Tengiva vs Shopify: Which is best for your Textile Business?

If you're a textile supplier evaluating eCommerce platforms, you've likely considered Shopify. It's the dominant player in online retail. But here's the key question: Does a platform built for consumer retail truly serve the complexity of B2B textile commerce?

The answer depends entirely on how you sell and who you serve.

Quick Decision Framework

Choose Shopify if you're selling:

• Direct to consumers (B2C) in small quantities (under 5 meters)

• Limited stock or excess inventory to businesses (under 100 meters total)

• Finished products where buyers purchase ready-to-ship items in standard quantities

Choose Tengiva if you're selling:

• In-stock textiles with product lifetime volumes exceeding 1,000 meters

• Production orders requiring quotes, MOQ negotiation, and custom specifications

• Sample swatches alongside full orders. Serving designers and brands who need to test before committing

The Fundamental Difference: Transaction Complexity

Both platforms handle eCommerce well, but they're built for fundamentally different sales processes.

Shopify Excels at Single Transaction Types

Shopify was designed for straightforward consumer purchases: browse, add to cart, checkout. It's excellent when every transaction follows the same pattern, whether that's selling one meter of fabric or one finished product.

Best for:

• Selling fabric remnants or small quantities to hobbyists

• Liquidating excess stock in standard cuts

• Simple, uniform transactions where every buyer follows the same purchase flow

Tengiva Handles Three Transaction Types Simultaneously

Textile suppliers operate differently than retailers. A single client relationship might involve ordering sample swatches, purchasing in-stock textiles at varying quantities (5 meters to 2,000+ meters), and requesting production quotes. All with different workflows, pricing structures, and fulfillment processes.

Built for:

• Swatch sample requests (managed centrally by Tengiva)

• In-stock purchases with flexible minimums and quantity-based pricing

• Production quote requests requiring MOQ discussions, lead time negotiation, and custom specifications

This isn't three separate systems. It's one unified platform where buyers seamlessly move between transaction types as their needs evolve.

Platform Comparison: What You Get

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DIY vs. Turn-key: What This Means for Your Business

Shopify's DIY Approach

Shopify gives you powerful tools, but you're responsible for execution:

• Photography. You photograph products, edit images, and maintain visual consistency

• Setup. You select themes, configure checkout, set up payment processing

• Integration. You research and install apps for inventory, shipping, CRM, and more

• Maintenance. You troubleshoot plug-in conflicts and manage ongoing updates

• Legal. You ensure terms of service comply with B2B textile commerce regulations

• Sample Fulfillment. You manage individual swatch requests, packaging, and shipping

Time investment: Weeks to months depending on catalog size and technical comfort level
Ongoing effort: Regular maintenance, app management, troubleshooting, individual sample handling

This works well if:

• You have in-house technical resources

• Your catalog is small and relatively simple

• You enjoy hands-on platform management

• You're selling primarily B2C or simple B2B transactions

Tengiva's Turn-key Approach

Tengiva handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on sales:

• Digitalization included. We photograph your materials (4 photos per SKU), capture specifications, and set up each product professionally

• Textile-specific template. Purpose-built for textile commerce. MOQs, swatch requests, production quotes, and technical specifications are native features

• Hosted domain. Your branded storefront, fully hosted and maintained

• No plug-ins. All functionality built in. No hunting for apps or managing integrations

• Legal terms included. B2B textile terms of service drafted by industry specialists

• Centralized sample service. Tengiva manages all swatch fulfillment and shipping. You don't handle individual sample requests

Time investment: 2 weeks from when we receive your samples
Ongoing effort: Minimal. Update prices or inventory when they change (like updating a spreadsheet). Everything else runs automatically.

This works well if:

• You want to focus on sales, not platform management

• You handle complex B2B transactions (swatches, stock, production orders)

• You value speed to market over hands-on customization

• Your catalog includes high-volume products requiring sophisticated workflow

When Simple Isn't Enough: The B2B Textile Use Case

Here's a real scenario that illustrates why transaction complexity matters:

A fashion designer discovers your organic cotton jersey:

1. First contact. Requests swatch samples (2-3 colorways) to evaluate hand feel and drape

2. Sampling. Orders 15 meters in-stock to create prototypes and test construction

3. Production. After successful sampling, requests quote for 500-meter production order with specific finishing requirements

On Shopify:

• Swatch requests might happen via email or contact form (not integrated into platform)

• You handle individual sample packaging and shipping

• Stock purchase flows through standard checkout (works fine)

• Production quote requires separate communication. Quote management happens outside the platform

• Customer has three disconnected experiences

• You're managing multiple systems to serve one client

On Tengiva:

• All three transactions happen seamlessly within one platform

• Tengiva manages swatch fulfillment centrally. You don't ship individual samples

• Client history is unified. You see their entire relationship at a glance

• Swatch requests, stock orders, and production quotes are tracked together

• Client moves fluidly between transaction types as their project evolves

• You manage one relationship, one platform, complete visibility

This isn't hypothetical. This is how textile commerce actually works.

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Search Engine Optimization: Which Platform Ranks Better?

Both platforms offer solid technical SEO foundations, but there are important differences in how they serve the textile industry specifically.

