Customer Groups

Customer groups are the foundation of the wholesale system. They define which customers get special pricing, what discounts they receive, and any minimum order requirements.

Understanding Customer Groups

A customer group is a collection of customers who receive the same wholesale pricing and have the same order requirements. Common examples:

• VIP Wholesalers - Top-tier customers, highest discounts
• Distributors - Mid-level partners
• Resellers - Entry-level wholesale customers
• Corporate Accounts - B2B customers with negotiated rates

Creating a Customer Group

Step 1: Navigate to Customer Groups

1. Log in to admin panel
2. Go to Ecommerce > Wholesale > Customer Groups
3. Click the Create button

Step 2: Configure Basic Information

Field	Description	Example
Name	Descriptive group name	"Gold Resellers"
Description	Internal notes about this group	"Verified resellers with annual volume >$50K"
Status	Published (active) or Draft (inactive)	Published

Naming Convention

Use clear, descriptive names that indicate the discount level or customer type. For example: "Platinum - 25% Off" or "Distributor - Tier 1"

Step 3: Set Priority

Priority determines which group's settings take precedence when a customer belongs to multiple groups.

Priority	Typical Use
100	Platinum/VIP customers
75	Gold/Premium customers
50	Silver/Standard customers
25	Bronze/Entry customers

Higher numbers = higher priority

Important

Priority is only used when "Discount Resolution Strategy" is set to "Priority" in settings. Otherwise, the system uses "Highest" or "Lowest" discount strategy.

Step 4: Configure Discount Settings

Discount Type

Choose how discounts are calculated:

Percentage Discount

• Reduces product price by a percentage
• Example: 20% off a $100 product = $80
• Best for: Standard wholesale pricing

Fixed Amount Discount

• Reduces product price by a fixed dollar amount
• Example: $15 off a $100 product = $85
• Best for: Promotions, special pricing

Discount Value

Enter the amount or percentage:

• For Percentage: Enter 20 (for 20%)
• For Fixed Amount: Enter 15.00 (for $15 off)

Example Configurations:

Group	Type	Value	$100 Product	$50 Product
Platinum	Percentage	25	$75	$37.50
Gold	Percentage	20	$80	$40.00
Silver	Percentage	15	$85	$42.50
Bronze	Fixed	10	$90	$40.00

Step 5: Set Order Requirements

Minimum Order Quantity

The minimum number of items a customer must order across all products in cart.

Use Cases:

• Ensure profitable orders: Min 50 items
• Cover shipping costs: Min 100 items
• Match packaging: Min 24 items (2 cases)

Leave at 0 for no minimum.

Minimum Order Value

The minimum cart subtotal required to place an order.

Use Cases:

• Ensure order profitability: Min $500
• Cover shipping/handling: Min $250
• Tiered minimums: $100 (Bronze), $500 (Silver), $1000 (Gold)

Leave at 0 for no minimum.

Business Strategy

Set minimums that ensure profitability while remaining competitive. Consider your:

• Average order processing costs
• Shipping costs
• Profit margins
• Industry standards

Step 6: Save the Group

Click Save to create the customer group.

Managing Customer Groups

Editing Groups

1. Go to Ecommerce > Wholesale > Customer Groups
2. Find the group in the list
3. Click the Edit button
4. Make changes
5. Click Save

Price Changes

Changes to discount values take effect immediately for all customers in that group. Existing cart prices will update on next page load.

Duplicating Groups

To create similar groups quickly:

1. Edit an existing group
2. Change the name
3. Adjust discount values
4. Save as new group

Deleting Groups

Warning

Deleting a group removes all customer assignments. Customers will lose wholesale pricing.

1. Go to customer groups list
2. Click Delete button
3. Confirm deletion

Before deleting:

• Reassign customers to different group
• Or accept that they'll become regular retail customers

Activating/Deactivating Groups

Instead of deleting, you can deactivate groups:

1. Edit the group
2. Change Status to Draft
3. Save

Deactivated groups:

• Customers keep their assignments
• But group pricing doesn't apply
• Easy to reactivate later

Assigning Customers to Groups

Manual Assignment

1. Go to Customers in admin
2. Find and edit a customer
3. Scroll to "Wholesale Information" section
4. Select customer group(s)
5. Optionally set expiration date
6. Save customer

Assignment via Applications

When approving wholesale applications:

1. Go to Ecommerce > Wholesale > Applications
2. Click Approve on an application
3. Select appropriate customer group
4. System creates customer and assigns group
5. Customer receives approval email

Bulk Assignment

For assigning multiple customers at once, use database queries or contact support for assistance.

