Key buyer features in our Food B2B marketplace

Buyers in an Food B2B marketplace include restaurants, grocery chains, distributors, and food service providers. They require tools that streamline procurement, ensure product quality, manage bulk orders, and optimize logistics. A seamless buyer experience ensures repeat purchases, higher order values, and long-term marketplace engagement.

Buyer account management

Multi-user accounts with Role-Based Access

In a B2B Food marketplace, purchasing is often a collaborative process, involving procurement managers, finance teams, and warehouse staff. Our Multi-User Account feature allows businesses, such as restaurant chains, grocery stores, and distributors, to manage purchases efficiently by assigning role-based access to different team members.

✅ Role-based permissions – Buyers can create multiple user accounts with specific roles, such as Procurement Manager (places orders), Finance (manages payments), and Warehouse Staff (tracks deliveries).

✅ Shared order & Budget management – Teams can collaborate on purchasing decisions, review past orders, and track spending in one place.

✅ Approval workflows – Set spending limits and order approval rules, ensuring controlled procurement across large organizations.

‍

Custom buyer profiles & preferences

In a B2B Food marketplace, buyers often reorder the same products from preferred vendors and use specific payment methods. Our Custom Buyer Profiles feature saves purchasing preferences, making the ordering process faster and more efficient.

✅ Saved order history – Buyers can quickly reorder past purchases without searching for individual products.

✅ Preferred vendor selection – Buyers can bookmark trusted suppliers, ensuring seamless repeat transactions.

✅ Stored payment & checkout preferences – Supports pre-selected payment methods, Net 30/60/90 terms, and tax settings for smoother checkouts.

‍

Multiple locations management

For B2B Food buyers, managing orders across multiple locations—such as restaurant chains, grocery stores, or distribution centers—is essential for efficient procurement. Our Multiple Locations Management feature allows buyers to assign different addresses, streamline order tracking, and optimize deliveries for each business location.

✅ Multiple shipping addresses – Buyers can store and manage multiple locations, selecting the right address at checkout.

✅ Location-based order management – Orders can be categorized by location, making it easy to track inventory needs for each business unit.

✅ Centralized account control – Buyers can view and manage all location-based orders from a single dashboard, improving operational efficiency.

‍

Product search & discovery

AI-powered search & filters & product recommendations with Algolia

Finding the right products in a B2B Food marketplace requires more than just basic search. Buyers need to filter by ingredients, certifications (FDA, USDA Organic), allergens, dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free), and bulk packaging options. Our system integrates Algolia, delivering fast, AI-powered search and advanced filtering for an optimized buying experience.

✅ AI-driven search – Algolia provides real-time, typo-tolerant, and intent-based search, helping buyers find products quickly.

✅ Advanced filtering – Buyers can filter by dietary needs, allergens, certifications, product format (cases, pallets), and more.

✅ Personalized recommendations – AI suggests frequently purchased or complementary products, increasing order efficiency.

Why Algolia?

Algolia powers search for top marketplaces because it delivers lightning-fast results, scalable infrastructure, and AI-driven relevance. It improves conversion rates, reduces search friction, and enhances buyer experience, making it the ideal solution for large-scale B2B platforms.

Order management & checkout

​​Request for Quotation (RFQ) system & custom contract pricing

In a B2B Food marketplace, pricing is often negotiable, especially for bulk orders, recurring purchases, and specialty products. Our RFQ system allows buyers to request custom pricing from vendors, while large buyers can establish long-term contract pricing with preferred suppliers.

✅ RFQ & Custom orders – Buyers can submit requests for special pricing, with vendors responding directly through the platform.

✅ Negotiation & approval workflow – Vendors can approve, counter, or reject RFQs, ensuring flexible deal-making.

✅ Custom contract pricing – Large buyers (e.g., restaurant chains, distributors) can set long-term pricing agreements with selected vendors for consistent, predictable costs.

‍

Multi-vendor cart & Split orders

In a B2B Food marketplace, buyers often need to source products from multiple vendors in a single order. Our Multi-Vendor Cart & Split Orders feature streamlines procurement by allowing buyers to checkout once while automatically splitting orders by vendor for seamless fulfillment.

✅ One checkout for multiple vendors – Buyers can add products from different suppliers to a single cart and complete checkout in one transaction.

✅ Automated order splitting – The system separates orders by vendor, ensuring each supplier receives only their relevant order details.

✅ Individual tracking & Fulfillment – Buyers can track each vendor’s order separately, with real-time updates on shipments and deliveries.

‍

One-click reordering & Scheduled reorders

In a B2B Food marketplace, buyers frequently reorder the same products, making speed and efficiency critical. Our One-Click Reordering & Scheduled Reorders feature allows businesses to quickly repurchase past orders with modifications or automate recurring deliveries for essential products.

✅ One-click reorder – Buyers can repurchase previous orders instantly, with the option to adjust quantities or remove items before checkout.

✅ Scheduled reorders – Buyers can set up automated recurring orders (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential products.

✅ Flexible modifications – Scheduled reorders can be edited, paused, or rescheduled anytime based on demand changes.

