What is business-to-business B2B? Definition, types, and examples

It refers to companies that sell products or services to government agencies, public institutions, or municipal bodies. The subscription model means you get regular updates and support without large upfront costs. These are cloud-based software tools sold on a subscription basis to other businesses.

Vertical B2B businesses serve a specific industry or supply chain (also known as a “vertical”). As of April 2026, stores on Shopify’s Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans can start selling wholesale using native B2B features, available directly in their admin at no additional cost. Today, Filtrous serves the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and other labs around the world with a modern B2B wholesale experience built on Shopify. B2B means selling products or services to other businesses. For example, many businesses purchase manufacturing equipment or machines to produce their finish goods. Two, products sold in business to business markets often tend to be more technical in nature because they are often large complex system for things like machinery and equipment.

The better platforms help buyers easily find information about the sellers and the relevant information about the products via the website. Typically, it involves companies that do not own or sell the products but serve as a platform to connect sellers and buyers online. It consolidates similar transactions from various industries into one platform, offering trading opportunities for both buyers and suppliers. Business-to-business (B2B, BtoB or B4B) refers to trade and commercial activity where a business sees other businesses as its customer base. B2G transactions often involve formal bidding processes, compliance requirements, and longer payment cycles than standard B2B deals.

Managing your B2B relationships

Our experience spans more than 145 countries and thousands of research programs, giving clients access to proven B2B best practices, specialist sector knowledge and global market understanding. Trusted by over 900 brands and backed by more than 4,000 B2B research programs, we bring a depth of experience that few can match. The key differences come down to whom you’re selling to and how relationships are managed.

Vertical B2B model

"As a company that has been in the wholesale shoe business for over 50 years, NuORDER by Lightspeed has helped b2b market segmentation Chinese Laundry streamline our sales process and subsequently increase our wholesale orders." An Interactive Guide to Leveraging Market Research to Deliver on Your CX Strategy Customer Experience (CX) covers all the interactions that a customer has with your brand. With over 16,000 buyers surveyed and 35,000 brand experiences tracked across…

Customization at scale

• Xero accounting software helps you strengthen your business relationships by automating invoicing, streamlining payments, and providing real-time financial visibility to build trust with your B2B partners.
• B2B partnerships help you reduce costs through shared resources and bulk purchasing power.
• Most B2B transactions follow a structured 5-step process that helps both sides reduce risk and build successful partnerships.

These transactions often involve structured business processes, longer decision cycles, and collaboration between sales professionals and buyers. B2B refers to business-to-business relationships where companies sell products or services to other companies rather than individual consumers. Yet 53% say brands still don’t understand which moments actually deserve personalization. “Our sales reps drive to different bike shops in America, and one feature we could not live without is the Shopify app,” says Lukas L. Dalsgaard, CeramicSpeed’s ecommerce specialist.

The main challenges are clean pricing logic, shared inventory visibility, and messaging that works for both a procurement lead and a first-time shopper. In the business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) model, you sell to businesses and reach the end customer either directly, through your partners, or both. Customer acquisition is expensive ($89, on average, for B2B ecommerce), and you’re dependent on suppliers to maintain a consistent flow of inventory. Peter Bendor-Samuel, founder of the research firm Everest Group, refers to vertical B2B as “the future of ecommerce.” However, focus comes with tradeoffs. Examples include Filtrous, a medical supplies brand, and, Wilcor which sells outdoors and camping equipment.