As the EC market grows, attention is being paid not only to the BtoC EC sites that consumers see, but also to BtoB EC sites.
Making good use of BtoB e-commerce sites can lead to improved business efficiency and the expansion of sales channels. For this reason, an increasing number of companies are launching or considering launching BtoB e-commerce sites. In response to such needs, there has been an increase in order-taking systems, e-commerce construction packages, and support services that cater to the unique business practices of BtoB transactions.
So what kind of examples of B2B e-commerce sites are there, and what kind of support services are available? In this article, we will look at B2B e-commerce sites, particularly those for furniture and interior goods, and explain their examples and characteristics, as well as systems and services that are useful for building and operating the site.
Please use this as a reference if you are considering launching a BtoB furniture and interior e-commerce site or if you are conducting market research.
Examples of furniture and interior design websites that actively use EC
As examples of e-commerce sites that sell furniture and interior goods, we will introduce seven e-commerce sites that sell to BtoB customers, comparing their distinctive features.
ECORO
Image source: https://ena-kagu.com/page/lp
This is a wholesale and purchasing site for interior furniture operated by Ina Co., Ltd. (established in 2007). The operator also has experience in operating BtoC e-commerce, and will introduce you to popular products based on their track record. In addition to wholesale sales, they also provide production support, such as providing web materials. Many of the users are companies with monthly sales of over 10 million yen.
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, prices will be displayed.
- Free registration
- 【Features】
- We also handle direct shipping to end users, lot orders, container orders, and OEM orders.
- Provides free downloadable web materials and images taken by professional photographers
- Orders placed before 11am will be shipped the same day
- [Payment method]
- Credit card
- PAID (Account Settlement)
SUPER DELIVERY
Image source: https://www.superdelivery.com/p/do/psl/5012/
A general wholesale and purchasing site operated by Raccoon Commerce Co., Ltd. (established in 2018), a subsidiary of Raccoon Holdings Co., Ltd. Super Delivery was established in 2002 and has over 1,700 companies exhibiting and handling over 1.18 million products. In addition to furniture and interior goods, it also handles materials for all kinds of stores and industries.
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, the price will be displayed. Depending on the company, application may be required.
- Monthly fee: 2,000 yen (excluding tax), free trial available
- 【Features】
- Approximately 75% or more of our products can be purchased individually.
- You can compare products from multiple exhibitors
- The wholesale price of interior goods is about 58% of the retail price (as of November 28, 2019)
- [Payment method]
- Paid
- Credit card
- Cash on delivery
SHOZAIOH (Merchandise King)
Image source: https://www.shozaioh.com/
A furniture wholesale website operated by Home Taste Co., Ltd. (established in 1997). The company plans and designs its own original products, which are produced at contract factories. The company specializes in furniture, with over 400 products (as of June 2020). In addition to selling products, the company also provides production support, such as providing web materials.
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, prices will be displayed.
- Free membership registration
- 【Features】
- More than 90% of our products are original and self-developed
- You can sell without having to hold inventory, and delivery can be handled on your behalf
- Free provision of professionally shot photos, product pages created by web designers, and cut-out images
- Some products come with a 3-month warranty
- Startup seminar held
- [Payment method]
- Bank transfer (prepaid)
- Credit card
- Orico end-of-year settlement
- Paid payment
MUSTBUY
Image source: https://must-buy.jp/
A purchasing and wholesale website for furniture and interior goods operated by Nakamura Co., Ltd. (established in 1977). It has a track record of 40 years of trading, mainly in the mail order industry. It also provides web materials and has support functions for streamlining business operations.
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, you can view the site.
- No registration fee
- 【Features】
- Providing materials such as professional photos, videos, and animations
- Prepare CSV for bulk registration on Rakuten for all products
- We can ship even one item directly without having to keep inventory.
