German market entry of a global player with B2B store: Heineken Blade

By setting up a shop with Shopify, including a customized design and B2B functionalities, Heineken was able to launch its new B2B brand in the German market within a few weeks.

Edelstahl Heineken Keg Bierzapfanlage mit Zapfhahn und Tropfschale unter transparentem Kuppeldeckel
Services
  • Shop Setup
  • Concept & Consulting
  • B2B
  • programming
  • Individual functionalities

With a B2B shop setup on Shopify, Heineken was able to enter the German market with its new brand Heineken Blade in just a few weeks.

  • The initial situation

    Heineken is known worldwide as a beer brand, a sponsor of major sporting and cultural events, and an integral part of the gastronomic landscape. In 2019, Heineken expanded its product line and introduced Heineken Blade, a special beer dispensing system for the snack bar and restaurant industry, to the German market.

  • The challenge

    The Heineken Blade brand was to be launched in German-speaking countries in just a few weeks. There was already experience and a theme base from other markets, but these had to be adapted to the needs and requirements of the German market. In addition, there were a number of unique requirements that also had to be implemented.
  • Schwarzes Smartphone vor grünem Hintergrund mit Websiteansicht tätowierten Barkeepers sowie Bier- und Ciderfässern

  • The solution approach

    Tante-e supported Heineken Germany in setting up the online shop on Shopify and implemented the necessary custom features within just four weeks. These included an age check, access restrictions, two B2B shops with different price displays depending on the retailer type, a dedicated login process for B2B customers, and integration with existing systems and processes.

The implementation

Shop Setup
Implementation of a custom theme tailored to the Heineken Blade brand.

B2B functionalities
Creation of two separate B2B shops, one for wholesalers and one for restaurants. Both shops had their own menu navigation, access pages, and product and pricing structures.

Access restriction & age check
Since alcoholic beverages are sold, access restrictions and age checks have been implemented.

Customer account customization
Implementation of individual account logins where specific requests can be made for different customer groups.

Approval process
The Heineken Blade team can grant access to the B2B shops individually.

Connection to external systems
Connection to external systems such as DHL Logistics and fulfillment service providers.

Advice
Advising the Heineken Blade team on the Shopify platform and how to get the most out of it.

The implementation

01

Shop Setup

Implementation of a custom theme tailored to the Heineken Blade brand.

02

B2B functionalities

Creation of two separate B2B shops, one for wholesalers and one for restaurants. Both shops had their own menu navigation, access pages, and product and pricing structures.

03

Access restriction & age check

Since alcoholic beverages are sold, access restrictions and age checks have been implemented.

04

Customer account customization

Implementation of individual account logins where specific requests can be made for different customer groups.

05

Approval process

The Heineken Blade team can grant access to the B2B shops individually.

06

Connection to external systems

Connection to external systems such as DHL Logistics and fulfillment service providers.

07

Advice

Advising the Heineken Blade team on the Shopify platform and how to get the most out of it.
Smartphone zeigt Anleitungsgrafik für Anschluss und Aktivierung eines Bierzapfgeräts mit Hand am Netzstecker und orangenem Knopf Smartphone auf grünem Hintergrund zeigt Online-Shopseite mit Heineken Blade Bierzapfanlage Smartphone zeigt Blade-Registrierungsformular mit Eingabefeldern für Name E-Mail Firmenname Passwort auf grünem Hintergrund Schwarzes Smartphone vor grünem Hintergrund mit Websiteansicht tätowierten Barkeepers sowie Bier- und Ciderfässern schwarzes Smartphone mit Gastro-Webseite und Zapfbierbild schwebend vor grünem Hintergrund

The results

Within just four weeks, a fully functional B2B online shop was launched, and Heineken Blade was successfully introduced to the German market. The resulting shop continues to reliably provide the foundation for sales even years later.

Lessons Learned

With clearly defined requirements and a dedicated focus from both parties, it's possible to build a B2B store on Shopify in a short time, as demonstrated by the Heineken Blade example. It also demonstrates that Shopify is a suitable platform for B2B businesses, provided the requirements aren't too complex.

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