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Multi-Store Front Quick Start Guide
Multi-Store Front Quick Start Guide

New To Both BigCommerce MSF and B2B Edition? Then this guide is for you!

Kenzie avatar
Written by Kenzie
Updated over a week ago

Multi-Store front functionality is now in Beta! This addition will be available to all B2B merchants in Q1 of 2023!

B2B Edition is a SaaS application that offers enterprise-level B2B functionality to businesses of all types and sizes. It enables business owners to facilitate their B2B operations online and to provide customers with self-service account capabilities and seamless transactions.

With capabilities that allow users to easily manage front and back-end B2B processes, B2B Edition fits the needs of growing B2B Commerce businesses and can improve the B2B self-service experience for both store owners and their customers.


Multi-Storefront (MSF) allows you to use a single BigCommerce “store” + a single B2B Edition app to power multiple “storefronts”. Each of these storefronts can have its own unique domain, theme, categories, web pages, social media links, price lists, email templates (coming in 2023 for B2B Edition), and more. The settings and data for each of these storefronts are managed from one BigCommerce control panel + one B2B Edition app.

B2B Edition is an application that overlays BigCommerce to provide additional B2B functionality. This guide assumes you have a base understanding of BigCommerce MSF functionality and B2B Edition. See this guide for more details:

Already on B2B Edition and adding an additional storefront? Then see this guide instead:


Step 1: Log in to B2B Edition

The B2B Edition app will be pre-installed in the BigCommerce control panel under "Apps". Only the Bigcommerce store owner can log in to the B2B Edition application when the store is provisioned. Once accessed, the store owner can add additional users. Details on adding additional users are in Step 5 of this guide.

  1. Once the store is provisioned and the B2B Edition Application is added the BigCommerce store owner will receive an email with the subject line, Welcome to B2B Edition from [email protected] that includes your login credentials.


    1. Proceed to the B2B Edition APP, where you will be able to set your password.

      NOTE: The “Change Password” link will expire after 1 hour. If the link expires, please follow the instructions below.

      Step by Step:

      1. Log into your BigCommerce Store -> Go to Apps tab -> Select the B2B Edition APP

      2. The B2B Edition login page should appear.

      3. To reset/create your password, select “Reset Password”


Step 2: Enable and Add a B2B Storefront

Please add your storefront(s) in BigCommerce first. To do so navigate to Channel Manager inside the BigCommerce control panel. You now have the option to + Add New Storefront. Once a new storefront is successfully added set it to "Active". Please reach out to B2B Edition support via chat in order for us to enable additional storefronts on the B2B Edition side (Beta only).

You can now add your new B2B storefront! Navigate to settings > storefront inside the B2B Edition application and activate your new B2B Storefront!

Note: Additional B2B Storefronts can be purchased through BigCommerce. Please reach out to your Customer Success Manager to Purchase an additional B2B storefront. Once the purchase process is complete we will notify you via email.

Upload a Logo for Each Storefront

  1. Click on the desired storefront

  2. Now you can upload the storefronts logo.


Step 3: Select and Configure a B2BE Theme

B2B Edition includes 6 themes already preconfigured to work with B2B Edition.

Other themes will not work with B2B Edition at this time. Follow the steps to select and apply your new theme!

  1. Proceed to the Apps section of the BigCommerce control panel and select "B2B Edition Themes by B2B Edition".

  2. Select either Cornerstone, 22 Savile Row, Roots, Camden, Vault, or Supermarket Theme to add to "My Themes".

  3. Navigate to Channel Manager inside the BigCommerce control panel.

  4. Choose the Correct B2BE Theme and apply it to your new storefront!

Note: B2B edition themes are not currently compatible with BigCommerce's page builder. Using page builder can have unintended consequences on the functionality of your theme. Theme edits should be done inside the theme files.

B2B Storefronts can only use a B2B Edition Theme from the included Theme Application and can only be added on stencil storefronts. This requirement is expected to be removed once our new Remote Buyer Portal is launched in 2023. The remote buyer portal will also pave the way for allowing B2B headless storefronts in 2023.


Step 4: Set up the B2B Edition Checkout

Enabling the B2B Edition checkout is necessary to activate Billing and Shipping Addresses, payment method visibility for each company, and the "Purchase Order" payment method at checkout.

