Handshake B2B Ecommerce Is Out. Now What?

So… Handshake’s Not Really Handshake Anymore

If you were a supplier relying on Handshake for B2B eCommerce, you might have noticed some significant changes, or perhaps the platform's disappearance altogether.

Since the acquisition by Shopify in 2019,  the direction of Handshake has transformed from being an e-commerce portal to a large-scale marketplace, giving retailers access to handpicked wholesale suppliers within the Shopify ecosystem. While beneficial for retailers looking for a place to source wholesale products, it leaves many suppliers stranded who want to do business outside of the Shopify environment.

What Happened to Handshake?

Originally, Handshake offered:

• Sales Rep Order Management: A mobile app enabling reps to place orders on the go.

• B2B Customer Catalogs: Customizable catalogs tailored for wholesale buyers.

• Multi-Channel Integration: Support for various sales channels beyond Shopify.

• EDI Capabilities: Electronic Data Interchange for seamless order transmission.

Post-acquisition, these functionalities have been phased out, focusing instead on integrating Handshake as a sales channel within Shopify, primarily serving U.S.-based retailers.

The Challenges for B2B

B2B workflows function differently for suppliers. When you sell in large quantities, provide customization to orders, and have multiple warehouses and locations to fulfill, complexity only increases. Shopify, while important in e-commerce workflows, was not built to handle and automate B2B order workflows, leaving suppliers with:

• Limited Flexibility: Suppliers not exclusively using Shopify find it difficult to integrate Handshake into their existing workflows.

• Reduced Functionality: The removal of key features like EDI and sales rep tools hampers efficient order management.

• Customer Experience: Buyers now face fragmented ordering processes, logging into multiple systems to place orders.

   

A Smarter Handshake Alternative for B2B 

B2B businesses are already feeling the pain of having to use Shopify - it truly wasn't built to solve the B2B e-commerce workflows you need to manage. What's worse is that it impedes your ability to enhance customer experiences. 

Your buyers have to log in individually to multiple supplier sites just to place their orders. 

Most tools, whether they're a high-end OMS or what was Handshake, aren't built to consider the entire order ecosystem. From a product development standpoint, it can make sense. For SaaS companies, it's fairly standard to build a product based on your ideal customer. But that means it's solely built for them.

What we end up seeing is order management systems that service brands selling DTC and large retailers that force brands to adapt to their standards.

OrderEase: The Hanshake B2B Commerce Alternative

With the right order management system, suppliers can scale beyond Shopify to optimize marketplace, EDI, and emailed orders. Suppliers are not solely doing business on Shopify, so why should they be limited there?  Brands and manufacturers that once used Handshake B2B need to expand their channels, but a lot of offerings only impede growth. 

OrderEase was built with a different goal in mind. Our system was developed by a retailer who saw how disconnected order management was from both ends of the supply chain with tools including: 

• Multi-Channel Order Capture: Consolidate orders from various sources into one system.

• ERP Integration: Sync orders directly with your existing ERP system, reducing manual entry.

• Custom Pricing and Catalogs: Tailor offerings for different customers or groups.

• Sales Rep Tools: Equip your team with mobile apps for efficient order placement.

• EDI and PDF Order Processing: Automate order intake from traditional formats.

OrderEase vs Handshake Comparison Table

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