Brand's challenges

The client had already been selling B2B before we started our cooperation, but the challenge was to scale the existing model in the context of differences between EU countries. Business customers from different countries had different needs regarding taxes, which required adapting the shopping process accordingly.

Our solutions

Instead of following the standard path of creating a separate B2B store, we decided to go for a more flexible and scalable solution: extending the existing shop to include wholesale functions for businesses, without separating sales channels. It was crucial that retail and business customers could use the same environment, but at the same time see different prices and have different purchasing terms, in line with EU VAT regulations. So what did we introduce?

Customer account registration and conversion

To enable business customers to use the wholesale offer seamlessly, we have developed two dedicated processes:

– Registration of a company account from scratch, where the user enters the company details, including the EU VAT number.

– Conversion of a retail account to a company account, for existing customers who wanted to switch to the B2B model.

– Both processes were integrated with a validation mechanism for company data and VAT numbers. This allows Bernstein to ensure that tax-free purchases are only made by validated businesses.

Validation of VAT by VIES

Validation of VAT numbers is done in real-time using the VIES (VAT Information Exchange System), run by the European Commission. As Shopify does not natively provide this functionality, we built our intermediate solution – an application that automatically validates the VAT number when registering or updating an account.

With this integration, the system independently verifies that the data matches and allows the customer to be assigned to a B2B group. In the event of incorrect data, the user is informed, and the account does not gain access to preferential terms.

VAT-free shopping – dynamic modification of the shopping cart

The implementation of the VAT-free sales mechanism required a deeper intervention in the shopping cart logic. Using Shopify Functions, specifically the Cart Transform mechanism, we built rules that dynamically recalculate the values in the shopping cart.

When a customer has an active “B2B” tag, has a correctly verified EU VAT number, and is shopping for a company based outside the supplier’s country (in line with EU regulations), the cart value will automatically be reduced by the VAT value, and the customer will see net prices. The whole process is seamless, with no additional interaction – the shop itself recognises the customer’s status and applies the appropriate pricing logic.

B2B loyalty program – four levels of discounts

To further motivate companies to buy more, we have implemented a tag-based B2B customer segmentation system. Business customers are assigned to one of four levels, depending on their order history, and automatically receive discounts assigned to the level.

This solution acts as a simple but effective business loyalty program, fostering a long-term relationship with wholesale customers and rewarding loyalty.

Common results

The implemented solution allowed our client to significantly streamline and structure the process of servicing business customers, without having to build a separate B2B shop. Thanks to the integration of VAT validation, automatic customer segmentation, and dynamic price modification, it was possible to create a shopping environment fully adapted to the realities of wholesale sales within the European Union. Retail customers continue to use the shop unchanged, while B2B customers, upon logging in, see individual prices and purchase terms – without tax and with additional discounts.

Bernstein has gained an intuitive and fully automated B2B handling system that not only eliminates tax errors but also strengthens relationships with loyal business partners. The new model makes it easier to scale sales in Europe, ensures tax compliance, and opens up space to further personalise the wholesale offering – all within a single, transparent sales platform on Shopify.