Powering Automotive B2B Ecommerce Growth: How to Equip Your Business for Success

The B2B automotive industry is accelerating into a digital-first future. More parts distributors turn to ecommerce to streamline operations, scale their businesses, and meet the needs of increasingly sophisticated buyers — from repair shops and service centers to fleet managers and independent mechanics. Whether selling aftermarket parts, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components, or bundles of related products, automotive businesses are under pressure to deliver a seamless, accurate, and efficient online buying experience.

Leading brands like Brock’s Performance, BB Wheels, OK4WD, and Ironman 4x4 are already investing in digital infrastructure to meet this demand — and they're choosing BigCommerce to help power their growth.

The numbers tell the story. In 2022, US ecommerce sales of motor vehicles and auto parts surpassed $560 billion, with B2B digital sales representing nearly half of all wholesale activity in the category. In 2025, more than half of B2B revenue for automotive companies will come from digital channels.

Despite this momentum, the B2B automotive space presents unique operational and technical challenges. Parts distributors must manage vast parts catalogs, ensure accurate fitment data, and support advanced capabilities like cross-referencing, part classification, and serialized part tracking. Buyers expect reliable, searchable product listings tied to specific vehicle makes, models, and years — and businesses need scalable systems and infrastructure to meet those expectations.

That’s where BigCommerce comes in. Built for modern B2B commerce, BigCommerce empowers automotive businesses to simplify complex workflows, meet rising customer expectations, and unlock new revenue opportunities in a rapidly evolving market.

Understanding the automotive B2B buyer

The B2B automotive industry serves a wide range of buyers, all relying on parts distributors to keep vehicles running and businesses moving. As digital adoption accelerates across the industry, these buyers turn to ecommerce for faster, more accurate access to the parts they need.

Independent repair shops.

Independent repair shops make up a large share of the market. These businesses need fast turnaround, accurate fitment data, and easy access to common repair parts and bundles. They value intuitive navigation, quick search, and effortless reordering. Tools like quick order forms, saved shopping lists, and quote requests help streamline their buying process and support high-volume purchases.

Fleet maintenance teams.

Fleet maintenance teams — supporting transportation, rental, and utility services — rely on access to OEM components and serialized parts. With tight service windows, they need real-time inventory, bulk ordering, and easy part number cross-referencing. Purchase order workflows and custom user roles help manage team permissions and approval flows.

Specialty mechanics and performance shops.

Specialty mechanics and performance shops often source niche or private-label parts, with added needs around coatings, branding, or packaging. They look for detailed specs, variant-level SKUs, and configurable products tailored to their specialty — from engine rebuilds to suspension upgrades.

National distributors.

National distributors manage large inventories across multiple locations and teams. They require buyer-specific pricing, custom catalogs, and tools to handle complex regional order flows. To serve diverse markets, they rely on multi-currency, multi-language, and cross-border compliance capabilities. Account hierarchies, shared carts, and quote workflows enable centralized purchasing with flexibility at the team level.

As expectations continue to rise, today’s buyers expect a fast, intuitive, and self-service buying experience. Whether an automotive B2B ecommerce brand is just starting out online or managing a mature digital operation, success hinges on delivering the right part, at the right time, with the right data.

Common challenges automotive businesses face

Running a successful automotive B2B ecommerce business means navigating a unique set of operational and sales complexities. From managing highly technical product catalogs to meeting the demands of diverse buyers, businesses face pressure on multiple fronts. These challenges can create friction across the customer journey — and without the right infrastructure, they can slow down growth.

Managing complex product data at scale.

Behind every successful B2B automotive transaction is a complex set of product data and operational demands. Brands must manage detailed catalogs filled with thousands of SKUs, each with specific part numbers, fitment information, and cross-referencing requirements. Maintaining accuracy across multiple channels is critical — even small inconsistencies can lead to incorrect orders, costly returns, and lost trust.

As catalogs grow, maintaining searchability becomes just as important as accuracy. Buyers expect intuitive lookup tools that can filter by make, model, year, and other variables — yet many systems struggle to keep up with that level of complexity.

