Mastering Local Delivery for Your Shopify B2B Store: Workarounds and Best Practices
Running a B2B business on Shopify comes with its own unique set of challenges and requirements. One common pain point we often hear about at Shopping Cart Mover, and one that recently sparked a lively discussion in the Shopify Community, is the struggle to offer native local delivery options for wholesale customers.
Our friend @excelele perfectly articulated this frustration: "I was distraught finding out local delivery doesn’t work with B2B companies/customers and I have to use a third party app, since the feature worked so fluently for non-b2b." Many B2B merchants rely on local delivery for efficiency and customer satisfaction, especially for recurring orders. The core question resonated with many: "Any hope the feature will be available for b2b soon?"
While Shopify's native local delivery feature, with its radius-based zones and dedicated driver apps, is a fantastic tool for D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) stores, it doesn't currently extend to the self-serve B2B checkout experience. This distinction is crucial for businesses where wholesale buyers log in and place orders themselves. But don't despair! The community, with insights from experts like @veed, @One-Sun1995, and @Maciej_Lektoro, has developed some clever workarounds to bridge this gap.
Why Native B2B Local Delivery is Tricky (for now)
As @veed confirmed, Shopify’s B2B shipping documentation explicitly states that local delivery isn’t available in B2B checkout. This means that even if you have local delivery perfectly configured for your D2C side, it simply won't appear as an option for your B2B buyers when they're logged into their company account and proceeding through checkout. The B2B checkout environment is designed differently, prioritizing features like company profiles, net payment terms, and negotiated pricing, which currently don't include the specific logic for native local delivery.
This limitation often forces B2B merchants to consider third-party apps, which can add complexity and cost. However, with a bit of ingenuity, you can replicate the functionality using existing Shopify tools.
Workaround 1: The Draft Order Method (Ideal for Managed B2B Accounts)
If your B2B operations involve a sales team or account managers who often create orders on behalf of or in collaboration with your wholesale customers, the draft order method is a robust solution. This approach allows you to leverage Shopify's native local delivery functionality, albeit through a merchant-initiated process.
How the Draft Order Method Works:
This method, highlighted by @One-Sun1995 and @Maciej_Lektoro, involves you, the merchant, preselecting local delivery before sending the order to the customer for payment.
- Create a Draft Order: In your Shopify admin, navigate to Orders > Drafts and click "Create order."
- Select B2B Customer & Company Location: Choose the relevant B2B customer and their associated company location. This ensures B2B pricing and terms apply.
- Add Products & Delivery Address: Add the products to the order and specify the delivery address.
- Preselect Local Delivery: Under "Add shipping or delivery," select "Local delivery." Ensure your existing local delivery setup covers this specific address.
- Send Invoice/Checkout Link: Once local delivery is selected, send the invoice or checkout link to your B2B customer. They will then pay for the order with local delivery pre-selected.
Important Note: The customer can complete checkout with this preselected method, but they cannot change the delivery method themselves. After sending, reopen the draft to confirm the shipping line still shows your local delivery rate.
Pros & Cons of the Draft Order Method:
- Pros:
- Utilizes Shopify's native local delivery features.
- Simple for known, recurring wholesale accounts.
- Maintains a clean shipping line on the order.
- No need for third-party apps.
- Cons:
- Not a self-serve solution for customers.
- Requires manual intervention from the merchant or sales team.
- Less scalable for a very high volume of unique B2B orders.
Workaround 2: Rebuilding Local Delivery as a Regular Rate with Checkout Blocks (For Self-Serve B2B)
For B2B merchants who prioritize a self-serve checkout experience, @veed offered an ingenious solution: transforming your local delivery offering into a standard shipping rate and then using Shopify's free Checkout Blocks app to control its visibility based on location. This method effectively "hides" the rate for addresses outside your delivery zone, making it appear as a local delivery option for eligible B2B buyers.
Note: While Checkout Blocks is free, its delivery customizations (which this method relies on) typically require a Shopify Plus plan to access the full functionality needed for advanced shipping logic. If you're considering scaling your B2B operations, exploring Shopify Plus is a worthwhile investment.
How to Set Up Self-Serve B2B Local Delivery with Checkout Blocks:
- Configure Shipping Profile: Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery. Open the shipping profile that your B2B products use. Ensure it includes a shipping zone for your B2B market. Without this, B2B buyers won't see any shipping options.
- Add a Flat Rate: Within the zone that covers your local delivery area, add a new flat rate. Name it clearly, e.g., "Local Delivery (B2B)," set your price, and add any order minimum conditions.
- Install & Create Function in Checkout Blocks: Install the Checkout Blocks app. Navigate to Functions > Create function > Delivery > Hide.
- Hide Rate for Out-of-Area Postal Codes: Select your newly created "Local Delivery (B2B)" rate. Add a rule based on Shipping zipcode (postal code). Configure it to hide this rate for every postal code outside your defined delivery area.
- (Optional) Restrict to B2B Customers: If you also sell D2C and want your D2C customers to continue using the native local delivery feature, add a rule: Customer is B2B. This ensures your new rate only shows for B2B buyers.
- Activate the Function: Set the function to Active (it usually saves as a Draft first).
- Thorough Testing: Crucially, test this setup as one of your B2B contacts. Perform one checkout with a local address (within your delivery zone) and another with an address outside the area. Remember, B2B addresses are often prefilled from the company location, so the rate's visibility will depend on that location’s postal code.
Pros & Cons of the Checkout Blocks Method:
- Pros:
- Enables self-serve local delivery for B2B customers.
- Integrated directly into the Shopify checkout experience.
- Provides a clean shipping line on the order.
- Cons:
- You lose the advanced features of Shopify's native local delivery (e.g., radius-based zones, the Local Delivery app for drivers).
- Requires careful configuration of shipping rates and Checkout Blocks functions.
- Advanced delivery customizations in Checkout Blocks often require Shopify Plus.
Choosing the Right Solution for Your B2B Business
The best approach depends on your specific B2B operational flow:
- If your business primarily handles B2B orders through a sales team or account managers, the Draft Order Method is straightforward and leverages native functionality without extra apps.
- If you want your B2B customers to have a fully self-serve checkout experience with local delivery as an option, the Checkout Blocks Method is your go-to, especially if you're on Shopify Plus or considering it.
While we all hope for a fully native B2B local delivery feature in Shopify's self-serve checkout soon, these community-driven workarounds prove that with a little creativity, you can still deliver an excellent experience to your wholesale customers. At Shopping Cart Mover, we understand the nuances of setting up complex e-commerce solutions, especially when migrating or optimizing your Shopify store for B2B. Don't let shipping complexities hold back your wholesale growth.
Whether you're looking to optimize your existing Shopify B2B setup or planning a migration to a more robust platform, our team is here to help you navigate these challenges and ensure your store runs smoothly.