Running Wholesale + Retail on Shopify (Without Losing Your Mind)

At some point, many brands come to me and say something like:
“We’re thinking about opening a second Shopify store just for wholesale.”

And almost every time, I gently say…
Let’s slow that down for a second.

In most cases, running two separate stores creates more work, more expense, and more room for things to go sideways. That’s why I often recommend running both wholesale and direct-to-consumer from one Shopify store using Wholesale Gorilla.

Here’s the real-world reason why.

One Store Is Just Easier (and Cleaner)

Two stores mean:

• Two inventories to manage
• Two dashboards to check
• Two themes, apps, updates, and issues

That’s a lot to juggle—especially for small teams or founder-led brands.

With Wholesale Gorilla, your wholesale customers simply log into your existing Shopify store. Retail shoppers see retail pricing. Wholesale buyers see wholesale pricing. Everyone stays in their lane.

No duplication. No syncing nightmares.

Inventory Stays Honest

Inventory issues are one of the fastest ways to stress out a business owner.

When wholesale and retail live in the same store:

• Inventory updates in real time
• You don’t oversell
• You don’t have to “guess” what’s actually available

Everything flows through one system, which is exactly how Shopify likes it—and frankly, how you should like it too.

Wholesale Still Feels Professional (and Private)

A common worry I hear is:
“Will wholesale still feel legit if it’s in the same store?”

Yes. Absolutely.

Wholesale Gorilla allows you to:

• Create approved wholesale accounts
• Hide wholesale pricing behind a login
• Set minimum order quantities
• Control which products or collections wholesalers can see

Your retail customers never know wholesale exists—and your wholesale buyers feel taken care of.

It Saves You Money (and Brain Space)

Two Shopify stores = double the monthly costs and double the maintenance.

One store means:

• One theme to maintain
• One set of apps
• One place to train staff or future helpers

I’m a big believer in simple systems that scale, and this setup does exactly that.

Why I Recommend This Setup

I’ve seen too many business owners start with two stores because they think it’s “more professional”… only to feel overwhelmed six months later.

This approach:

• Keeps things manageable
• Leaves room for growth
• Doesn’t box you into overbuilt systems too early

If you ever do outgrow it, you can always split later. But most brands don’t need that complexity upfront.

Bottom Line

Running wholesale and retail together using Wholesale Gorilla inside Shopify is one of those behind-the-scenes decisions that quietly makes everything easier.

Less admin.
Fewer mistakes.
More time to focus on growing your brand.

And honestly? Isn't that the goal?