What is wholesale eCommerce?

Wholesale eCommerce is the online buying and selling of products in larger quantities between businesses, usually at wholesale or negotiated prices. It allows manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to manage business purchases through a digital storefront or B2B platform.

Wholesale eCommerce commonly includes:

• Bulk ordering: Buyers can purchase large quantities of products.
• Wholesale pricing: Prices may be lower than consumer retail prices.
• Tiered and volume discounts: Larger orders can receive different per-unit prices.
• Customer-specific catalogs: Different businesses can access selected products and pricing.
• Minimum order quantities (MOQs): Suppliers can require minimum purchase quantities.
• Payment terms: Buyers may use invoices or terms such as Net 30 or Net 60.
• Purchase orders: Businesses can place orders using formal procurement processes.
• Reordering: Customers can quickly repeat regular purchases.
• Order and inventory management: Businesses can track availability, fulfillment, and shipments.

Example: A clothing retailer purchases 500 shirts from a manufacturer through the manufacturer’s B2B website. The retailer receives wholesale pricing, places the bulk order online, and pays according to the agreed payment terms.

Wholesale eCommerce helps businesses digitize purchasing, reduce manual order processing, reach customers online, and manage large-volume transactions more efficiently.