If you’re already running an eCommerce store on BigCommerce and have been considering expanding into wholesale or B2B (business-to-business), SparkLayer might be the missing piece…
SparkLayer sits on top of your existing BigCommerce website, transforming it into a fully featured B2B portal. You get to keep everything you love about your B2C (business-to-consumer) setup - the look, feel, and design - while layering on wholesale functionality.
B2B customers can log in to view their bespoke prices, place bulk orders, manage their accounts, and reorder quickly.
Your B2C site remains unaffected, and retail customers won’t be able to view your B2B products and price lists thanks to a B2B login page. You’re in control of who has access to the B2B site via the login page.
SparkLayer replaces the clunky manual processes that many B2B merchants experience, such as manually processing spreadsheets, managing orders via email or phone, and dealing with repeat requests for invoices.
The result? A smoother, faster, scalable wholesale channel that sits alongside your existing retail store.
Standout SparkLayer features for BigCommerce B2B merchants
BigCommerce B2B customers can access SparkLayer's powerful set of B2B features, including:
1. Custom B2B price lists
SparkLayer allows merchants to create Customer Groups based on commonalities, such as location, order history, or demographic information.
Different rules can then be applied to each segment, such as price lists, payment methods, and shipping options. For example, newer customers might have to pay upfront, while trusted, VIP customers have the option to pay using net terms.
This flexibility means you can treat different customer segments (small independent retailers, large distributors, regional partners) according to their value and order behaviour, without juggling multiple stores.
2. Wholesale discounts
Using SparkLayer’s B2B Customer Group feature, businesses can offer varying discounts to buyer segments. This could be fixed-rate discounts, volume-based tiered pricing, or free products.
Using discounts is a great way to engage with new customers and incentivise first orders, while also rewarding loyal customers and encouraging repeat purchases. B2B buyers often expect a B2C-style buying experience, and promotions are a good way to replicate this.
3. Self-service ordering for B2B customers
Once logged in, B2B buyers see a tailored storefront - displaying their specific pricing, relevant products, and streamlined ordering tools. They get a familiar ‘store’ experience, but one built for wholesale.
As a result, customers experience less friction and are less reliant on your support team. This frees up your team’s time to focus on growing your business and bringing more value to the overall operational experience.
4. Sales Agent ordering
For BigCommerce wholesale merchants, SparkLayer’s Sales Agent tool allows you to manage orders on behalf of customers. Sales Agents can build, place, and manage orders on behalf of clients, all within your existing BigCommerce store.
For brands working with larger B2B customers, like distributors or multi-person accounts, this tool comes with permission settings. This means some of your team can build orders while others can place them - ideal for complex clients where account-level management is required.
5. Quotes and pre-orders
Wholesale isn’t just about bigger orders - there’s more nuance involved. B2B often involves quoting, negotiating terms, and delayed payments on back orders.
SparkLayer manages this for B2B BigCommerce accounts, streamlining complex operations.
SparkLayer’s quoting engine enables customers to request, negotiate, revise and accept quotes, without messy email threads or spreadsheets. Merchants also get support for pre-ordering, back orders, minimum/ maximum quantities, pack-size ordering, and other requirements typical in wholesale.
How to get set up: SparkLayer and BigCommerce B2B
Getting SparkLayer running on your BigCommerce store is straightforward and speedy. Here’s the typical onboarding process:
1. Install the SparkLayer BigCommerce app
Install the SparkLayer app from the BigCommerce app marketplace. You’ll then be prompted to connect your store to SparkLayer - and the syncing begins.
2. Sign up and accept a plan
If you’re new, you’ll need to create a SparkLayer account - or log in if you already have one - and choose a plan. There’s a 14-day free trial so that you can get set up and place some test orders.
3. Configure your B2B data
This is where you’ll set up your price lists, Customer Groups, payment or shipping rules. You can assign customers price lists and set up any special pricing rules, such as volume discounts, pack sizes, minimum/ maximum orders, and more.
4. Install our front-end widgets
SparkLayer works by overlaying widgets on your existing BigCommerce storefront. You just need to add a few code snippets to your theme - or our onboarding team can do this for you, often within a couple of working days.
5. Place some test orders
Once you’re set up, you can start placing test orders using sample B2B Customer Groups. Log in as a fake customer to verify that the correct price lists have been assigned, and place a test order to get familiar with the back-end, shipping options, and My Account area.
6. Invite your B2B customers and launch
Now, you simply need to invite your wholesale customers! You can set up a registration form so that you can approve applications for B2B buyers. Once they sign up, they’ll be able to view their bespoke storefront and My Account section.
Why is this setup better than building a separate B2B store?
One of the biggest benefits of overlaying SparkLayer onto your BigCommerce B2B store is that you only have one storefront to maintain.
The branding and design you’ve worked hard on won’t be compromised, meaning there’s a sense of cohesion for customers logging into your B2B portal. You don’t need to worry about product duplication or inventory management for dual audiences either.
For many BigCommerce B2B stores, setting up SparkLayer requires little more than installing an app and dropping in a few code snippets. There’s no wholesale-specific UX build, no complex integrations, and, if you prefer, SparkLayer’s team can handle installation for you.
Because SparkLayer only shows its wholesale UI to logged-in B2B customers, your retail customers never see wholesale pricing or promotions. This keeps brand consistency and avoids confusion.
Final thoughts
For any BigCommerce merchants considering B2B or wholesale, SparkLayer offers a scalable, low-friction path.
From installing the app, configuring pricing and customers, adding a few code snippets, to inviting customers, many stores are live within days (or even hours).
If you’re ready to scale up, streamline operations, and provide an intuitive wholesale experience for your clients, book a demo with our team or find out more about our BigCommerce integration.