For growing brands, B2B is the logical next step in scaling beyond direct-to-consumer sales. While selling online builds brand awareness and customer loyalty, supporting this with B2B sales can bring some great benefits.
Breaking into wholesale contracts, retail partnerships, or marketplace distribution unlocks a whole new level of growth – and B2B fulfilment is the driver behind it all.
So, what’s the catch? Well, B2B isn’t simply ‘DTC, but bigger.’ It comes with its own challenges and complexities; but get it right, and you unlock all the great advantages, too.
DTC fulfilment is often built with speed and personalisation in mind. Think branded packaging, express couriers, memorable unboxing experiences – you know the drill.
B2B eCommerce fulfilment, however, is a different kettle of fish. It’s all about...
This is where tech-led fulfilment comes into play. Automated workflows, real-time inventory access, and retailer-specific process flags all work together to dramatically reduce B2B hiccups.
If you're eyeing up business expansion, the advantages of B2B fulfilment for DTC brands are significant.
Partnering with the likes of Tesco, Walmart, or Muller puts your products in front of new audiences that a DTC-only model can’t reach.
Instead of picking, packing, and posting individual orders, B2B enables efficient bulk fulfilment. One pallet move can represent hundreds of sales, adding extra speed to your fulfilment process.
When rules for each retailer are encoded into fulfilment systems (like ours), costly mistakes are avoided. A good example is fulfilment platforms enforcing specific labelling or time-slot delivery requirements automatically, ensuring B2B orders stay accurate – and moving.
Keeping B2B and DTC fulfilment separate but connected under one platform allows brands to maintain performance without channel conflict. Choose a platform that helps you keep DTC and B2B stock apart under one simple view.
The question many growing brands ask is: why combine B2B and DTC fulfilment?
Running your DTC and B2B orders through one platform might seem a little daunting, but it’s actually a great way to drive omnichannel growth.
Managing both channels together gives:
By choosing a fulfilment partner that specialises in serving omnichannel brands, you’ll be able to put products on supermarket shelves while keeping promises to your DTC customers.
Expanding into B2B is a leap – there’s no doubt about it. But there are a few myths that hold brands back, when often the reality isn’t as bad as it seems.
Not quite. B2B is governed by compliance, retailer expectations, and bulk logistics – so it’s not just scaling up DTC fulfilment. But that’s not to say it’s unachievable for growing brands; most modern B2B fulfilment solutions have compliance and retailer requirements built in.
In fact, automation and technology make B2B accessible earlier than many assume. The right systems reduce manual handling and the risk of fines, lowering the total cost to businesses. The best course to take here is staying in close contact with your fulfilment provider, who can advise on when to make the B2B jump.
Not at all. The truth is that hybrid models are often the sweet spot, especially for growing brands. B2B keeps revenue consistent and predictable when DTC drops off, as well as presenting your products to an entirely new audience.
If you’re considering an expansion into B2B, there are a few things you need to get right to ensure success.
Here’s a quick checklist to get you started:
We can help with that. We help omnichannel brands scale across different sales channels and regions with our technology-led, flexible, global network.
After all, the smartest brands aren’t choosing between DTC and B2B; they’re combining them with resilient, omnichannel fulfilment that supports long-term growth.