Magento B2B Shared Catalog: Types and Workings

• What is a Magento B2B Shared Catalog?

• Types of Magento B2B Shared Catalog

• How Magento B2B Shared Catalog Works?

• Differences Between Public and Custom Shared Catalogs

• How to Troubleshoot Common Shared Catalog Issues?

• FAQs

• Summary

What is a Magento B2B Shared Catalog?

A Magento B2B shared catalog is a feature that enables businesses to create custom product catalogs for different B2B customers or customer groups.

B2B shared catalogs based on specific business needs allow merchants to tailor:

• Product visibility

• Pricing

• Availability

The Magento 2 B2B feature helps simplify the ordering process. It is by providing personalized catalogs with unique terms. These include negotiated prices and discounts.

The shared catalog feature is useful for businesses with multiple clients. It allows them to manage various product offerings without creating separate storefronts. It simplifies the B2B sales process and improves the customer experience.

Types of Magento B2B Shared Catalog

1. Default Shared Catalog

• The default catalog is available for all customers, regardless of their group. It typically contains a standard set of products with default pricing.

• It is ideal for businesses that don’t need specific product variations or prices for different customer groups. All customers can access the same catalog.

• Customization is limited to basic pricing and product visibility adjustments. Advanced customization requires additional catalogs.

2. Customer Group-Specific Catalog

• The catalog is targeted at specific customer groups. It allows businesses to create unique product offerings and pricing for each group. These include wholesale customers and retail customers.

• It is ideal for businesses that want to provide different products or special pricing for different types of customers.

• Customization is based on customer group membership. Businesses can:

  1. Assign specific products

  2. Set unique pricing

  3. Apply discount rules to these customer groups

3. Price-Specific Catalog

• A price-specific catalog allows for setting unique pricing for specific products. It is based on the customer’s characteristics. These include:

  1. Purchasing volume

  2. Loyalty

  3. Location

• Businesses with tiered pricing or volume-based discounts use it. It is also used by customers who qualify for special offers or negotiated prices.

• Prices can be customized according to predefined rules. The type of catalog allows businesses to offer customer-specific discounts.

4. Product-Specific Catalog

• The catalog type is focused on managing the products available to specific customers or customer groups.

• You can selectively make certain products visible or hidden based on customer criteria.

• It is useful for businesses that want to offer a tailored catalog based on the product needs of specific customers.

• You can control which products are visible to which customer group. You can also set special product visibility rules.

5. Custom Shared Catalog

• A custom shared catalog is fully customizable and can be tailored to meet specific business needs.

• The type of catalog offers flexibility in terms of both product visibility and pricing for different customer groups.

• The catalog is perfect for businesses with complex requirements, such as offering:

  1. Bespoke product bundles

  2. Special offers

  3. Highly customized pricing rules

• You can assign this catalog to one or more customer groups and apply unique pricing models or promotions.

6. Promotional Catalog

• A promotional catalog is designed to offer temporary promotions or sales to specific customer groups. It often comes with time-limited discounts or exclusive deals.

• It is used for special promotions or flash sales targeted at specific groups of customers.

• Prices or product visibility can be changed based on promotion rules. These include:

  1. Percentage discounts

  2. Fixed price reductions

  3. Bundle offers

• These are only available during the promotion period.

7. Category-Based Shared Catalog

• A category-based catalog organizes products by categories. It allows specific customer groups to access different categories based on their needs or business type.

• It is useful for businesses with a diverse product range. It allows them to organize products into categories. These are selectively available to certain customer groups.

• You can assign entire product categories to customer groups. It enables them to easily control access to large sets of products based on customer needs or relationships.

How Magento B2B Shared Catalog Works?

1. Catalog Creation

• Merchants can create one or more shared catalogs that contain a set of products, including:

  1. Pricing

  2. Availability

  3. Special offers

• These are tailored for specific customer groups or companies.

• These catalogs can be categorized based on product types, brands, or any other criteria.

