. Real-time sync across all channels is essential. You need a single source of truth for availability; ambiguity costs money. Clear channel economics means B2B pricing needs to be understood and accepted. DTC pricing is transparent and defensible. Conflict resolution is documented; if a buyer can get something cheaper wholesale, you've addressed that deliberately.

Operational integration requires ERP sync as it is crucial for inventory, pricing, and customer data. Order fulfillment shouldn't care which channel placed it; it's the same SKU. Finance needs to see profitability by channel without spreadsheets. Team structure matters: one team should own both channels, not separate DTC and wholesale teams that don't talk. Decision rights need to be clear for pricing, inventory allocation, and customer management. Technology governance means documenting which system is the source of truth for each data type. When integrations fail, you have runbooks so people don't panic. Regular audits verify data consistency across channels.

Making the Decision

If you're evaluating Miva, it's a strong choice for mid-market B2B/DTC selling. Miva is purpose-built for this segment as it handles the complexity that trips up generic platforms without requiring constant custom development or middleware layers.

If you're choosing between platforms, stop asking which is best. Start asking which fits your specific operational model. Then price it accurately, including implementation, integrations, and team training. The right platform is the one your team will still use in five years.

FAQ: B2B/DTC Platform Questions

Q: Can I run B2B and DTC on the same platform without an integration nightmare? 

A: Yes, if the platform has native B2B features. If you're piecing together apps and custom code, it gets complicated fast.

Q: Does having a unified platform automatically solve channel conflict? 

A: No. The platform enables unified pricing and inventory management. You have to decide the strategy, exclusive DTC pricing, wholesale-only products, different payment terms, and so on.

Q: How long does migration to a new ecommerce platform actually take?

A: For mid-complexity catalogs with 1,000 to 10,000 SKUs and B2B functionality, plan for three to six months. For high-complexity with 50,000+ SKUs, including fitment data, plan for six to twelve months. This includes planning, setup, testing, and team training.

Q: What if we want to stay with our current platform but add real B2B features?

A: You can use apps and custom code. Budget for integration work and ongoing maintenance. Integration overhead compounds over time.

Q: Is Miva only for manufacturers?

A: No. Miva serves manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and any company selling both B2B and DTC ecommerce. Industry matters less than size and operational complexity.

Q: What's the learning curve for a team switching to Miva?

A: Moderate. If your team is familiar with modern ecommerce platforms, Miva's interface is intuitive. Expect two to four weeks for your team to feel fully comfortable with B2B-specific workflows like approval processes and custom pricing.

Q: Can I run headless on Miva?

A: Yes. Miva supports headless architecture via its JSON API, allowing you to separate the storefront from the backend. This requires developer resources but is fully supported.

Q: Does switching platforms mean we lose our customer data?

A: Not if you plan correctly. Customer data, order history, and product information can be migrated. The key is working with your platform vendor on a migration strategy before you start. Migration failure usually comes from poor planning, not platform limitations.