Shopify vs Tundra: Choosing Your Ideal Wholesale Platform
By Sam Nguyen
Whether you’re starting an online store or expanding into the wholesale market, two popular platforms that are often considered are Shopify and Tundra. This comprehensive comparison delves into the key aspects of the two platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Shopify and Tundra are two platforms businesses can leverage to kickstart and expand their online presence.
- While Tundra focuses specifically on the wholesale marketplace, Shopify offers a comprehensive solution to launch and manage an online store. Shopify also offers Handshake as a dedicated solution for the wholesale industry.
- Shopify boasts numerous benefits compared to Tundra, including a comprehensive e-commerce solution, an extensive app marketplace, customization capabilities, scalability, and more.
Shopify vs Tundra: Quick Comparison
Tundra positions itself as a B2B marketplace, aiming to solve the wholesale problem more broadly. By maintaining a carefully selected network of sellers, Tundra is committed to offering high-quality products at prices that are often more favorable than traditional wholesale channels. Tundra can integrate with multiple e-commerce platforms, including Shopify.
Shopify stands as a comprehensive package of e-commerce solutions that empower entrepreneurs to build, launch, and grow their online stores, from inventory management to seamless customer experiences. It caters to B2B and B2C operations for businesses of all sizes. Specifically, Handshake by Shopify was built as a trusted platform connecting sellers and retailers in the wholesale marketplace.
This article will primarily focus specifically on the two platform’s shared characteristics: a place for wholesale buying and selling. Therefore, the main subjects of comparison will be Shopify Handshake and Tundra.
Shopify vs Tundra: Pros and Cons
| Shopify | Tundra | |
| Pros | User-friendly interface Ease of useFull control over your online store Omnichannel selling both online and offline Support for a wide range of product Comprehensive inventory management Diverse payment processors (in-house and third-party) Extensive integration with 8000+ apps on the Shopify App Store More customize options with 150+ available themes Upgraded marketing tools24/7 customer support | Easy-to-navigate platform No monthly subscription or commission fees High-security account checkingSimplified ordering process Promotion tools Tundra manages all shipping logistics Vast built-in audience |
| Cons | Monthly subscription fees Need for higher marketing efforts to drive traffic Complex setup process | Not able to deal directly with the supplier (No direct messaging within the platform) Restricted to small brands and makers No online store Limited customization options Limited branding and customization Competitive marketplace |
Shopify Handshake vs Tundra: Detailed Comparison
Commission fees (for suppliers)
Shopify Handshake
Handshake charges a 0% commission for any transaction or item sold on the platform.
Tundra
Tundra also has a zero-commission model, so sellers tend to keep more for their profit.
The Verdict
Both Shopify Handshake and Tundra offer a commission fee of 0%, which means users are free to use the standard functionality of the two platforms. However, Shopify Handshake might be appropriate for large sales volumes, and Tundra might fit a smaller-scale scenario.
Return policies (for buyers)
Shopify Handshake
The return policies for Shopify Handshake are determined by the individual suppliers and retailers using the platform. Each supplier may have its specific return policy.
Tundra
Tundra does not offer any returns.
The Verdict
It’s clear that Shopify Handshake’s return policy is more favorable to buyers, as it allows returns if products don’t meet their expectations. This is beneficial, particularly in the wholesale business, where dealing with large quantities of products is the norm.
Shipping
Shopify Handshake
The platform doesn’t cover shipping. Shipping rates on Shopify Handshake typically depend on the individual seller or brand, and they may offer various shipping carriers or work with third-party logistics providers to handle shipping. As a buyer on Handshake, you would need to coordinate shipping arrangements with each seller individually.
International shipping has not been supported yet.
Tundra
Tundra stands out for its capabilities in handling all shipping logistics, which means Tundra has free standard shipping on most products. They work with the best logistic partners, such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx.
Tundra supports international shipping, which approaches 200+ countries and territories.
The Verdict
Between the two platforms, the Tundra shipping service seems more convenient. Tundra may be a better fit if you value shipping options and worldwide shipping.
Countries’ availability
Shopify Handshake
Shopify’s wholesale marketplace supports transactions for buyers and sellers based in the US only. However, they intend to spread out to more countries and regions in the near future.
Tundra
Tundra operates primarily in the United States and Canada. While Tundra may have buyers from over 100 countries, its core warehouse, and store are centered around these two countries.
The Verdict
Tundra operates in multiple countries and has a broader international reach than Handshake. Tundra may benefit businesses operating more globally and seeking opportunities to engage with wholesale buyers and sellers from various countries.