2. Assigning Catalogs to Customers

• Once the catalog is created, the merchant can assign it to specific customer groups or individual business accounts.

• A wholesaler might get access to a catalog with bulk pricing. Retailers might get a different catalog with smaller quantities and different pricing terms.

• Customers only see the products and prices assigned to them. It ensures they have access to the most relevant offerings.

3. Custom Pricing and Discounts

• Merchants can set special pricing rules for each catalog. They can offer different discounts, negotiated prices, or even tiered pricing. It is based on the business relationship.

• A loyal customer might receive a volume discount. New customers could be given a one-time promotional discount.

  1. Volume-based Pricing: Discounts are based on the quantity of products purchased.

  2. Tiered Pricing: Different price levels depending on customer spending.

  3. Customer-Specific Pricing: Tailored prices for individual B2B customers based on negotiated terms.

4. Product Visibility

• Catalogs can include or exclude specific products based on customer needs.

• Certain products might only be available to high-volume businesses. Certain products are only offered at a discounted rate to specific groups.

• The level of customization ensures that customers only see what is relevant to their business.

  1. Product Visibility Rules: Admins can manage which products are visible to each customer group or business. It ensures that only the appropriate offerings are shown.

  2. Stock and Availability: Availability settings can also be adjusted. It ensures products are only visible if they are in stock or meet the required conditions.

5. Enhanced B2B Ordering Experience

• The shared catalog improves the ordering process by providing a streamlined, customer-specific catalog.

• It eliminates the need for B2B customers to sift through irrelevant products or pricing. It helps them easily find what they need quickly and efficiently.

  1. Search Filters and Navigation: Customers can search and filter products based on the custom catalog. It simplifies the decision-making process.

  2. Cart and Checkout: The process is also simplified. Customers see their agreed-upon pricing and product availability as they add items to their cart and proceed to checkout.

6. Flexible Pricing Rules

• Magento allows businesses to set specific pricing rules for B2B customers.

• It helps maintain dynamic pricing structures. These rules can be based on various factors:

  1. Price Adjustment: Add fixed price adjustments or percentage-based changes based on customer groups.

  2. Special Offers: Run exclusive promotions for certain customer segments or time-sensitive discounts.

  3. Contractual Pricing: Negotiate and lock in specific prices for long-term customers.

7. Admin Management

• Magento's admin panel provides a centralized interface for managing all the shared catalogs. These include:

  1. Creating and Editing Catalogs: Add or remove products from shared catalogs as business needs change.

  2. Assigning Customer Groups: Define which catalog applies to each customer or customer group.

  3. Updating Prices and Discounts: Make changes to pricing or promotions at any time. It ensures the catalog stays up-to-date.

Differences Between Public and Custom Shared Catalogs

Feature	Public Shared Catalog	Custom Shared Catalog
1. Access	It is available to all logged-in B2B customers.	It is restricted to assigned customer groups or individual accounts.
2. Product Selection	It includes a broad range of products. These are meant for general use by B2B customers.	It offers custom product selection based on customer needs or agreements.
3. Pricing	It offers standard pricing for all customers. There is no customization.	It offers tailored pricing for each customer group or individual account.
4. Discounts	It offers no custom discounts. Pricing remains the same for all customers.	It offers custom discounts based on customer group, volume, or negotiated terms.
5. Visibility Rules	Products are visible to all assigned customers.	Product visibility can be customized for specific customer groups or individual businesses.
6. Customization Flexibility	It offers limited customization for product visibility and availability.	It offers high customization in terms of product visibility, pricing, and availability. These are based on customer relationships.
7. Catalog Creation	One public catalog applies to all B2B customers.	Multiple catalogs can be created for different groups or businesses.
8. Use Case	It is suitable for businesses with standardized offerings and pricing.	It is ideal for businesses that need to cater to specific clients with unique needs.

How to Troubleshoot Common Shared Catalog Issues?

1. Product Not Showing in Shared Catalog

Products are not appearing in the shared catalog as expected.

