Yes, this can be done, but it not an integrated part of the XLEcom program.

First of all I assume this scenario would be similar to a web store owner (you) being a distributor for Home Party products and your customers could be either sub-distributors or end-use customers.

There are two methods of approach that can implement a Login requirement. One is a simple 10 minute solution and the other one is a more involved, but slicker solution if you want to have an interactive relationship with your customers via your website. The two methods are stated below.

Method 1: Define a restricted area of your web site where visitors must login to gain access to your Ecommerce store.

Method 2: Setup your main website using a Contact Management System (CMS) and integrate the Ecommerce store into this CMS website. By implementing this method, you can both grant privileges to Users on a single or multiple role basis for access your Ecommerce store, and have an interactive relationship with your customers. This XLEcom website utilizes a Contact Management type System (CMS).

Implementing Method 1:
Define a restricted area on your web site where visitors must login to gain access to your Ecommerce store. This is achieved by creating a password-protected area (directory) on your web server and uploading the entire Ecommerce store to this password protected area. All you need then is a separate home page in the unprotected root directory of your site that has a link to the Ecommerce store. If a User click on the link, they will be prompted for a User name and password to gain access to the store.

Access using this method is managed via an .htaccess file. If you do not know how to create a password-protected area, then your web hosting company can either help you with it, or do it for you free of charge. If you know what you are doing, creating password-protected area should only take only a few minutes to complete.

Implementing Method 2:
Setup your main website using a Contact Management System (CMS) and integrate the Ecommerce store into this CMS website. A excellent CMS system that is powerful, easy to implement and administer, is Drupal available for free at Drupal.org. I have worked with many CMS systems in the past and Drupal is by far the one I would recommend as the easiest one to learn and use. If you decide to implement Drupal as the CMS system, remember to also add the separately available free module called node_privacy_byrole to your site so that you can restrict access to certain pages and to certain Users based on roles you have assign them.

Anyways, after you have the CMS website up and running and you have created all your static pages and forums topics for interactive support, create a new page (in Drupal, a page is called a Node), and assign which User roles have access to it. Next, place a link to your Ecommerce store on this restricted page. The CMS method also allows you the ability to have different stores with different prices for different Users based solely on the User roles you define.

In both methods, your Ecommerce store can be located in either a password-protected directory on your web server or at an entirely separate location.

Hope this helps,