Payout
Shopify Handshake
Users on Shopify Handshake will be paid immediately for orders that they send out. It does not support external payment providers so they will get the money directly through a credit card.
Handshake doesn’t charge any payout fees.
Tundra
Sellers will receive a notification email about the order’s successful payment from Tundra. The total product cost from the sale will be paid to your bank account within 1-2 working days after the order is delivered if you use a US bank account. Or else, transfers are made once a week for bank accounts outside of the US.
Tundra also doesn’t charge payout fees.
The Verdict
Shopify Handshake’s payout terms tend to offer more benefits to merchants. Instant payout provides immediate access to funds, allowing wholesale businesses, who usually have to deal with a large amount of capital, to address their financial needs promptly. Moreover, businesses can react swiftly to market changes, take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities, and adapt to unexpected circumstances without the constraint of delayed payments.
Integrations
Shopify Handshake
Shopify Handshake seamlessly integrates with the Shopify platform, providing online wholesale websites with the ability to efficiently manage both their wholesale and retail sales through a unified dashboard. However, it can only integrate with Shopify only.
Tundra
Tundra offers integrations with popular e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc., making it easier for businesses to incorporate them into their existing systems. Tundra also offers robust API integrations, allowing businesses to connect with their custom-built websites.
The Verdict
Clearly, Tundra has a more profound integration capability than Shopify Handshake. It may provide efficiency in every separate service.
However, when choosing Shopify Handshake, users can take advantage of the seamless synchronization within the Shopify ecosystem. Tundra’s integration, on the other hand, relies on APIs or third-party apps, which could potentially introduce risks such as security vulnerabilities, update delays, unsynchronized data, corruption, and more.
Key features for buyers and suppliers
Shopify Handshake
| For buyers | For sellers |
| No transaction fees Cost-effective options Clean and basic layout Smart product search and filtering Over 60,000 authenticity retailers Return policy | No commission fees Free entryShopify ecosystem Built-in online storesInstant payoutWholesale widgetMobile app Custom shipping rates |
Tundra
| For buyers | For sellers |
| No transaction fees 200+ countries and territories served 4,000+ suppliers Worldwide shipping support Competitive pricing#tag product searching | 0% commission fee A built-in network of buyers Order fulfillment Paid advertising options User-friendly dashboard |
The Verdict
Both marketplaces provide cost-effective solutions and tools to help wholesale merchants find desired products. While Shopify Handshake appears to cater more to sellers with its features, Tundra seems more geared toward buyers. In terms of features, it’s a draw between the two marketplaces.
Shopify vs Tundra: Who Should Use
Shopify
- Businesses sell a large volume of products
- Shopify merchants want to expand their business to wholesale
- Shopify buyers are looking to buy directly from the makers or suppliers.
- Makers who want to showcase their products to a network of retail businesses, even international
Tundra
- Suppliers looking to reach a wider audience online.
- Business buyers are looking for discounted prices for bulk orders and fee-free delivery.
- Suppliers are looking to simplify the order process and compete with larger companies without spending much money.
Bottom Line
This article has given the similarities and differences between Shopify and Tundra in the wholesale market. While Tundra seems to be a “veteran soldier” in the wholesale industry, Handshake, under Shopify’s control, is expected to scale up, upgrade, and become more powerful in the near future.
Shopify vs Tundra: FAQs
Create a Shopify account > Apply for Handshake > Wait for Approval > Set Up Your Handshake Profile > Create Product Listings > Manage Orders > Integrate Wholesale and Retail Operations > Promote Your Handshake Store > Provide Excellent Customer Service
Firstly, the platform generates income through shipping charges applied to the orders. This part of the revenue comes from the logistics side of their business. Secondly, they monetize through a pay-per-click advertising model. Brands aiming to increase their visibility and reach within the Tundra marketplace can opt for this paid advertising service.
- Create a Tundra Account: Before you start the integration, you’ll need to sign up for an account on Tundra’s website if you don’t have one already.
- Link Your Accounts with Shopify: You’ll be asked to access your Shopify store data via your Tundra account. This authorization allows the two platforms to share necessary data for your store to operate smoothly.
- Sync Your Products: After authorization, you can sync your Shopify store’s products with Tundra. This step may involve mapping your product details from Shopify to the corresponding fields in Tundra.
- Set Up Shipping: Define your shipping rules within Tundra. These rules will apply to the orders you receive through the platform.
- Test the Integration: Place a few test orders to ensure the integration is working correctly. Check if the orders placed on Tundra are appearing correctly in your Shopify dashboard.
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