How to Build a Shopify Wholesale Catalog for Germany 2026

A Shopify wholesale catalog for German Großhandel brands has different commerce needs than B2C D2C. Customer-specific catalogs, minimum order quantities, tiered pricing per volume, net 14/30 payment terms, USt-ID validation — these are commerce table stakes for wholesale, but they’re not Shopify’s default experience.

This guide walks through what Shopify wholesale catalog for German Großhandel actually requires in 2026: Plus B2B vs. standard Shopify wholesale apps, customer-specific pricing setup, minimum order quantities, German wholesale legal requirements, and realistic EUR build costs.

What’s the difference between Shopify B2B and wholesale catalog?

Slight nuance:

Shopify B2B (Plus B2B Suite)

Native Plus feature. Companies, Catalogs, Price Lists, Net Terms, Tax Exemption. Covers most wholesale + B2B procurement use cases. See our Shopify B2B Germany guide.

Wholesale-specific apps (standard Shopify)

For non-Plus stores: apps like Wholesale Pricing Discount, B2BKing, BSS B2B add wholesale features. Less mature than Plus B2B but workable for smaller stores.

Custom wholesale catalog

For unique wholesale workflows beyond either of the above.

For most growing German wholesale brands: Shopify Plus B2B Suite is the right starting point.

What features does a German wholesale catalog need?

Eight essentials:

Login-gated wholesale view

Wholesale catalog only visible to logged-in approved wholesale customers. Retail customers see retail prices.

Customer-specific pricing

Different prices per Company / customer group. Volume tiers (1-10 units, 11-50, 50+).

Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ)

Minimum order amount in EUR or units. Enforce at cart / checkout.

Product-specific MOQ

Some products have higher MOQ (e.g., 100 units for SKU A, 10 units for SKU B).

Pack size and case size

Display + enforce purchase in case sizes (12 units, 24 units, etc.).

USt-ID validation and reverse charge

For EU B2B with valid USt-ID, no VAT charged. Automatic.

Net 14/30/60 payment terms

Customers can buy on terms. Plus B2B handles natively; standard Shopify needs apps + manual workflow.

Quote workflows

Sales rep generates quote, customer converts to order.

What does Shopify wholesale setup cost in Germany?

Plus B2B Suite (standard implementation)

• B2B Suite configuration on existing Plus store
• 5–10 Companies, 2–4 customer-specific Catalogs, Price Lists, MOQ rules
• €18,000–€55,000 for German agency

Plus B2B with deeper customization

• Custom theme for wholesale storefront, custom apps for MOQ enforcement, deeper ERP integration
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• €55,000–€150,000+

Standard Shopify with wholesale app

For smaller wholesale operations on standard Shopify:

• Wholesale Pricing Discount app: €25–€100/month
• B2BKing app: €30–€80/month
• Setup time: 20–60 hours agency
• Build cost: €4,000–€18,000

For broader B2B context see our Shopify B2B Germany guide.

How do you set up Shopify wholesale catalog step by step?

For Plus B2B Suite approach:

Step 1: Activate Plus B2B Suite

If on Plus: enable B2B features.

Step 2: Create wholesale Companies

Manually or CSV import. Each: legal name, USt-ID, address, contact, tier classification.

Step 3: Create wholesale Catalogs

E.g., “Tier 1 Wholesale” (small wholesalers), “Tier 2 Strategic Partners” (large accounts). Assign products. Hide retail-only items.

Step 4: Configure Price Lists per Catalog

Tier 1: 30% discount off retail. Tier 2: 40% discount + volume tiers (50+ units: extra 5% off).

Step 5: Set MOQ rules

Plus + custom app or theme code: enforce minimum cart total or minimum quantity per product. Several apps add MOQ enforcement to standard themes.

Step 6: Configure payment terms

Per Company: Net 14, Net 30, Net 60. Default to upfront for new accounts; relax over time.

Step 7: Set up USt-ID validation and tax exemption

Quaderno or custom: validate USt-ID via VIES. Apply tax exemption to Company.

