What is eB2B? A Comprehensive Guide For Retail Brands

Picture this: your sales team is halfway through the month, trying to meet secondary targets. But instead of focusing on conversions, they’re juggling a patchwork of tools—manual calls, Excel sheets, and siloed ERPs to track customer orders. Retailers are unresponsive, distributors are unclear about order status, and your ERP shows a backlog of manual data entries. That’s where an eB2B platform steps in.

According to McKinsey, over $2.8 trillion in global retail trade still runs on fragmented, mostly manual workflows. That’s a massive opportunity for digitization. Post-COVID, even traditionally underserved markets have shown greater openness to adopting digital tools—making now the right moment for eB2B.

Small-format retailers face issues like stockouts, inconsistent pricing, and zero visibility into schemes. These frictions slow down order cycles and erode brand loyalty.

eB2B (electronic Business-to-Business) is the process of digitizing transactions and interactions between a brand and its business customers, such as retailers, distributors, and influencers. It replaces manual, unstructured order-taking with structured, always-on digital interfaces.

With eB2B, retailers can browse SKUs, apply trade schemes, and place orders at their convenience. Brands benefit from cleaner data, real-time visibility, and better collaboration with distributors and sales teams.

In this blog, we’ll explore how eB2B platforms tackle these challenges, what an effective eB2B workflow looks like, who benefits most, and how to navigate the build-vs-buy decision with confidence.

eB2B vs. B2C Commerce: Key Differences

While both involve digital ordering, eB2B and B2C platforms are fundamentally different in their users, workflows, and business logic. Here’s a quick comparison:

How Does an eB2B Platform Work?

An eB2B platform acts as a real-time digital bridge between your brand and your indirect sales network. When a retailer places an order, the platform:

• Validates SKUs and pricing logic
• Applies trade schemes automatically
• Pushes orders into ERP or DMS
• Notifies reps through their sales app

BeatRoute’s eB2B platform adds intelligence by syncing catalogs, checking inventory, and eliminating follow-up loops via WhatsApp or calls.

Who Should Use an eB2B Platform?

eB2B platforms are ideal for retail brands managing large indirect networks of distributors, retailers, and influencers. Sectors that benefit include:

• FMCG and Consumer Goods with high-SKU turnover
• Agri Inputs operating across rural belts
• Pharmaceuticals needing speed and precision in orders
• B2B businesses serving HoreCa, salons, industrial buyers, and project-based channels

Sales leaders, CIOs, and territory heads use eB2B to simplify, standardize, and scale their sales execution.

Top Benefits of Using an eB2B Platform

Faster order fulfillment
Real-time sync between retailer apps and backend systems ensures quicker processing and reduced order lag.

Improved distributor coordination
Distributors get immediate visibility into incoming orders and can plan deliveries more efficiently.

Self-service experience for retailers
Retailers browse SKUs, apply schemes, and order at their convenience without depending on field reps.

Deeper visibility into secondary sales
Get structured order data and SKU-level insights for better territory and supply chain planning.

Unified loyalty and execution alignment
Tie order targets, loyalty campaigns, and field execution goals together to maximize performance.

Challenges in Adopting eB2B

Despite the clear advantages, retail brands often encounter friction points when rolling out eB2B platforms:

Retailer App Fatigue
Many retailers are already juggling multiple apps from various brands. Without a user-friendly, multilingual interface and clear value proposition, your app risks low adoption.

Connectivity Gaps in Rural Areas
In regions with patchy internet, apps without offline capability become a bottleneck. Orders remain unplaced, and field teams struggle to close gaps.

Fragmented Rep Collaboration
When field reps and retailers don’t operate in sync, even digital orders can slip through. Sales reps need visibility into orders placed by retailers to follow up or assist.

Disconnected Systems Create Delays
If your eB2B tool isn’t integrated with DMS, ERP, or loyalty workflows, teams spend time reconciling data instead of driving sales.

Lack of Scheme Visibility
When retailers can’t see applicable trade schemes or promotional offers during ordering, they’re less likely to complete the purchase.

Tackling eB2B Pain Points with BeatRoute’s Goal-Driven AI Platform

BeatRoute enables brands to implement eB2B at scale through an integrated self-ordering platform that connects field reps, loyalty workflows, and backend systems into one seamless retail execution layer.

BeatRoute’s eB2B platform and app is built to streamline adoption and power execution with measurable outcomes. Here’s how it helps brands overcome common eB2B challenges:

1. Orders Synced to ERP and DMS
Retailer orders automatically integrate with backend systems for faster fulfillment.

2. Loyalty Rewards Tied to Sales Targets
Retailers get real-time points and incentives aligned with order goals.

3. Offline Order Capability
Orders placed in no-network zones sync once online, ensuring zero data loss.

4. Sales Rep Collaboration
Retailer orders appear in the rep’s app for timely follow-up and better sales conversion.

5. Multilingual Interface
Supports regional language preferences to engage Tier 2 and Tier 3 retailers.

6. White-Labeled Brand Experience
Boosts familiarity and adoption through a customized, brand-aligned UI.

7. Loyalty-First Design
Encourages retailers to place repeat orders and engage consistently.

8. Seamless Integrations
Connects eB2B with SFA, ERP, DMS, and loyalty platforms for complete visibility.

Build vs Buy: Should You Create Your Own eB2B Platform or Use a Ready-Made One

As more retail brands recognize the value of digitizing their secondary sales, the question inevitably arises: Should we build our own eB2B platform, or partner with a technology provider?

Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each approach to help you make a well-informed decision:

When to Build

• You have a large in-house tech team with deep e-commerce experience
• Your business model is highly niche and off-the-shelf platforms can’t accommodate it
• You’re prepared for long-term investment in updates, integrations, and retailer support

When to Buy

• You want to go live quickly and cost-effectively
• You need proven adoption workflows with loyalty and SFA already integrated
• You want scalability without the overhead of maintenance or rework

BeatRoute: We Build It. You Brand It

BeatRoute offers the best of both worlds:

• White-labeled UI that matches your brand
• Modular architecture for tailored rollouts
• Battle-tested design trusted by leading retail brands
• Built-in analytics, loyalty, and rep workflows for faster ROI

So the bottomline is, buying doesn’t mean compromising. It means accelerating your eB2B journey with a partner who’s already solved the adoption puzzle.

Take the First Step Toward eB2B Success with BeatRoute

Still evaluating? Let us help you compare options based on your goals.

Implementing eB2B with BeatRoute is simple, scalable, and impactful. Whether you’re just starting your digital journey or looking to upgrade your current process, BeatRoute helps you create a connected retail ecosystem that boosts sales, enhances loyalty, and improves execution.

Take the first step with BeatRoute—start digitizing your secondary sales and distributor coordination with a platform built for results.

Request a Demo and explore how eB2B can improve your sales outcomes.