B2B (clinics) vs DTC (independent hygienists buying their own loupes), same store or split brands?

Depends on the brand split, not the customer split. Three patterns I see:

• Same Magento, customer-group-based visibility, the right answer for most distributors. Clinics log in → see B2B catalog + Net-30 + DSO pricing. Hygienists or solo dentists buy as a DTC customer → see retail pricing, card-only checkout, no Net-30. Same SKU pool, shared inventory, segregated pricing visibility. Implementation: Magento native customer groups + B2B Companies (Adobe Commerce) or Aheadworks (Open Source). 2-4 weeks.
• Same Magento, two storefronts (multi-store views), brand-split. yourdistributor.com for B2B clinics, yourdistributor-shop.com for DTC hygienists. Different visual language, different SEO posture, different marketing channels. Useful if the DTC business has its own brand identity (e.g. you sell instruments under your own brand to DTC + as private-label to clinics). Implementation: 4-8 weeks.
• Two separate Magento instances, only when the businesses are operationally separate (different teams, different ERPs, different fulfilment centres). Rare. Adds operational complexity that’s usually not worth it under $50M combined GMV.

Decision framework: if 80%+ of revenue is B2B clinics and DTC is a long-tail of solo hygienists buying personal-use items, go same-store same-brand. If DTC is 25%+ of revenue and has its own brand identity, split storefronts. If DTC is >50% of revenue, you’re actually a consumer dental brand with a side B2B business, the storefront priorities flip.