An organisation can run several stores. All Stores lists them, and the Marketplace is what a buyer sees when more than one store is open to them.
Most networks need exactly one. Splitting has a real cost, so it is worth knowing what actually forces it.
Reasons to split
| Reason | Why one store will not do |
|---|---|
| Different currencies | Currency is set per store. This is the strongest reason to split, and the least negotiable. |
| Different tax treatment | Tax rate and whether prices include tax are per store. |
| Brands that must not see each other's trading | Manager access covers the whole store, so separation has to be at store level. |
| A genuinely separate catalogue | Where nothing is shared, one store is just two catalogues in a trench coat. |
Reasons that are not good enough
- Different products per brand — that is what product audiences are for.
- Tidiness — that is what categories are for.
- Different notification recipients — set those per category or per product.
THE TEST
If the difference is what people can see, use audiences and sharing. If the difference is the money — currency or tax — you need another store.
What is not shared between stores
Almost everything. Each store has its own products, categories, payment methods, customers, orders, subscriptions, receivables and reports. Nothing crosses between them.
A LOCATION BUYING FROM TWO STORES IS TWO CUSTOMERS
What buyers see
A tribe with access to one store goes straight to it. With access to several, they land on the Marketplace and pick. Name stores so that choice is obvious — "UFG Marketplace" and "Signarama Marketplace" work; "Store 1" and "Store 2" do not.
Before you create a second one
- Confirm the reason is currency, tax or genuine separation — not something audiences would solve.
- Set currency and tax before taking a single order; both are painful to change afterwards.
- Add payment methods, or nobody can check out.
- Decide who is shared in, and at what level.
- Accept that reporting is now per store, and someone will have to add the two together.