Inventory adds another layer of difficulty. Parts are often spread across warehouses, suppliers, and third-party vendors, making it hard to provide real-time availability visibility without tightly integrated systems.

Some products also require customization, such as coatings or branded packaging. Businesses need the ability to handle these requests efficiently, without creating friction in the buying experience. And because parts range widely in size and weight, accurate shipping details are essential for setting expectations and avoiding fulfillment delays.

Supporting diverse buyer relationships.

Complexity doesn’t end at the product level — it extends into the sales process as well. Automotive parts distributors support a broad mix of customers, from independent repair shops to national service chains. Each buyer comes with their own expectations around pricing, communication, and order management. Managing these relationships at scale requires flexible tools that support customer-specific pricing, contract terms, and personalized catalogs.

Businesses must also navigate regulatory requirements that affect the buying process. Many customers — especially in commercial or fleet settings — need access to documentation such as certifications, safety records, or compliance files before completing a purchase. If this information isn’t readily accessible, it can delay the sales cycle or lead buyers to consider other vendors.

Serving such a diverse customer base introduces further challenges. Large buyers may expect dedicated account management, custom payment terms, or hierarchical user roles, while smaller shops often prioritize speed and simplicity. Balancing these expectations without adding friction to the experience requires scalable, flexible digital tools.

How BigCommerce tackles these obstacles

The challenges facing automotive B2B ecommerce brands are complex. BigCommerce is purpose-built to solve these industry-specific pain points with flexible tools, powerful integrations, and scalable features that boost revenue, streamline operations, and drive efficiency in real-world workflows.

Accurate, manageable product listings.

Auto parts businesses manage catalogs filled with thousands of highly specific products — each with unique fitment requirements, part numbers, serial numbers, and Bill of Materials (BOM) data. Keeping this information accurate and consistent across sales channels is critical, but often requires time-consuming manual updates or custom development.

BigCommerce simplifies that process, reducing manual effort and improving operational efficiency. Businesses can easily manage product listings and update complex data fields — like specifications, compliance details, or compatibility notes — without adding layers of custom code. They can also attach documentation such as certifications or regulatory records directly to product pages, giving buyers easy access to the information they need to complete a purchase with confidence.

Out-of-the-box functionality for bundling related parts also helps increase average order value by grouping compatible components together for easy purchase. And with support for dimensional data, businesses can surface accurate shipping rates based on product size, weight, and delivery requirements — helping set clear expectations and reduce fulfillment issues.

User-friendly catalogs with relevant categories.

B2B buyers expect to find the right part fast — and that starts with a well-structured catalog. BigCommerce helps automotive businesses build highly searchable storefronts that mirror how customers shop: by OEM vs. aftermarket, by part type (engine, suspension, transmission), or by function (maintenance, upgrade, repair).

Businesses can organize SKUs using meaningful categories, custom filters, and part classifications that simplify even the most complex product assortments. And with onboarding and ongoing support from BigCommerce’s B2B ecommerce experts and agency partners, internal teams can manage and evolve catalogs confidently — without needing constant developer involvement.

Buyer-specific catalog, product, and pricing customization.

In the B2B automotive world, no two buyers are exactly alike. Whether selling to a small repair shop or a national distributor, parts sellers need the flexibility to deliver buyer-specific catalogs, pricing, and promotions that reflect unique business terms.

BigCommerce makes that easy. Businesses can create tailored product assortments for each customer — from exclusive SKUs to discounted bundles — while managing pricing rules that reflect negotiated rates or volume tiers. It’s just as simple to add and edit customizations like private-labeled parts or value-added services, such as coatings or branded packaging, without needing a developer on call.

With flexible merchandising tools, businesses can create seamless, personalized buying experiences across a wide range of customer types.

Unified product data through pre-built system integrations.

