B2B Catalogs and Custom Price Lists in Shopify Plus (Chapter 3)

In our last chapter, we walked through how to import your B2B products into Shopify. Now that your catalog is set up, the next step is organizing those products into catalogs and assigning custom price lists, two powerful tools that make Shopify’s B2B experience work for both you and your buyers.
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‍Why Catalogs and Price Lists Matter

‍In the world of B2B commerce, not every customer should see the same products. Or, the same prices. A small distributor in one region may only need a limited set of SKUs, while a larger customer may have access to your full line. Similarly, international buyers may require region-specific versions of your products.

This is where catalogs and price lists come into play.

• Catalogs control what a customer can see and purchase.
• Price lists control how much each customer pays.

Together, they give you the flexibility to serve different customer groups without cluttering the buying experience.

Assigning Catalogs and Price Lists to Companies

One thing that’s important to remember: catalogs and price lists are tied to companies and their locations in Shopify.

That means when you onboard a new customer, you’ll often need to create:

• A new company profile
• A location (if they have multiple warehouses or offices)
• And then assign the correct catalog and price list

This structure allows you to manage customer-specific rules at scale, while keeping everything organized in one Shopify admin.

Structuring Your B2B Catalogs

How you set up your catalogs depends on your business model. Here are a few common approaches:

• By customer segment: e.g., wholesale distributors vs. retail shops
• By geography: U.S. customers vs. European customers (with different SKUs or compliance requirements)
• By product line: separating consumables, spare parts, or premium products

This not only simplifies what buyers see, but also makes the admin side much cleaner for your team.

Custom Price Lists in Action

Every catalog comes with its own price list, meaning you can tailor pricing at the SKU level for each customer. That might mean:

• Offering volume discounts to high value buyers
• Adjusting for international exchange rates
• Setting customer-specific margins

And while Shopify doesn’t currently have a one click “duplicate catalog” button, you can work around this by exporting your catalog and price list via CSV, then reuploading it with modifications. This makes it easy to spin up a new customer catalog without starting from scratch.

Key Takeaway

If you’re moving your B2B business into Shopify Plus, catalogs and custom price lists are the foundation for managing a scalable, personalized experience for your customers. By combining them with company profiles and locations, you’ll be able to fine tune both visibility and pricing in a way that meets your customers where they are without overwhelming your backend operations.