Matrix B2B

How It Works

This guide explains how the Quick Order Matrix works from a user perspective, helping you understand what your customers will experience and how to best configure it for your store.

Overview

The Quick Order Matrix transforms your standard Shopify collection page into a streamlined bulk ordering interface. Instead of clicking through individual product pages, customers can view all products and variants in one table and add multiple items to their cart at once.

Customer Experience

Viewing the Matrix

When customers visit a collection page with the Quick Order Matrix template:

  1. They see a table with all products and variants listed as rows

  2. Each row shows:

    • Product image (thumbnail)
    • Product name and variant (e.g., "T-Shirt - Small / Red")
    • SKU code (if enabled)
    • Stock status (In Stock / Low Stock / Out of Stock)
    • Quantity input field
    • Price total for that item

  3. A sticky footer at the bottom shows:

    • Total number of items selected
    • Total order value
    • "Add All to Cart" button

Placing an Order

The ordering process is simple:

  1. Browse - Customer scrolls through the table to find products
  2. Enter Quantities - Customer types quantities directly into input fields
  3. See Totals Update - As they type, the footer totals update in real-time
  4. Add to Cart - Customer clicks "Add All to Cart" button
  5. Redirect to Cart - Customer is taken to the cart page with all items added

How Products Are Displayed

Product Organization

Each Product = Multiple Rows

  • If a product has variants, each variant appears as its own row
  • Example: A T-Shirt with sizes (S, M, L) and colors (Red, Blue) creates 6 rows

Product Limit

  • Up to 200 products per collection are displayed
  • This ensures fast page loading (2-3 seconds)
  • For larger catalogs, organize products into multiple collections by category

Stock Status Display

The matrix automatically shows stock status for each variant:

In Stock (Green)

  • Inventory is above your low stock threshold (default: 10 units)
  • Customer can order any quantity
  • Quantity input is enabled

Low Stock (Yellow)

  • Inventory is at or below your low stock threshold
  • Shows exact quantity remaining (e.g., "Low Stock (3)")
  • Customer can still order, but sees limited availability
  • Quantity input is enabled

Out of Stock (Red)

  • Variant is not available or inventory is 0
  • Quantity input is disabled (grayed out)
  • Customer cannot add to cart

Real-Time Calculations

As customers enter quantities, the matrix automatically:

  • Counts total items - Sums all quantities entered
  • Calculates total value - Multiplies quantity × price for each item, then sums
  • Updates instantly - No page reload needed
  • Shows in footer - Always visible at bottom of screen

Cart Integration

When customers click "Add All to Cart":

  1. All items with quantities are collected
  2. Sent to Shopify Cart - Uses Shopify's standard cart system
  3. Items appear in cart - Just like adding from product pages
  4. Standard checkout - Customers proceed through normal Shopify checkout

The matrix works seamlessly with:

  • ✅ Shopify's standard cart
  • ✅ All payment methods
  • ✅ Shipping calculators
  • ✅ Discount codes
  • ✅ Customer accounts

Performance

Page Load Times

The matrix is optimized for performance:

  • 50 products: Less than 1 second to load
  • 100 products: 1-2 seconds to load
  • 200 products: 2-3 seconds to load (recommended maximum)

Why the 200 Product Limit?

Shopify's Liquid template rendering slows down with larger product counts. 200 products provides the best balance between:

  • Fast page loads
  • Substantial catalog size
  • Smooth user experience
  • Good performance on all devices

For Larger Catalogs: Create multiple collections organized by category:

  • "Wholesale - Electronics"
  • "Wholesale - Accessories"
  • "Wholesale - Apparel"

Customers can navigate between collections as needed.

Mobile Experience

The matrix is designed primarily for desktop use, but works on mobile:

  • Horizontal scrolling - Table scrolls left/right on small screens
  • Touch-friendly inputs - Quantity fields are easy to tap
  • Sticky footer - Order summary stays visible
  • Responsive design - Adapts to screen size

Best Practice: For best mobile experience, keep collections under 100 products.

What Happens Behind the Scenes

Server-Side Rendering

When a customer visits the collection page:

  1. Shopify loads the collection template
  2. The template generates HTML for all products and variants
  3. Stock status is calculated from current inventory
  4. Page is sent to the customer's browser

Client-Side Interactivity

Once the page loads:

  1. JavaScript (Alpine.js) makes the page interactive
  2. Quantity inputs are connected to calculations
  3. Totals update as customer types
  4. Cart submission uses Shopify's standard API

Limitations

To set proper expectations:

No Search Functionality

  • This free version doesn't include product search
  • Customers can use browser's Find function (Ctrl+F / Cmd+F) as a workaround
  • Full Matrix B2B theme (coming soon) will include advanced search

No Filtering or Sorting

  • Products display in collection order (set in Shopify admin)
  • Arrange your collection order to control display sequence

Standard Pricing Only

  • Shows standard product prices
  • No customer-specific pricing in this version
  • Full Matrix B2B theme will include custom price lists

200 Product Display Limit

  • Each collection shows up to 200 products
  • For larger catalogs, create multiple collections

Best Practices

Organizing Your Collections

By Category:

  • Create collections for each product category
  • Makes it easier for customers to find what they need
  • Keeps each collection under 200 products

By Customer Type:

  • Create separate collections for different customer segments
  • Example: "Retail Catalog" vs "Wholesale Catalog"

By Order Frequency:

  • Create collections for frequently ordered items
  • Makes reordering faster for regular customers

Setting Up Products

SKU Codes:

  • Assign SKU codes to all variants
  • Makes it easier for customers to identify products
  • Essential for B2B reordering

Product Images:

  • Add featured images to all products
  • Images help customers identify products quickly
  • 60x60px thumbnails are automatically optimized

Stock Management:

  • Keep inventory quantities accurate
  • Low stock threshold alerts customers to limited availability
  • Out of stock items are automatically disabled

Next Steps

Previous
Features & Capabilities
Next
Customization