  1. Navigate to Settings > Checkout within the B2B Edition App.

  2. Turn on the B2B Checkout by switching the lever.

  3. Select "Enable the B2B Checkout Now" in the pop-up.

  4. You can now access and configure the other checkout settings on this page!

Note: Currently, BigCommerce only allows one checkout to be used across all storefronts, as this setting is not storefront specific. If you have any B2B storefronts, the B2B checkout must be used for all other non-B2B storefronts.


Step 5: Set up PO Payments (optional)

To enable "PO Payments":

  1. Navigate to Settings > Checkout within the B2B Edition App.

  2. Click the checkbox to enable the extra text field for Purchase Order.

  3. Edit the Text Field if you want to change the wording displayed to the user in checkout.

  4. Enable the "Check" payment method in BigCommerce as well. Navigate inside BigCommerce to Settings > Setup > Payments > Offline Payment Methods > enable "Check" method.

  5. Navigate to "Check Settings" and add a "Display Name" that indicates this payment is for a PO Payment.

  6. Test this inside the checkout on your website to confirm functionality and visibility!

    ** Note: Only B2B company account users can view and use the PO payments method.


Step 6: Add More Users

Users inside the B2B Edition Application are set globally and are not impacted by a company's storefront assignments. There is no change to adding/managing users inside the B2B Edition application in MSF B2B.

If the new user has a user account inside BigCommerce and single-click app access to B2B Edition:

When the user tries to open the B2B Edition application for the first time, a new B2B Edition account will be automatically created with a "New User Default" role and the user will be signed in automatically and given instant access.

Be sure to change the user role after account creation.

Alternate Method:

Adding a New User Inside B2B Edition

  1. Navigate to the "Users" Tab Inside B2B Edition and select "Add New User"

  2. Add the required information in the "Add New User" form

    ***Note: This user must have a BigCommerce account and the email must match the email set in BigCommerce to access B2B Edition. They may need further privileges to access the B2B Edition application from BigCommerce. See below.

  3. The new user will get a welcome email with a link to set the password for their account.

    NOTE: The “Set Password” link will expire after 1 hour. If so, this message will appear:

    Shortly after the message appears, you will be redirected to the BigCommerce Login Page to reset your password by following these steps:

    Go to Apps > Select the B2B Edition APP, and the B2B Edition login page will appear > Update your password by selecting “Reset Password”.

  4. Click the link to continue on and set a password.

  5. Navigate in BigCommerce to Account Settings > Users

  6. Select Edit on the User, scroll down to the Single-Click Apps section and select B2B Edition. Be sure to save your changes.


Step 7: Understanding and Assigning User Roles

When adding new users from your company inside the B2B Edition Application you will be required to assign a role for each new member. B2B Edition gives you a lot of flexibility in the levels of permissions for each new user. There are 4 predefined roles that can be assigned and are already set up inside B2B Edition. These include:

Administrator

Like store owners, store admins also have every permission available inside B2B Edition. A typical use case would be a manager or stakeholder that needs access to all facets of B2B Edition.

Sales Rep

Sales reps are considered members of the "Sales Staff" role, which means they will only be able to view the companies, orders, and quote requests of companies assigned to them.

Accountant

Accountants are members of the team that need view-only access to merchant financial data.

Financial Manager

Financial Managers differ from Accountants in that they take a more active role in managing the company's finances. They require permission to add and edit as well as view financial data.

Not all users set up in the B2B Edition application will fit into a predefined user role. Luckily you can set up your own custom user roles inside B2B Edition!


Step 8: Add a New Company

Companies in B2B Edition are global and cross over all storefronts. Storefront access however is set on the user level. To give a company access to your new storefront, you must add the storefront to its users.

There are 4 ways company accounts are created inside the B2B Edition application. Once a company account is created you can manage their orders, users, addresses, and settings from the Companies area of the B2B Edition dashboard.

  1. Create a company account manually inside the B2B Edition Company Dashboard. This is the best method when creating company accounts from scratch one at a time.

    To create a new company, navigate to the companies tab inside B2B Edition and select Add New. Enter the company data. Once inside the Admin creation set the Origin channel (channel in which the user originated from) and then set the channel access.