- Eligible products will be shipped the next business day if ordered by 13:00
- Inventory lists, order history, etc. can be downloaded in CSV format
- [Payment method]
- Credit card payment
- Paid (deferred payment)
Mail Order Labo
Image source: http://tsuuhan-labo.jp/
An interior furniture wholesale website operated by JK Plan Co., Ltd. (established in 1990). With 28 years of experience in furniture wholesale, the company not only sells products, but also provides support for web production and sales promotion.
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, prices will be displayed.
- No registration fee
- 【Features】
- We have overseas offices, and local Japanese staff are in charge of pre-shipment inspection.
- Free provision of product pages (catchphrases, photography, page creation) and campaign banners
- CSV bulk registration function for inventory management and product registration service available
- We can ship directly from as little as one item without having to keep inventory.
- Support for after-sales service
- We can produce original furniture from 10 pieces.
- [Payment method]
- Paid
Zakkanet
Image source: https://www.zakka.net/c1/3/1/
Zakkanet Co., Ltd. (established in 2001) operates a B2B purchasing marketplace that brings together wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, and other businesses. In addition to furniture and interior goods, the site also handles a variety of other products. It is a place that is open to both buyers and suppliers (wholesalers and manufacturers).
- [Usage form]
- After logging in, prices will be displayed.
- Free to sign up (paid plans available for suppliers)
- 【Features】
- You can do business with individual suppliers
- Possible to negotiate with suppliers (wholesalers and manufacturers)
- You can search for the products you want on the buyer needs bulletin board.
- In many cases, you can purchase just one item.
- A wealth of exhibition information
- [Payment method]
- Varies by supplier
Seki Furniture Okawa Main Store
Image source: http://www.sekikagu-honten.jp/
An online store for furniture and interior goods operated by Seki Furniture Co., Ltd. (established in 1982). It is primarily aimed at BtoC customers, but also handles large orders and special orders from corporations. Seki Furniture is a company with a long history of manufacturing and selling furniture and interior goods, and also operates a number of original brands.
- [Usage form]
- Price and product lineup released
- 【Features】
- We also handle large orders and separate orders from corporations.
- Furniture repair service available
- Physical store available
- [Payment method]
- Credit card
- Cash on delivery
- Postpaid (convenience store)
Features of BtoB interior e-commerce sites
Website design with PC usage in mind
While many users of BtoC e-commerce sites are now browsing on smartphones, users of BtoB e-commerce sites, especially those in the furniture and interior design sector, still primarily use the site on a PC, as they browse and place orders on the site as part of their work. Therefore, BtoB e-commerce sites should be designed to be easy to use, assuming that they will be used on a PC.
B2C e-commerce sites, which have a large number of smartphone users, tend to require images that are easy to view on smartphones and minimal page transitions and scrolling, while B2B e-commerce sites require detailed product descriptions, categorization, and detailed instructions about ordering.
By using packages, ASPs, and production services that specialize in building BtoB EC sites, it becomes easier to design such BtoB EC sites.
Dealing with business practices unique to BtoB
Not limited to furniture and interior items, but in order to accommodate business practices unique to B2B, it is useful for B2B e-commerce sites to have the following functions:
- Estimate, credit
- Display of products, prices and payment methods for each supplier
- Price display according to order quantity and order amount
- Automatically read paper quotes, purchase orders, and invoices
- Partial delivery and shipping management to multiple locations
It is common for B2B e-commerce order systems and development services to support these types of functions.
Some sites are based on "quotes" rather than "purchases"
When corporations or sole proprietors purchase furniture and interior items from a B2B e-commerce site, they may end up purchasing in bulk.
For this reason, some B2B furniture and interior e-commerce sites have an ordering flow where customers receive a quote first, rather than simply adding the product to their cart and purchasing it.
It is common for B2B e-commerce sites to have a function that allows the user to set products and prices for each supplier, but some sites also allow the user to offer discounts at the time of quotation based on order quantity and amount.
Case study of B2B EC site based on quotation: Hastonet
Image source: https://www.hust.jp/
An online shopping site for commercial furniture for stores and restaurants operated by Hastonet Co., Ltd.
