Direct-to-consumer
D2C is a brand’s direct sale to consumers. Shop and ERP integrations must distinguish sales channel, customer type and access rules.
Direct-to-consumer, or D2C/DTC, means a brand or manufacturer sells directly to private consumers without an intermediary reseller. It is a form of B2C. If an individual buys the same branded goods from an independent retailer, that is B2C but not a D2C sale by that brand.
Transfer sales channel and customer type separately
A fictional brand connects its own shop and dealer portal to the same ERP. Both channels reference product record SKU-8. The integration design transfers the channel in channel and customer type in customerType:
Channel | Customer type | Sales relationship in the example |
|---|---|---|
|
| D2C |
|
| B2B |
These fields are our own data model, not a predefined Shopify API schema. A consumer flag alone is insufficient for D2C reporting; the relationship between brand and buyer must also fit. Conversely, a brand’s own shop can contain business orders.
Customer-specific prices and visible catalogues are tied to the verified customer association. A channel name or customer type sent by the browser grants no permission. Shop and portal can therefore use the same product master data while the integration correctly maps different sales relationships.
Sources
Related terms
- B2C commerceB2C commerce is a business selling to individual consumers. The term describes the buyer relationship, not a particular shop technology.
- B2B commerceB2B commerce is trade between businesses. Digital workflows need to connect the company, ordering person and applicable terms correctly.
- Delivery capabilityDelivery capability describes whether a specific request can be fulfilled. A stock value alone does not fully answer questions of quantity, destination and time.
- Order historyOrder history shows previous orders within an agreed account scope. Old prices, current availability and current processing remain separate information.
- Dealer portalA dealer portal gives affiliated dealers digital access to agreed information and workflows. Its scope and company assignment need to be clear.
- Billing addressThe billing address is a separate address in an order or invoicing process. It must not be accidentally swapped with the delivery address.
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E-Commerce with ASES
Online shops, marketplaces and B2B portals