Beware the great B2B land grab: Why Shopify and BigCommerce don't meet the complex needs of B2B

It’s true that Adobe Commerce, SAP Commerce, and Salesforce Commerce have been the mainstays of B2B digital transformation for years. While they continue to support B2B commerce, their pace of innovation in the space has slowed. That’s because these massive companies are pursuing broader commerce initiatives, prioritizing profit over the needs of their loyal B2B customers.

Meanwhile, B2C providers like Shopify and BigCommerce are making a huge grab for B2B commerce business. With their eye on the prize, these companies are throwing millions of marketing dollars at potential customers. But they’retrying to force a square peg into a round hole. Adding B2B features onto a B2C platform can’t solve the complexities of B2B commerce. Companies like Shopify and BigCommerce don’t even speak our language.

Legacy B2B ecommerce platforms: An innovation slowdown

There’s a reason B2C commerce companies are trying so desperately to wedge their way into the B2B market. While Adobe, SAP, and Salesforce aren’t disappearing from B2B commerce, their focus has shifted. No longer pushing the boundaries of B2B-specific innovation, these big players have shifted their goals. As a result, their solutions in the B2B space are lagging way behind the rapid changes in B2B buyer expectations.

Leading edge B2B businesses need cutting-edge B2B ecommerce features, and the big guys aren’t evolving fast enough to meet those needs. AI and other technology advancements are accelerating the pace in terms of procurement processes, personalization, and other complex B2B workflows. Leaning too heavily on cumbersome legacy architectures and generalized commerce strategies, SAP, Adobe and Salesforce just can’t keep up.

Shopify & BigCommerce: Selling a future that doesn’t exist 

The big slowdown is driving the great land grab as Shopify and BigCommerce aggressively market B2B capabilities that may never be ready for primetime.

According to independent research published in ScienceDirect, 2024, “Understanding the critical distinctions between B2B and B2C platforms is essential for small and medium-sized companies to formulate effective digital strategies. B2B platforms may have different dynamics, or B2C strategies may apply only to specific types of B2B platforms.” The researchers also noted that it was crucial to avoid a “false analogy” when comparing B2C and B2B commerce platforms.

In plain terms, Shopify and BigCommerce aren’t built for the complex B2B world. Despite throwing a lot of cash at the problem, their product roadmaps remain anchored in simpler B2C frameworks.

More specifically, Shopify and BigCommerce struggle to meet B2B buyer expectations in many ways:

• Shopify and BigCommerce offer just surface-level B2B features. These platforms don’t have deep ERP integrations or B2B requirements like advanced contract pricing and sophisticated account structures.
• B2C platforms have a ‘one size fits all’ mentality. It’s true these solutions excel at high-volume, consumer-driven transactions. But B2B buyers require sophisticated, tailored experiences, approval workflows, and bulk ordering functionalities that can’t simply be added on (or plugged in.)
• B2C-first means limited scalability. B2B ecommerce means expertly managing multi-region, multi-tiered distributor networks with contract-based pricing, complex product catalogs, and vendor-managed inventory.

And when it comes to a desirable B2B buyer experience?

According to a 2024 McKinsey report, over 33% of B2B buyers now prefer digital self-service or remote interactions over traditional in-person sales.

But neither Shopify nor BigCommerce can deliver on sophisticated B2B buyer expectations. When it comes to B2B, their product suites simply aren’t that robust. While they might work for small businesses dipping their toes into online sales, these two solutions aren’t built to handle the real complexities of enterprise B2B commerce. 

Why Optimizely is the best fit for B2B commerce

B2B commerce requires a platform purpose-built for managing complex transactions, pricing structures, and relationships. Optimizely Configured Commerce delivers exactly that.

Optimizely Configured Commerce has been consistently recognized as the leader among B2B commerce platforms by Forrester, IDC, and Gartner. That’s because we’ve been built for B2B since day one.

1. Designed for manufacturers and distributors: At Optimizely, we’ve been on this road since the beginning of B2B commerce. We don’t have to learn the language of B2B. We were born here.
2. Existing Deep ERP and CRM integration:  Real-time data synchronization keeps pricing, inventory, and orders accurate. These and other complex B2B commerce capabilities are ingrained within the Optimizely commerce platform, not layered on top of simpler functions.
3. Scalable and flexible for B2B growth: Optimizely’s, composable SaaS commerce adapts and evolves with the B2B business, capable of managing thousands of SKUs and multi-tiered customer pricing structures.
4. Substantial, proven results: Optimizely customers experience a remarkable average of 62% increase in digital transactions. That’s hard proof that purpose-built B2B platforms drive measurable growth. 
5. Data-driven, AI-led: 70% of B2B businesses struggle to offer a seamless digital experience that meets buyer expectations, according to Optimizely’s State of B2B eCommerce 2024 Report. Optimizely customers are already bridging that gap with AI-driven personalization, advanced self-service capabilities, and seamless integration with existing tech stacks. 

Frankly, our customers say it best: "Shopify convinced us to buy Optimizely. We need all of these capabilities now—not years from now."

Choose the commerce platform that knows B2B

Legacy B2B platforms like Adobe, SAP, and Salesforce aren’t driving B2B innovation at the pace businesses need. Shopify and BigCommerce are expanding into B2B, but their platforms weren’t built with complex B2B requirements in mind.

Already in 2025, experts are commenting that B2B commerce is evolving more rapidly than ever before. No one can afford to get left behind. Making the right choice is critical for B2B manufacturers and distributors poised for growth in our complex, ever-changing business landscape.

You’re serious about B2B commerce, so don’t settle for a platform that treats it as an afterthought. Choose Optimizely. We’ve been built for the unique challenges of B2B since the very beginning.

Want to see what a true B2B commerce platform looks like? Let’s talk.