Accurate product data is non-negotiable in B2B automotive — and that starts with integration. BigCommerce offers pre-built connectors for ERP, OMS, and PIM platforms, helping businesses get up and running quickly while minimizing data entry errors.

These integrations make it easy to sync inventory, product specs, documentation, and pricing across both B2B and B2C storefronts. Businesses can confidently manage cross-referenced part numbers, keep availability up to date, and surface accurate details within even the most customized buyer catalogs — all without relying on manual updates or disconnected systems.

By consolidating data and automating updates, BigCommerce improves operational efficiency across the business — reducing errors, saving time, and freeing up internal teams to focus on growth.

Built-in tools for large-scale, global, and multi-channel selling.

Serving a wide range of buyers requires flexible, scalable sales infrastructure. BigCommerce supports this with built-in tools that make sophisticated selling simple — whether you're focused exclusively on B2B or managing both B2B and B2C channels.

Businesses can create account hierarchies, assign user roles with custom permissions, and enable features like shared carts and team-based purchasing to serve enterprise clients effectively. Support for purchase orders, custom payment terms, and quote requests gives buyers the flexibility they need — while giving automotive brands full control over approvals, workflows, and order visibility.

For brands selling across regions and customer types, Multi-Storefront capabilities make it easy to manage B2B and B2C channels from a single platform — all while tailoring the experience for each audience. Combined with multi-currency, multi-language, and cross-border compliance support, BigCommerce helps businesses streamline operations and confidently scale into new markets.

Whether you're selling to one location or a global network of buyers, BigCommerce gives automotive brands the tools they need to operate efficiently, grow at scale, and support every customer with confidence.

Automotive brands that have seen success with BigCommerce

OK4WD.

OK4WD, a four-wheel drive parts and accessories supplier, needed a scalable, easy-to-manage ecommerce solution to better serve both B2B and B2C customers.

After migrating from Magento, the brand turned to BigCommerce for its robust out-of-the-box capabilities. Since launching, OK4WD has expanded its product catalog from 14,000 to over 45,000 SKUs and dramatically improved its wholesale buying experience with B2B Edition’s invoice portal — saving the team an average of 3.5 hours per day in order processing.

BigCommerce’s flexibility also enables OK4WD to integrate best-in-class tools like ShipperHQ and Google BigQuery, helping the team streamline shipping operations and gain deeper insights into customer behavior.

“We’ve almost doubled our conversion rate and sales since moving to BigCommerce. We also don’t have to do much backend work or maintenance because BigCommerce is so easy to use — so it’s been a win-win,” remarked Tim Earls, Operations Manager at OK4WD.

BB Wheels.

Aftermarket car parts brand BB Wheels needed a robust ecommerce platform that could support their large product catalog as they prepared to launch their online store. BigCommerce offered the perfect solution — with a low total cost of ownership, scalable catalog management, and user-friendly features.

Today, BB Wheels leverages BigCommerce to grow both the DTC and B2B sides of the business. Using features like customer groups and price lists, the brand delivers a personalized, seamless shopping experience for B2B buyers. They’ve also easily integrated their ERP, NetSuite, and third-party tools like Searchspring to enhance site search and streamline operations. Since launching their online store, they’ve seen a 63% increase in conversions and a 34% increase in revenue.

“With the complexity of how we built our products and the sheer size of our catalog, BigCommerce was the best affordable option,” shared Dean Goebel, President of BB Wheels.

The final word

The B2B automotive industry isn’t just moving online — it’s gaining speed. But selling auto parts at scale takes more than a basic ecommerce solution. From managing complex catalogs and buyer-specific pricing to supporting real-time inventory and backend integrations, automotive brands need a platform built for the realities of their business.

BigCommerce provides the tools they need to grow without limits — whether they’re just starting out or looking to scale an established operation. With the power of BigCommerce and B2B Edition, businesses can simplify workflows, deliver seamless buying experiences, and future-proof their ecommerce strategy with a flexible, powerful platform.

Ready to take your B2B business to the next level? Explore BigCommerce B2B Edition and see what’s possible — book a demo today.