Is selling online the future?

18 August 2014


Andrew Wilkinson, sales director of Epicor asks if timber merchants are missing a trick when it comes to selling online


The vast majority of our existing builders' merchant customers have already invested in some form of online trading technology. And the consensus is that this type of self-service shop - usually perceived as 'another branch' that is accessible to both cash and trade customers - is driving customer loyalty and increasing repeat business.

So why are some timber merchants still resisting this opportunity when their builders' merchant brothers say it's growing business faster than an average branch - but without the overheads? Certainly customers of all types of merchant business are driving the implementation of this still relatively new buying channel.

In our non-business lives, all of us now expect to be able to buy anything at anytime, wherever we are - subject to a functioning internet connection of course. And this urge to buy online is doubtless being felt by a growing number of timber merchants' customers who want to buy their timber, pay their accounts or arrange their deliveries in the evening or at weekends, from home, from the office, or even on site, via a variety of mobile or desktop devices.

One perceived challenge might be the difficulty in successfully presenting timber products on line. Builders' merchants have access to more advanced catalogue information and high quality images of products such as bathroom suites and so on.

But this is where established trading relationships and trust will play a role in the success of a timber merchant's online trading solution.

A timber merchant will probably be able to divide his customers into two types - those who prefer to go and see the timber they are buying, and those who are happy to buy at arm's length, because they simply have more productive things to do than physically present themselves at a 'real' branch. The split between the two groups is still unclear but I believe the latter group is growing fast.

And the split is not, as some may suggest, by age. It's more about the mindset of those who are prepared to trust their supplier and their technology to deliver what they want - and where and when they want it.

When we have a good experience buying something online we're likely to use the same service again. Therefore the same trusting attitude will apply when buying from a timber merchant. And timber merchants already have a 'trusting community' of trade customers so they will already be in a strong position when they start to sell online.

Technology now supports online selling to trade customers and can take customer-specific pricing into account. The same solutions can also

be extended to use by a timber merchant's employees too, enabling them to build orders and quotes when they are out visiting their customers. It's also possible to take a two-tier approach and sell to cash customers through a separately branded online shop, while core trade customers purchase from a separate site.

Today selling timber may still be considered a 'trade experience' - and long may the inherent and positive implications of that last. But maybe it's time for timber merchants to enrich this experience and satisfy the retail-driven expectations of their loyal and trusting customers.