The wholesale price is made public, but before placing an order you select the product and quantity, request a quote, and after confirming the quote, officially place the order, make payment, and receive delivery. This is the order flow.
Accurate and speedy inventory management is required
As mentioned above, large-volume orders are common on B2B furniture and interior e-commerce sites. This requires forecasting best-selling items and managing inventory quickly.
It is important not only to ensure that stock is not depleted, but also to keep the inventory information on the website up to date and updated in real time. To achieve this, it is necessary to have an order system specialized for BtoB EC sites that smoothly links with the core system and logistics system.
Introducing useful services for BtoB interior e-commerce sites
Easy B2B
Image source: https://raku2bb.com/
This B2B cart web ordering system is provided by Net Shop Support Office Co., Ltd. (established in 2013), which produces and develops systems for online shops. It is equipped with the functions necessary for B2B transactions and functions that streamline operations.
- 【Features】
- You can set wholesale prices, sales channels, products, and payment methods for each business partner.
- AI OCR "automatic order form reading function" converts paper order forms into electronic data and allows management
- Linked to NP installment payment and many other external services
- [Price Plans]
- Light Plan Initial fee: 100,000 yen / Monthly fee: 50,000 yen
- Standard plan: Initial fee 100,000 yen, monthly fee 75,000 yen
- Enterprise plan: Initial fee 300,000 yen, monthly fee 150,000 yen
*AI OCR "automatic order form reading function" can be used from the standard plan
Aladdin EC
Image source: https://aladdin-ec.jp/
A BtoB EC customization package and web development system provided by I'LE Co., Ltd. (established in 1991). We can handle everything from building to operating BtoB EC sites. It offers more freedom in customization than ASP-type, and costs less than starting from scratch.
- 【Features】
- Equipped with standard features necessary for B2B transactions, such as displaying products, unit prices, and payment methods for each business partner
- Based on the B2B know-how of over 5,000 companies, we realize optimal customization for each industry.
- Easy integration with core systems, shipping label issuing systems, logistics systems, and payment systems
- [Price Plans]
- Fixed monthly fee, regardless of the number of registrations or orders
- Examples of site construction fees include 3 million yen, 5 million yen, 10 million yen, and 20 million yen.
EC-Rider B2B
Image source: https://ec-rider.net/
A BtoB EC site construction system provided by EC Rider Co., Ltd. (established in 2013). It can handle everything from construction to operation of BtoB EC sites. There are two plans: an easy-to-implement cloud ASP plant, and an on-premise plan that can be implemented as a unique system by purchasing a license.
- 【Features】
- E-marketplace function: It is possible to create a site where multiple suppliers can set up shop.
- Multi-supplier function: Inventory, manufacturing and delivery management at multiple locations possible
- Fax OCR integration function: Automatically reads fax contents and registers them in the system
- Organizational hierarchy management function: Approval and reporting between departments and to superiors can be done online
- [Price Plans]
- Light Plan: Initial fee from 100,000 yen (excluding tax) / Monthly fee from 50,000 yen (excluding tax)
- Business plan: Initial fee from 100,000 yen (excluding tax) / Monthly fee from 100,000 yen (excluding tax)
*In the case of cloud ASP. Other options and on-premise plans are also available.
summary
Looking at examples of BtoB furniture and interior e-commerce sites, we can see that there are two main patterns: sales sites run by companies involved in the planning and manufacturing of furniture and interior products in-house, and sales sites where multiple suppliers can gather to set up stores and sell products. If you are launching an e-commerce site, it is a good idea to clarify which type your company falls into before starting to build and operate the site.
In addition, the purpose of users who purchase furniture and interior items on B2B e-commerce sites is either to use the items as equipment for a brick-and-mortar shop, restaurant, or office, or to sell the purchased items themselves. The site settings and management policy will change depending on which type of user is being targeted.
If you are launching a B2B furniture and interior e-commerce site, first clarify these points and then refer to examples to think about what kind of site you want to create.
