How B2B Quoting Works Today — And Why Most Merchants Still Struggle

Modern e-commerce platforms has made selling online incredibly simple. But as soon as merchants start receiving B2B requests — bulk orders, corporate clients, wholesalers, interior designers — things get more complicated. Unlike D2C sales, B2B deals rarely follow a straight path from “add to cart” to checkout.

Most B2B customers want quotes, custom pricing, delivery estimates, and personal communication. Many merchants still struggle with the messy, manual parts that sit between the initial request and the final order.

Here’s a clear look at how quoting actually works for online merchants today — and why it’s still one of the biggest bottlenecks as businesses scale.

Why B2B Quoting Feels So Different from D2C

D2C is predictable. B2B is the opposite — every deal has its own structure, quantities, pricing negotiations, and payment terms. For most merchants, this process is still handled with spreadsheets, email threads, and manual inventory checks.

Where Most Merchants Start: The Manual Quote

1. Check availability in your online store
2. Calculate pricing in a spreadsheet
3. Copy everything into an email or PDF
4. Wait → follow-up → re-enter the order manually

This works for a few quotes a month. It collapses the moment B2B becomes a real revenue channel.

Where Things Break as Volume Increases

1. Inventory Isn’t Accurate When You Quote

‍Multiple locations, pending POs, and manual adjustments mean you often quote stock that isn’t actually available.

→ That’s why real-time multi-location inventory is non-negotiable once you scale.

2. Pricing Gets Recalculated From Scratch Every Time

‍No customer-specific nets, forgotten tiered discounts, and human error creep in fast.

3. Communication Lives Across Too Many Places

‍Email, Slack, WhatsApp, notes — deals disappear.

4. Converting an Approved Quote Into an Order Is Pure PainSomeone has to recreate everything in their store system and pray the numbers still match.

What Modern B2B Quoting Should Look Like

In 2025, the best systems let your team:

• create beautiful quotes in seconds,
• pull products, pricing, and real-time stock directly from your online store,
• send digitally with one-click approval,
• track opens and follow-ups automatically,
• convert approved quotes into orders instantly — no retyping.

Why Merchants Still Struggle: The Missing Connection

Most merchants don’t struggle because quoting is hard — they struggle because their CRM, inventory, and online store aren’t truly connected.→ See exactly how proper workflow automation removes every bottleneck and why merchants eventually outgrow spreadsheets and disconnected apps.

The Future of B2B on Online

B2B is now one of the fastest-growing channels. The merchants who win make quoting feel as fast and professional as their D2C checkout.

Ready to send accurate, beautiful quotes that convert with one click — and never re-type an order again?

👉 Start your free TradeJunction trial today → see every CRM, quoting & inventory feature in action