CRM for Distributors: SimplyDepo, Zoey, and B2B Wave (What Actually Works)

Picking CRM for distributors is messier than it should be. Many platforms advertise themselves as “B2B-friendly.” The majority were designed for generic sales pipelines or online retailers. not managing a real wholesale distribution business.

Long-term customer accounts (not one-time deals), field sales and rep-led ordering, customer-specific pricing and catalogues, and frequent reorders directly linked to revenue are all things you need.

We are contrasting SimplyDepo, Zoey, and B2B Wave—three platforms that distributors actually assess.

Which is effective for distributors who wish to expand without becoming overwhelmed by complexity?

Let’s start by being truthful about what these are.

An online store with a contact list attached is not the same as a distributor CRM.

CRM for a real distributor is account-centric rather than deal-centric. links orders and sales activity directly. supports both customer self-service and field representatives. has a smooth accounting integration.

Reps won’t use your “CRM” if it exists independently of orders. They’ll find a way around it.

What You’re Actually Comparing Is This

SimplyDepo: CRM and ordering for distributors first. Designed from the ground up with wholesale in mind.

Zoey: It is a B2B online store. CRM is an afterthought, with an emphasis on online catalogues.

B2B Wave: Portal for wholesale orders. takes orders from clients without managing relationships.

various instruments. distinct occupations. distinct DNA.

SimplyDepo: The One Actually Built for This

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5

SimplyDepo is built from scratch for distributors and CPG companies where field sales, repeat business, and account management are important.

Why it works:

CRM organized around distributor accounts, not generic contacts. Order management stays where it belongs—in the CRM. Mobile-friendly for reps actually in the field. Customer portal for self-service reordering. QuickBooks, Stripe, Zebra scanners—just works. Live in days, not months.

What it does:

Account and territory management for your whole team. Sales activity linked directly to orders placed. Order history, reorders, customer pricing all linked. Rep-driven ordering and customer self-service. Real-time reporting showing what’s happening now.

The difference:

SimplyDepo links CRM to revenue. Your rep’s visit notes, customer history, and order entry all live together. Rep views account, places order, and leaves. One system does it all.

Why Zoey falls short for distributors:

Zoey works as B2B ecommerce software while it lacks any capacity to manage customer relationships. 

The Zoey system fails because

The CRM system offers only fundamental contact management functions. The system lacks any capabilities needed for field sales operations. The system provides only minimal functions for managing territory and sales representatives. The ordering process requires buyers to make purchases without any help from sales personnel. The system was designed for customers who want to browse online product catalogs instead of sales representatives who need to develop customer accounts.

Head-to-head:

Distributor CRM? SimplyDepo yes. Zoey weak. 

Field sales support? SimplyDepo yes. Zoey no. 

Native ordering in CRM? SimplyDepo yes. Zoey separate.

Users say: SimplyDepo 4.7, Zoey 3.9.

What this means: 

Zoey is suitable for online wholesale catalogs where customers can place orders themselves. It fails when field reps are responsible for sales and require real CRM features. 

Is your business “customers browse our catalog and order”? Zoey is a good fit. Is your business “reps visit accounts and build relationships”? Then you need SimplyDepo.

B2B Wave Gets You Started, Then Hits a Wall 

B2B Wave is a solution for small distributors who need simple B2B portals quickly and affordably.

Where B2B Wave falls short: 

CRM takes a backseat to ordering. Sales activity tracking is lacking. There are no effective field sales tools. Reporting and account insights are limited. It is designed for processing orders, not for managing relationships.

Head-to-head:

CRM depth? SimplyDepo full, B2B Wave basic.

Rep-led orders? SimplyDepo yes, B2B Wave no.

Account management? SimplyDepo advanced, B2B Wave limited.

Users say: SimplyDepo 4.7, B2B Wave 4.0.

What this means:

B2B Wave helps customers place orders online. However, it doesn’t help reps grow accounts or manage valuable relationships. If you only need a basic ordering portal and don’t require anything more, B2B Wave is an affordable option. But if you need to really manage customer relationships and grow accounts through field sales, it quickly falls short.

The Core Problem with Ecommerce Platforms

Zoey and B2B Wave face the same issue: they are built for transactions, not for relationships. They focus on buyers who click “add to cart” and complete their purchases. They do not support: 

Reps tracking visit history and account development. Territory management and rep responsibility. Providing pricing context during real selling conversations. CRM data that helps make revenue decisions. Without these features, reps ignore the CRM. Teams revert to spreadsheets. You end up with an ordering portal but no real customer relationship management. That isn’t CRM; that’s just a checkout page.

What Actually Happens with Proper CRM

Regional food distributor using SimplyDepo abandoned their ecommerce portal, separate CRM tool, and pricing spreadsheets. Average order value increased by 16%. Order cycles are 28% faster. Reps actually use the system because it helps them sell rather than create busywork. They moved from reps avoiding CRM and keeping customer notes in their heads to actively using it. Visit history and pricing are now available when taking orders. Customers shifted from calling to place orders to reordering themselves through the portal. They went from guessing about account health to seeing real data on every customer.

So Which One Should You Pick?

Go SimplyDepo if:

you want a real distributor CRM that connects sales activities to orders. Field reps drive your business and need the right tools. You need account management, not just transaction processing. You want one system to replace several scattered tools. You need to launch quickly without lengthy projects.

Go Zoey if:

Your business mainly relies on ecommerce, and you have little field sales. Customers place their own orders online. You don’t need complex CRM or sales tools for the field. Simple contact management is enough for you.

Go B2B Wave if:

You just need a simple wholesale ordering portal. The depth of your CRM isn’t important for your business right now. You’re very small and just starting out. It’s fine to add other tools later when you see that you need a real CRM.

Questions People Actually Ask

Is Zoey a distributor CRM? 

Zoey is mainly a B2B ecommerce platform with very limited CRM features. It excels at online ordering but fails at CRM.

Is B2B Wave good for sales teams? 

 B2B Wave focuses on ordering. It does not emphasize sales execution or CRM details. It is useful for simple portals but not effective for field sales.

Best CRM for distributors? 

SimplyDepo. The only built distributor first with native order management included.

Can one CRM replace multiple tools?

 Yeah. SimplyDepo replaces CRM, order management, and B2B portal all at once.

Does SimplyDepo support field sales? 

Field sales is core to how it’s built. Mobile-first for reps working in stores and warehouses all day.

What about QuickBooks integration?

 SimplyDepo syncs natively – customers, products, orders, invoices, payments all automatic. No manual exports.

How long to actually get running? 

SimplyDepo days. Zoey and B2B Wave depend on what you’re trying to make them do.

Works for small distributors? 

SimplyDepo scales from tiny teams to multi-region operations. Grows with you.

What This Really Comes Down To

If you’re looking at Zoey or B2B Wave as CRM, you’re probably noticing the difference between what they offer and what you really need. Ecommerce platforms handle ordering, and that’s all. Distribution CRM manages relationships, field sales, and account growth. It also links all of that to ordering. 

Zoey and B2B Wave were designed for completely different purposes. They focus on online catalogs, self-service ordering, and simple transactions where customers just reorder products. Distributors need more. 

They require access to customer history in the field, meaningful visit tracking, and territory management that keeps sales reps accountable. They need pricing context during sales talks and insights about accounts that inform real decisions. SimplyDepo’s designed specifically for distributors who need true CRM depth, quick setup, and seamless integrations. It connects CRM directly to orders. Stop trying to make ecommerce platforms do the work of CRM. Use software made for distribution from the start.