Your customers buy by part number on account, and your Shopify theme has no idea
Custom Shopify development for a Perth industrial or B2B supplier runs AUD $40k to $130k over 2 to 5 months. You go beyond a theme when you sell parts and consumables to trade and resources customers who buy by part number on account terms, which off-the-shelf Shopify themes are not built to handle.
Shopify themes and template stores are built for a shopper browsing a product catalogue and paying by card. A lot of Perth's online commerce isn't that. It's an industrial supplier selling fittings, PPE, hose and consumables to mine sites, trades and oil-and-gas contractors who order by part number, buy on 30-day account terms, and expect their negotiated price, not the retail one. Drop that operation onto a fashion theme and the whole experience fights your actual customer.
The cracks show fast: no account-based pricing, no fast part-number ordering, no integration to the ERP that holds real stock and credit terms. So your trade customers phone or email orders instead, and the store becomes a brochure while a person re-keys every order by hand.
- Your B2B customers order by part number on account, not by browsing
- Trade customers phone or email because the store can't price them right
- Stock and credit terms in the ERP never reach the storefront
- Someone re-keys online-adjacent orders by hand every day
- You sell standard consumer products paid by card
- A premium theme plus a B2B app covers your needs
- Order volume is low and manual handling is fine for now
- You don't need ERP-driven pricing or stock
- Account-based and contract pricing so each customer sees their negotiated rate
- Fast part-number entry and bulk reorder built for trade buyers, not browsers
- Account-terms checkout alongside card payment for credit customers
- Live ERP sync for real stock levels and credit limits
- Connects to inventory management software so the store never oversells
- Custom Shopify work costs more than buying and tweaking a premium theme
- Heavy customisation can complicate Shopify upgrades and app compatibility
- B2B features on Shopify sometimes push you to Shopify Plus pricing
- If you're genuinely simple consumer retail, this is money you don't need to spend
Shopify pricing in Perth: the real numbers
| Project scope | Typical cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Theme + B2B app configuration | $40k to $60k | 2 to 3 months |
| Custom B2B storefront with ERP sync | $70k to $130k | 3 to 5 months |
| Headless build for complex catalogues | $100k to $160k | 4 to 6 months |
The features that matter for Perth
What we build under shopify in Perth
Digital Heroes builds the full shopify stack for Perth teams. Typical engagements span:
Exactly what you get
You get a Shopify store that serves trade and resources buyers, not just card-paying shoppers. Account-based and contract pricing, fast part-number and bulk reordering, net-30 account checkout with credit checks, and live ERP sync so stock and pricing are real. Connected to your inventory management software, the store stops overselling and starts replacing the phone-and-email orders your team keys in by hand.
How to choose a developer in Perth
Find a Shopify team that has built B2B, not just pretty consumer stores. Ask to see a build with account pricing and ERP sync. Ask how a procurement-driven mine-site customer places a 40-line order. If they only talk themes and conversion-rate tricks, they don't understand your buyer. The right partner knows industrial commerce runs on part numbers, account terms and real stock, and builds for that.
From kickoff to launch: the schedule
- !They only show consumer storefronts. Ask for a B2B account-pricing build they've shipped
- !No ERP integration plan. Ask how stock and credit limits reach the store
- !They ignore account-terms checkout. Ask how a net-30 customer orders without a card
- !They over-customise the theme. Ask how their work survives Shopify platform updates
- !No part-number ordering. Ask how a trade buyer reorders 40 line items quickly
Teams investing in shopify in Perth usually scope it next to wordpress, pos, project management, since these systems share data and budgets.
Rohan advises mid-market and enterprise teams on ERP, CRM and custom software, and has led delivery on dozens of business-software builds.
Writes for Digital Heroes, shipping business software for 2,000+ brands across 55+ countries since 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Can't a premium theme plus an app do B2B?
Sometimes, for simple cases. But account-specific pricing, net-30 checkout and live ERP stock usually need custom development. A theme-plus-app setup tends to break down once contract pricing and credit limits enter the picture.
How does account pricing work?
Each logged-in customer sees their negotiated contract rate, driven by data synced from your ERP, instead of the public retail price. Pricing tiers and customer-specific rates are core to a B2B build.
Do we need Shopify Plus?
Often yes for serious B2B features, which adds to cost. A good developer will tell you upfront whether your requirements justify Plus or whether a standard plan plus custom work is enough.
What does it cost?
AUD $40k to $130k depending on whether you're configuring B2B apps or building a custom storefront with full ERP sync. Headless builds for complex catalogues run higher.
Will it stop the manual order re-keying?
That's the point. With part-number ordering, account pricing and ERP sync, trade customers order directly online at their real price, and your team stops re-keying phone and email orders by hand.