    The new admin user will get a welcome email to set up a password for storefront access. This email and password will work for login on all storefronts they have permission to access.

2. Create a company account by converting customer groups already created inside BigCommerce. This is the best method when company users have already been added inside BigCommerce but not B2B Edition.

3. Create company accounts in bulk via a CSV import. This is the best method when creating multiple companies at once.

When creating or editing companies in bulk with MSF please include the Channel ID in the import.

4. There is a fourth way in which the B2B merchant can request a B2B account on the front end of the website via the Trade Application Form. Once approved the company is auto-created inside B2B Edition.

When the Trade Professional Application is used to apply for a new company account on a storefront, the admin user included in the application will only have permissions for the storefront the application originated from. Additional storefronts can be added to this user inside the B2B Edition application via Companies > Company Detail > Company Users.

Note: Don't forget to set up notifications to receive emails when trade applications are submitted! You can also set these applications to be automatically approved and created with default payment methods and price lists.

Company Address Book

The Company address book is global and all company addresses will be visible on every storefront!


Step 9: Company Users

Storefront Access is set on the user level. The section covers how to add storefronts to company users inside the B2B Edition application.

Adding a Storefront for Existing Company Users

  1. Navigate to the Company Users section of the Company Detail page for the desired company/user.

  2. Edit the desired company user.

  3. Select Channel Access, and then the desired storefronts for the user.

    Note: You will also see additional non B2B storefronts listed here. Whatever you select here will override all storefront assignments in Bigcommerce. So if a non b2b storefront is already selected, or needs to be selected but isn't, it should be at this time to ensure the user has all the storefront assignments they require.

  4. This user now has access to the additional storefronts. They can use the login/password they have previously set up to access this storefront as well.

  5. Once logged in the user will have access to the B2B Edition Dashboard, and all company data within that storefront.

Adding a New Storefront to Multiple Users

Adding a new storefront to multiple users at once using the company export/import will be supported in a future release. This will allow for quicker bulk edits!

Adding a New User to Multiple Store Fronts

  1. To create a new user inside B2B Edition go to the desired Company Detail Page and toggle to Company User(s).

  2. Click the Add User button

  3. Fill out the customer details in the Add user modal.

    Origin Channel: This is the channel this customer originated from, or the default channel.

    Channel Access: Assign the desired storefront by clicking on the triangle drop-down and applying each one.

    Note: You will also see additional non B2B storefronts listed here. Whatever you select here will override all storefront assignments in Bigcommerce. So if a non b2b storefront is already selected, or needs to be selected but isn't, it should be at this time to ensure the user has all the storefront assignments they require.

  4. Once complete save, and the new user will be created! They will get a welcome email to set up a password for their account. The email and password set will work for all storefronts they have permission to access.


Step 10: Learn How Company Data Flows between BigCommerce and B2B Edition

Integrating any other systems with BigCommerce and B2B Edition? Then understanding how company data flows between BigCommerce and B2B Edition is essential! Reading this document will help you plan for your integrations with BigCommerce B2B edition.


Step 11: Configure Price Lists

Offer wholesale pricing? Special discounts? Do you have a complex pricing schedule that is customer-dependent? Price lists set the pricing structure of companies inside B2B Edition. A price list can be applied to each company created in B2B Edition which defines the pricing structure assigned to that company.

Creating a Price List in BigCommerce (Products > Price Lists)

  1. When you click "Create Price List", you’ll first be asked to give your price list a name. This is for your reference only and is not shown publicly.

  2. Toggle to "Published" so that the Price List is active.

  3. You can now add Price Overrides to be included with this Price List.

Assigning Price Lists In B2B Edition

Once a new company is added you can now enable a price list for each storefront under company detail > basic information. All available B2B storefronts will show up under the price list assignment module. However if no company users are assigned to a specific storefront, there is no need to apply a price list in its entry.


Step 12: What are Super Admins?

Once you’ve created company accounts for your customers, you’ll want to establish Super Admins to act as liaisons between your business and theirs.