‍

Bulk order configurator

In a B2B Food marketplace, buyers often need to order large quantities of multiple SKUs at once. Our Bulk Order Configurator streamlines this process by allowing buyers to add, adjust, and review multiple products in a single view, making procurement faster and more efficient.

✅ Quick SKU entry – Buyers can search, filter, and add multiple SKUs to their order in one streamlined interface.

✅ Batch quantity adjustments – Quantities can be modified in bulk, ensuring easy adjustments for large orders.

✅ Live pricing & availability updates – Displays real-time stock levels and pricing based on volume and vendor-specific terms.

‍

Save multiple carts & approval workflow for large orders

In large organizations, high-value purchases often require internal approval before being finalized. Our system allows buyers to save multiple carts for different projects or departments and then submit them for approval through a structured workflow. This ensures that all significant purchases are reviewed by finance or procurement teams before proceeding.

✅ Multiple cart management – Buyers can create and save multiple carts, organizing orders by department, project, or location.

✅ Approval workflow integration – High-value or bulk orders can be submitted for approval, ensuring proper oversight and budget control.

✅ Custom approval rules – Admins can set spending limits and approval hierarchies, enabling a streamlined review process.

‍

Pre-order options

In a B2B Food marketplace, certain products experience high demand or seasonal shortages. Our Pre-Order Options feature allows buyers to secure inventory in advance, ensuring availability when they need it.

✅ Advance inventory reservations – Buyers can place orders for upcoming stock, guaranteeing supply before products become available.

✅ Estimated delivery dates – Vendors provide expected fulfillment timelines, keeping buyers informed.

✅ Priority fulfillment – Pre-orders are prioritized once inventory is restocked, reducing supply chain disruptions.

‍

Logistics & Delivery tracking

Delivery scheduling & Time slot selection

In a B2B Food marketplace, buyers need deliveries that align with their operational schedules, storage capacity, and receiving hours. Our Delivery Scheduling & Time Slot Selection feature allows buyers to choose preferred delivery windows, ensuring smooth and efficient order fulfillment.

✅ Flexible delivery slot selection – Buyers can choose specific dates and time windows that match their business operations.

✅ Carrier & Vendor coordination – Vendors and logistics providers receive real-time scheduling updates, ensuring on-time deliveries.

✅ Automated rescheduling – Buyers can modify delivery times if operational needs change, preventing disruptions.

Compliance & Quality assurance

Product quality assurance & reviews

Maintaining high-quality standards is essential in a B2B Food marketplace, where buyers rely on trusted suppliers for perishable and regulated goods. Our Product Quality Assurance & Reviews feature ensures transparency by allowing buyers to rate vendors and report quality issues directly through the platform.

✅ Vendor & Product ratings – Buyers can rate vendors based on product quality, packaging, and delivery performance, helping others make informed purchasing decisions.

✅ Issue reporting system – Buyers can report damaged, expired, or incorrect products, triggering automated dispute resolution if needed.

✅ Admin oversight & Compliance tracking – Marketplace admins can monitor recurring quality issues, ensuring only reliable vendors remain active.

‍

Customer support & Dispute resolution

Integrated buyer-seller chat

Clear communication between buyers and vendors is essential in a B2B Food marketplace, where order details, sample requests, and issue resolution require quick and direct interaction. Our system integrates TalkJS to provide a real-time chat solution, ensuring seamless buyer-vendor communication.

✅ Real-time messaging – Buyers can chat directly with vendors to discuss order details, request samples, or resolve disputes.

✅ Conversation history & notifications – Chat logs are stored for reference, and users receive email or in-app notifications for new messages.

✅ Admin oversight & moderation – Marketplace admins can monitor disputes and step in if needed, ensuring smooth conflict resolution.

Why TalkJS?

TalkJS is designed for online marketplaces, offering a customizable, plug-and-play chat interface with secure, scalable messaging. It ensures seamless buyer-seller interactions, reducing miscommunication and improving transaction efficiency. 

‍

Refund requests & Dispute escalation system

In a B2B Food marketplace, order issues like damaged, expired, or incorrect products must be resolved quickly to maintain trust and efficiency. Our Returns & Dispute Escalation System allows buyers to request refunds, initiate returns, and escalate unresolved disputes to marketplace admins for fair resolution.

✅ Return & Refund requests – Buyers can submit return or refund claims directly through the platform, specifying the reason and attaching supporting evidence (e.g., photos, invoices).

✅ Vendor-managed resolutions – Vendors can approve, deny, or propose a resolution (e.g., partial refund, replacement shipment) within a set response time.

✅ Dispute escalation to admins – If a vendor and buyer cannot resolve the issue, the case is escalated to marketplace admins, who review the case and enforce marketplace policies.

‍

Analytics

Order History & Sales Reports

Tracking past purchases is essential for B2B Food buyers to manage inventory, optimize procurement, and plan future orders. Our Order History & Sales Reports feature provides detailed insights into purchasing trends, helping buyers make data-driven decisions.

✅ Comprehensive order history – Buyers can view past purchases, reorder frequently bought items, and track spending patterns.

✅ Purchasing trends & insights – Provides breakdowns of order volume, category spend, and seasonal demand, helping businesses forecast needs.

✅ Downloadable reports – Buyers can export sales data for accounting, budgeting, and internal analysis.

‍