Step 8: Create wholesale onboarding flo

Application form for new wholesalers. Vetting + approval workflow. Auto-add to appropriate Catalog tier on approval.

Step 9: Set up sales rep dashboard

Plus + custom apps for sales reps to manage Companies, generate draft orders, send quotes.

Step 10: Test end-to-end

Place test wholesale orders for each tier. Verify pricing, MOQ enforcement, payment terms, invoicing.

What German legal requirements apply to wholesale?

Six items:

B2B reverse charge VAT

For EU B2B with valid USt-ID, no German VAT. Reverse charge applied. Invoice marked “Reverse Charge gem. § 13b UStG.”

Wholesale price disclosure

Wholesale prices must be net (without VAT) for B2B context. Display “zzgl. MwSt.” or “netto”.

AGB for wholesale separately

Wholesale AGB typically differs from retail AGB. Different payment terms, return policies, liability limits. Get separate Anwalt review.

Widerrufsrecht exclusion for B2B

B2B-to-B2B sales between two businesses (each acting in business capacity) typically don’t have Widerrufsrecht. State this in wholesale AGB.

Mindestbestellmenge (minimum order quantity) disclosure

MOQ must be clear before checkout. Customer can’t be surprised at cart.

GoBD-compliant wholesale invoicing

Same as retail but with reverse-charge handling. See our Shopify GoBD compliance guide.

What’s the wholesale onboarding flow look like?

Six-step approval flow:

1. Wholesale application form on website with required fields: company name, USt-ID, address, contact, sector, expected order volume
2. Internal review by sales team
3. USt-ID validation via VIES
4. Tier assignment based on volume + sector
5. Approval email with login credentials
6. Welcome packet with wholesale terms, ordering process, key contacts

For complex wholesale: add reference checks, credit checks (Schufa for German Companies if you offer terms).

What about hybrid B2C + B2B brands?

Many German brands do both:

Option 1: Single Plus store

B2B + B2C on same Plus store. Login-gated wholesale catalog. Plus B2B handles this. Cleaner for smaller B2B operations.

Option 2: Expansion Stores (separate B2B + B2C)

Two storefronts: yourbrand.de (B2C) + wholesale.yourbrand.de (B2B). Shared inventory. Plus’s 9 Expansion Stores cover this.

Option 3: Subdomain B2B portal

Plus + custom development for completely separate B2B portal with different UX. Most expensive but most flexible.

For most German hybrid brands: Expansion Stores is the sweet spot — separation of UX, shared inventory + customer database.

What are common Shopify wholesale mistakes German brands make?

Five patterns:

Showing wholesale prices to retail customers

If you mix B2B + B2C on same store without proper login gating, retail customers see wholesale prices. Lost margin + brand damage.

Skipping USt-ID validation

Accepting B2B claims without VIES validation. Tax authority risk.

Wrong AGB for wholesale

Using retail AGB for wholesale customers. Both legal and operational problems.

Manual quote workflow without tooling

Sales reps emailing PDFs back and forth. Painful and error-prone. Use Shopify draft orders + quotes properly.

MOQ enforcement only at cart, not at product page

Customer adds 5 units, gets to cart, sees MOQ is 10. Frustrating UX. Enforce + display at product page.

When should you go beyond Shopify for wholesale?

Three signals:

• Wholesale revenue dominates (€5M+ wholesale revenue alone) and Shopify B2B feels limiting
• Complex multi-level distribution (you sell to distributors who sell to retailers who sell to end customers)
• Industry-specific wholesale workflows (e.g., agricultural commodities, automotive parts) requiring deep customization

For these, evaluate Shopware (B2B Suite is more mature for some German use cases) or commercetools. See our Shopify vs Shopware Germany guide.

Frequently asked questions

Need help setting up Shopify wholesale?

If you’re scoping wholesale on your German Shopify store and want a 30-minute scoping conversation about Plus B2B vs apps, customer tier strategy, or onboarding workflow, book a meeting or send details via our contact page.