Published on
September 9, 2025
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6
min
In the world of digital commerce, it’s tempting to think one platform can do it all. After all, if a system powers sleek, high-volume consumer sales, shouldn’t it be able to handle B2B too?
That assumption is one of the biggest roadblocks in the industry today. Too many businesses try to “bolt on” B2B features to their existing B2C stack (catalogue extensions here, bulk pricing add-ons there) only to find themselves stuck with clunky workflows..
However, what businesses need to understand is that B2B is not B2C with a bigger shopping cart.
It’s a fundamentally different model, with unique workflows, buyer expectations, and revenue structures as we discussed in part 1 of our blog.
And when businesses force B2B into a consumer-centric mould, they actively hold back growth.
This blog will explore why B2B needs a platform purpose-built for its complexity. We’ll unpack what makes its requirements different, why “consumerized” solutions fall short, and how forward-thinking organisations are re-architecting digital commerce to meet B2B needs head-on.
Ready when you are!
It’s easy to assume that B2B and B2C buyers are interchangeable. After all, they often share the same expectations shaped by their consumer experiences.
But while B2B buyers want the ease and speed of a B2C interface, the underlying transaction is entirely different.
Take purchasing flows, for example.
Speed matters, but accuracy and compliance matter even more.
Customisation is another key difference. B2C shoppers scroll through a catalogue and add items to their cart. B2B buyers often need to configure SKUs, request quotes, handle bulk orders, and work with complex product logic tailored to their business needs.
Finally, value in B2B is relationship-driven. Long-term loyalty, account management, and contract enforcement are central. Impulse buying or campaign-driven sales may influence B2C success, but in B2B, maintaining strong, strategic partnerships drives repeat revenue and long-term growth.
Many B2B companies attempt to adapt B2C platforms by adding features like bulk order forms or tiered pricing. At first glance, this seems like a practical solution. However, such adaptations often lead to significant challenges.
B2B pricing is highly personalised, often depending on negotiated contracts, purchase volumes, customer-specific agreements, and product configurations.
Unlike traditional retail, where most buyers see the same prices, B2B pricing is heavily customised.
Each buyer expects their unique price structure to be reflected accurately in real-time during every interaction with digital channels.
Attempting to fit complex B2B processes into B2C platforms often results in over-engineered systems.
While 90% of B2B purchasing is repeatable and straightforward, the remaining 10% involves special approvals and exceptions.
Designing systems to handle these edge cases can slow down the entire process and introduce unnecessary complexity.
A significant 84% of B2B buyers consider an easy, accurate online store experience crucial.
However, 68% are discouraged from ordering online due to order errors, with such issues occurring in 33% of total online orders.
This frustration can lead to buyers abandoning suppliers who fail to meet their digital expectations. In fact, 80% of frequent B2B buyers have switched suppliers at least once within 24 months due to misalignment with their expectations.
These challenges underscore the importance of adopting a digital commerce platform designed explicitly for B2B needs. Such platforms can handle complex pricing structures, streamline workflows, and provide a seamless user experience, thereby reducing friction and enhancing buyer satisfaction.
We talked about why B2B needs its own platform within a unified places with different business models, let’s look at what it needs from the platform.
These capabilities aren’t optional; they form the foundation of a platform that can handle the realities of modern B2B commerce.
Lidia Commerce delivers all of this in a modular, connected, and future-ready architecture. By building specifically for B2B, Lidia B2B enables businesses to adapt as buyer expectations evolve, without the friction and limitations of retrofitted B2C systems.
Treating B2B as just a “B2C add-on” is like trying to fit a high-performance engine into the wrong chassis. It might move, but it won’t scale, it won’t handle complexity, and it will cost more than it delivers.
Many companies have learned this the hard way, manual workarounds, frustrated buyers, and lost deals are all too common when B2B needs are forced into B2C frameworks.
At the same time, those who build with B2B at the core see measurable results: faster cycles, happier customers, and real growth.
In Part 3, we’ll explore how to unify B2B and B2C under a single, connected architecture, keeping each channel’s strengths intact without compromise.
Want to know more about B2B in detail? Contact Lidia Commerce and request a demo now!