Shopify SEO Strengths

• Excellent page speed and mobile optimization

• Clean URL structures

• Built-in blogging platform

• Large app ecosystem for advanced SEO features

• Extensive documentation and community support

Limitation for textile suppliers: Generic product schema doesn't capture textile-specific attributes (fiber content, weight, certifications, MOQs) that B2B buyers search for

Tengiva SEO Advantages

• Textile-specific schema. Products include industry-relevant attributes (composition, weight, certifications, origin) that search engines can index

• Rich technical specifications. Detailed product data improves relevance for technical searches

• B2B buyer intent optimization. Platform structured around how textile professionals actually search ("organic cotton jersey 200gsm GOTS certified" vs. "cotton fabric")

• Unified transaction history. Better user engagement metrics when clients complete multiple transaction types (signals quality to search engines)

• AI-optimized. Products automatically optimized for AI sourcing tools like ChatGPT and Claude

Key advantage: When buyers search for specific textile specifications, your products appear with complete, structured data that matches their technical requirements.

Cost Considerations: Total Investment

Shopify

• Monthly platform fees: $39-$399+ depending on plan

• Transaction fees: 0.5%-2% unless using Shopify Payments (paid by you, the supplier)

• App costs: $50-$300+/month for essential B2B functionality (wholesale pricing, quote management, advanced inventory)

• Setup time investment: Your team's time for photography, configuration, and ongoing maintenance

• Sample handling costs: Packaging, individual shipping, labor for fulfillment

• Typical total: $150-$600+/month plus significant time investment plus transaction fees on every sale

Tengiva

• One-time digitalization fee: $52/SKU (Discovery, 10 SKU minimum), $40/SKU (Growth, 50 SKU minimum), or $20/SKU (Enterprise, 1,000 SKU minimum)

• Monthly platform fee: $0 when you actively use the platform (Year 1 free with Growth/Enterprise, subsequent years free when you meet transaction minimums)

• Processing fee: 5% on in-stock orders (paid by buyer, not you)

• Transaction fees: $0 for production quotes (you handle payment directly)

• Digitalization included: Professional product photography and setup (no separate cost)

• Sample fulfillment: Managed by Tengiva (no individual handling costs)

• No app costs: All functionality built in

• Minimal time investment: Turn-key setup, minimal ongoing maintenance

Critical difference: With Tengiva, you receive 100% of your listed price. If you price fabric at $10/meter, you receive $10/meter. The buyer pays the 5% processing fee (on in-stock orders only). With Shopify, you pay transaction fees that come out of your revenue.

ROI consideration: One-time investment that becomes free with active use, plus time saved on platform management equals time invested in growing your business.

Making Your Decision

Choose Shopify if:

• You're selling primarily to consumers or small businesses

• Your catalog is simple with standard, uniform transactions

• You have technical resources in-house

• You prefer hands-on platform control

• Your volumes are modest (under 100 meters total stock)

• You want to handle all sample fulfillment yourself

Choose Tengiva if:

• You serve fashion brands, designers, or manufacturers

• You handle complex B2B workflows (swatches, stock, production quotes)

• You want turn-key setup with minimal ongoing management

• Your product lifetime volumes exceed 1,000 meters

• You want to focus on sales, not platform administration

• You want centralized sample management without individual fulfillment

• You want to keep 100% of your listed prices (buyers pay processing fees)

Not sure which fits your business? Consider a hybrid approach: Use Shopify for consumer-facing sales and Tengiva for your B2B wholesale channel. Many suppliers successfully operate both.

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Both Proudly Canadian 🇨🇦

Here's something we share: Tengiva and Shopify are both Canadian companies building world-class commerce infrastructure.

Shopify has proven that Canadian technology companies can compete globally in eCommerce. They've built an exceptional platform that powers millions of businesses worldwide.

Tengiva brings that same Canadian innovation and reliability to the specialized world of B2B textile commerce. Building infrastructure specifically for the complexity of how textiles actually move through the supply chain.

Different tools, different purposes, same commitment to Canadian excellence in technology.

Next Steps

Ready to see how Tengiva handles your specific business needs?

Get started with Tengiva →

Still think Shopify might be better for your needs?
That's completely fine. We're here to help you make the right choice for your business, even if that means recommending a different platform. The most important thing is finding infrastructure that serves your clients well.

Go to Shopify →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate from Shopify to Tengiva?
Yes. We handle product migration and can work alongside your existing Shopify store during transition.

Do you integrate with Shopify?
Not currently, but you can operate both platforms independently. Shopify for B2C, Tengiva for B2B.

What if my business grows beyond 1,000 meters?
Tengiva scales with you. Our infrastructure supports suppliers managing millions of meters across thousands of SKUs. Enterprise pricing drops to $20/SKU for packages of 1,000+ SKUs.

Can I customize the Tengiva platform?
Yes. While we provide a textile-specific template, you can personalize branding, content, and workflows to match your business.

Do I really pay $0 in monthly fees?
Yes. Year 1 is automatically free with Growth and Enterprise packages. Subsequent years are free when you meet transaction minimums (20 transactions in Year 2, 40 in Year 3, doubling annually, capped at 200). Active selling equals free platform.

Who pays the 5% processing fee?
The buyer pays the 5% processing fee on in-stock orders. You receive 100% of your listed price. Production quotes have no processing fee. You handle payment directly with the buyer.

What happens with the 5% processing fee? 1% goes to the Global Textile Community (including affiliate programs that help your sales efforts), 1% covers servers and automated logistics, and 3% goes to credit card processors and payment gateways.