The Super Admin feature is useful for members of your sales staff that regularly assist customers with their purchases. Super admins are typically used by merchants for sales reps that are assigned multiple companies to manage. A super admin is a member that can use the masquerade function to create orders, quotes, and manage invoices for companies on the front end of the website.

Super admins are similar to sales staff in function. However, they access and manage companies differently. Super admins manage companies on the front end of the website by using an account that can inject them as an admin into the company account to temporarily act on behalf of the company. Sales staff manage companies on the back end. Both can only access companies they are assigned to. The main difference in functionality is that only Super Admins can place orders on behalf of a company while only Sales Staff can quote a customer. A user can be both a member of the sales staff and a super admin.

Super Admins are storefront specific and will only have access to manage companies on the storefronts it has been assigned.

Super Admin Storefront Management

On the Super admin tab inside the B2B control panel, you are able to view and manage storefront assignments for Super Admins!

To view storefront assignments click the dropdown arrow in the storefronts section of the desired user.

To edit these assignments click "Edit" on the desired Super Admin user.

Adding a Storefront Assignment to a New Super Admin

  1. Navigate to the super admin tab of the B2B control panel and select "Add New"

  2. Fill out the user details and select the correct storefronts in the Channel Assignments

  3. Select save and welcome your new MSF super admin!


Step 13: B2B Buyer Side Features

All B2B buyer-side features are located within the front end and are therefore storefront specific.

Adding Company Users on the Storefront

Add Admins, Senior Buyers, and Junior Buyers to company accounts. When adding new company users via the front end. These users will only be assigned to the storefront on which they are added. Additional storefronts can be added to this user inside the B2B Edition application via Companies > Company Detail > Company Users.

Apply for a Company Account

When the Trade Professional Application is used to apply for a new company account on a storefront, the admin user included in the application will only have permissions for the storefront the application originated from. Additional storefronts can be added to this user inside the B2B Edition application via Companies > Company Detail > Company Users.

Other B2B Buyer Features Include:


Step 14: B2B Orders

The Orders menu lists all current B2B orders and tracks their status. This gives you quick and easy access to manage all of your B2B orders in one convenient location.

You can filter and manage your B2B orders by storefront via the orders tab inside the B2B Edition control panel.

Note: The only orders that are included in this list are for the companies set up in the B2B Edition application. For B2C orders please see the BigCommerce order menu.


Step 15: B2B Quoting

With the quoting feature, you can build a quote from scratch to offer customer-specific discounts or negotiate offer details with the buyers. You can also manage a quote request submitted from a company's storefront account.

There are three ways to create quotes inside B2B Edition.

Creating New Quotes inside the B2B Edition Dashboard

Quotes are storefront specific and can only be viewed, added, and purchased on the storefront they are assigned.

When creating a new quote, first select the company, and then the storefront.

Note: If you change the storefront mid-quote it will delete all product data, as this varies by storefront. It is essential to proceed with the correct storefront from the beginning to prevent data loss.

Storefronts share your store’s catalog. You can choose which products appear on which storefronts inside BigCommerce. When you enable a new storefront, product categories and therefore product visibility is not added by default. You must have products assigned to a storefront in order to add them to a quote.

Once the quote is complete, preview and submit it!

Once a quote has been created there is an in-quote messaging system to communicate and negotiate between parties. When both parties are satisfied, the buyer can self-service checkout inside BigCommerce or the Sales Rep can convert the quote into a BigCommerce Order.

Managing Quotes

You can now filter and manage your B2B quotes in one convenient dashboard via the quotes tab inside the B2B Edition control panel.

Don't forget to head over to the settings section to set up quote-specific settings! All settings pages are global, however, you will see select storefront-specific settings being added over the coming months!


Step 16: B2B Invoicing

Invoices are storefront specific and can only be viewed, created, and purchased on the storefront from which the original order originated.

An invoice allows for PO terms and partial/additional payments. They can be created for a single order, and each can include whichever products on the order you specify. The merchant is able to create or view all the orders with an invoice and review which invoices have been paid. They can also record any external payments, such as checks and cash. Alternatively, the B2B user can make payments with their credit card from the front end of the website.

Don't forget to head over to the settings section to set up invoice-specific settings! All settings pages are global, however, you will see select storefront-specific settings being added over the coming months!

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