Customer Group Strategies

Strategy 1: Tiered Discount Structure

Create groups based on discount levels:

Group	Discount	Min Order	Target Customers
Platinum	25%	$2000	Top 10% customers
Gold	20%	$1000	High-volume buyers
Silver	15%	$500	Regular wholesale
Bronze	10%	$250	Entry-level wholesale

Strategy 2: Customer Type Based

Create groups based on business type:

Group	Discount	Min Order	Customer Type
Distributors	30%	$5000	Regional distributors
Retailers	20%	$1000	Retail store owners
Resellers	15%	$500	Online resellers
Corporate	10%	$500	B2B corporate accounts

Strategy 3: Volume Commitments

Create groups based on purchase commitments:

Group	Discount	Min Order	Annual Commitment
Elite	30%	$2000	$100,000+
Pro	25%	$1500	$50,000+
Standard	20%	$1000	$25,000+
Starter	15%	$500	$10,000+

Strategy 4: Hybrid Approach

Combine strategies:

Group	Discount	Min Order	Criteria
Diamond Distributor	35%	$5000	Distributors with $100K+ annual
Gold Distributor	30%	$3000	Distributors with $50K+ annual
Preferred Retailer	25%	$1500	Retailers with $25K+ annual
Standard Retailer	20%	$1000	Verified retail businesses
Reseller	15%	$500	Approved resellers

Advanced Group Features

Group Expiration

Set expiration dates on customer assignments:

Use Cases:

• Trial periods: 30-day trial in Gold group
• Seasonal promotions: Holiday pricing group
• Temporary upgrades: Reward high-volume months
• Contract periods: Annual agreements

When expired:

• Customer reverts to retail pricing
• Or assign to lower-tier group automatically

Multiple Group Membership

If "Allow Multiple Customer Groups" is enabled:

Benefits:

• Flexible pricing options
• Promotional groups + base groups
• Regional + tier-based groups

Conflict Resolution:

• Highest discount (default)
• Lowest discount
• Priority-based

Example:

• Customer in "Gold" (20% off) and "Holiday Promo" (25% off)
• With "Highest" strategy, they get 25% off
• With "Priority" strategy, higher priority group wins

Group-Specific Product Access

Combine groups with product restrictions:

1. Set product visibility to "Wholesale Only"
2. In product edit, select allowed groups
3. Only those groups can see/purchase

Use Case:

• Exclusive products for top-tier groups
• Clearance items for specific groups
• Pre-release products for VIP customers

Best Practices

1. Start Simple

Begin with 2-3 basic groups:

• Entry-level wholesale (10-15% off)
• Standard wholesale (15-20% off)
• Premium wholesale (20-25% off)

Add complexity as you learn what works.

2. Clear Qualification Criteria

Document requirements for each group:

• What business verification is needed?
• What sales volume qualifies?
• What order history is required?

3. Regular Review

• Quarterly: Review customer performance
• Annually: Reassess group structure
• Monitor: Which groups are most profitable
• Adjust: Discounts and minimums based on data

4. Communication

• Explain groups to customers
• Show qualification paths
• Highlight benefits of upgrading
• Send notifications when assigned

5. Competitive Analysis

• Research competitor pricing
• Understand industry standards
• Position groups strategically
• Maintain healthy margins

Troubleshooting

Customers not seeing discounted prices

1. Verify customer is assigned to group
2. Check group status is "Published"
3. Ensure customer is logged in
4. Clear all caches
5. Check expiration date on assignment

Wrong discount applying

1. Check if customer in multiple groups
2. Review discount resolution strategy
3. Verify group priorities
4. Look for pricing rules that override

Can't assign customer to group

1. Verify customer account exists
2. Check admin permissions
3. Ensure group is not deleted
4. Try clearing cache

Group changes not taking effect

1. Clear server cache
2. Clear browser cache
3. Log out and log back in
4. Check for pricing rules that override

Related Documentation

• Pricing Rules - Create tiered quantity pricing
• Admin Dashboard - Manage all wholesale features
• Configuration - System-wide wholesale settings