Solution:

• Check if the product is assigned to the correct catalog and customer group.

• Ensure the product status is set to "Enabled" and stock is available.

• Verify that the product is within the visibility settings for the catalog.

• Make sure the product is in the correct category and that the category is assigned to the shared catalog.

• Review the product's price and tier pricing to ensure they align with the catalog’s rules.

2. Incorrect Pricing or Discounts

Prices in the catalog are incorrect, or discounts are not being applied.

Solution:

• Verify that the correct customer group is assigned to the catalog.

• Check if any catalog price rules or shopping cart price rules conflict with the intended pricing.

• Confirm that the tiered pricing or negotiated pricing is correctly configured. It is for the specific customer group or business account.

• Ensure the currency settings are correct if operating in multiple regions.

3. Customer Cannot Access the Catalog

A customer cannot view or access a shared catalog.

Solution:

• Ensure that the customer is assigned to the correct customer group.

• Check that the customer has been granted access to the specific catalog.

• Verify that the customer’s account status is "Active."

• Check permissions in the admin panel to ensure the customer has the right access rights.

• Review the customer account to make sure it is linked to the proper company.

4. Products Not Visible Based on Customer Group

Products are not showing for specific customer groups.

Solution:

• Ensure that the catalog is correctly assigned to the intended customer group.

• Check that the visibility settings of the products are correctly set to include the specific customer group.

• Confirm that the customer group settings in the shared catalog are correct.

5. Shared Catalogs Not Updating in Real-Time

Changes made to a catalog are not reflected immediately.

Solution:

• Clear Magento’s cache and reindex the catalog.

• Verify that the catalog indexing is correctly configured and functioning.

• Check the cron jobs to ensure that updates to the catalog are being processed on time.

6. Shared Catalog Missing in Admin Panel

The shared catalog is not appearing in the Admin Panel.

Solution:

• Check the store view settings to ensure the catalog is set up for the correct store or website.

• Verify the catalog’s activation status to ensure it’s not marked as "Inactive."

• Ensure that you have the correct admin permissions to view and manage the catalog.

7. Price Showing Incorrectly for Certain Products

Some products show the wrong price or no price at all.

Solution:

• Check the product's price configuration, including any custom pricing or price rules.

• Ensure the product is assigned to the correct customer group and price rule.

• Review the pricing for visibility and group-specific configurations. It helps ensure that there are no conflicts.

• Check if there are any catalog price rules or discounts affecting specific products.

FAQs

1. How do I create a new shared catalog in Magento 2?

Go to the Shared Catalogs page in the admin panel. Select "Create a shared catalog" and choose the corresponding customer group or company account. Then, add categories and products. Magento 2 offers the flexibility to create custom shared catalogs with unique pricing and visibility.

2. What are the two types of shared catalogs in Magento 2?

The default public shared catalog is available to all B2B customers. Custom shared catalogs allow merchants to create specialized catalogs. It is based on customer groups, company accounts, or specific pricing structures.

3. How can I manage and configure shared catalogs in Magento 2?

You can manage shared catalogs in Magento by accessing the Shared Catalogs grid in the admin panel. You can configure shared catalogs, add or remove products, and modify catalog records. Magento 2 supports creating many custom shared catalogs for different customer groups. It allows precise management of pricing and visibility.

4. Can I export or import shared catalogs in Magento 2?

Magento 2 supports the ability to import and export shared catalogs. You can easily export Magento 2 shared catalogs to a file or import a new catalog structure into your store. The feature allows B2B store owners to manage multiple shared catalogs. It is done with different pricing and catalog records across various company accounts.

Summary

A Magento B2B shared catalog allows businesses to create tailored product catalogs for specific B2B customers. The article explores the B2B features of the shared catalog, including:

• Allow personalized product catalogs based on customer needs.

• Different types include default, price-specific, and promotional catalogs.

• Catalogs can be customized for pricing and customer-specific offers.

• Admins can manage catalogs and update products and pricing efficiently.

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