Introduction
Choosing the right way to offer wholesale pricing is an important decision for your business. Our app provides two options: The Unified Storefront (aka Theme Integration), where wholesale customers shop directly on your storefront with wholesale pricing applied, and the Wholesale Portal, a separate login-only area hosted by our app.
By default, our app provides the Wholesale Portal, however, merchants typically see better results with The Unified Storefront, where wholesale customers shop directly on the storefront with wholesale pricing applied. This approach offers a seamless experience that aligns with the retail store’s design and functionality. If you prefer this option, our team can integrate it into your theme upon request. Later in this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to request integration and provide details on how long the process typically takes.
Unified Storefront vs. the Wholesale Portal
While both options allow for seamless wholesale ordering, merchants typically see better results with the unified approach, as it provides a more natural shopping experience. However, if your store relies on third-party apps that conflict with our wholesale pricing, the portal may be a necessary workaround. Understanding the differences will help you select the best solution for your business.
Unified Storefront (aka Theme Integration)
With this approach, wholesale customers log in and experience the shop exactly as retail customers do—same navigation, same product pages—but with wholesale pricing automatically applied. This creates a seamless experience, reducing friction and maintaining the shop’s branding and design.
- Customers shop naturally, just as they would on the retail site.
- No need to maintain separate wholesale pages.
- Supports promotional pricing options (e.g., showing crossed-out retail prices).
- Works with the existing storefront, ensuring the best user experience.
Wholesale Portal
This option provides a dedicated login-only area where wholesale customers browse products within a separate, app-hosted environment. This setup is useful if a merchant has third-party apps that conflict with our integrated wholesale pricing—apps that won’t function properly for wholesale customers in the main storefront.
Key considerations of using the Wholesale Portal:
- Good for avoiding conflicts with certain apps. However, these apps won’t function in the wholesale portal.
- Separate shopping environment. Customers must switch between retail and wholesale views.
- Less seamless experience. While the portal provides organization and quick ordering, it differs from the main store’s branding and design.
What we recommend
We see higher merchant success rates with acquiring customers and generating orders with The Unified Storefront because customers tend to enjoy a consistent and familiar shopping experience. The only time a merchant may need the Wholesale Portal is if an app conflict prevents wholesale pricing from displaying correctly. If using the portal, merchants should consider how this may affect the customer experience and the functionality of other essential apps.
Requesting storefront integration for a Unified Storefront
To request storefront integration:
- Navigate to the Online Store page in Wholesale Gorilla.
- Locate the Unified Storefront card and click Activate.
- If you do not see this option, you have likely already requested theme integration.
Once activated, one of our experts will begin integrating Wholesale Gorilla into your storefront theme. This process typically takes 1-2 business days. When the integration is complete, we’ll send a confirmation email to the merchant email on file. Once completed, your store will automatically switch from using the Wholesale Portal to The Unified Storefront, providing a seamless wholesale shopping experience.