A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
• 25.5% said they use Jewson, • 24% said they use Travis Perkins, • 22.5% said they use independent building merchants, • 18.5% said they use e-commerce sites (eg Powertoolmate, Build4Less, CMOTrade), • 12% said they use Selco, • 11.5% said they use Huws Gray/ Buildbase, • 6.5% said they use JT Atkinson, • 5.5% said they use MKM, • 3.5% said Other
“This means that in the case of some retailers – for example B&Q – a tradesperson could only be making occasional purchases. They may make fewer trips to some retailers listed but place high value orders for large quantities of stock. They may visit others several times in a week but only buy low value consumable items.“ He said that the survey found that the top three reasons for buying in person were: • Location (54.5%), • Customer service (54%), • Convenience (40.5%)
“Location is a key factor as the proximity of the store to the tradesperson will play a role in where they choose to go. Many will be looking to reduce lost billable hours by travelling the shortest distance possible in order to get a product in their hands. This may be a reason why nationals and DIY-focused chains secure trade business, because they operate hundreds of stores which means tradespeople are always near one.” However, Stratten said that he believes in- person trade sales also tap into the localisation retail trend that emerged during the pandemic. “Covid restrictions and changes to working and socialisation patterns, such as the rise of work from home, meant customers were shopping locally more. There was also a conscious shift among UK consumers to
January 2023
support independent businesses.”
Stratten continued: “Customer service is an equally important
influence. Tradespeople appreciate being able to talk to a person whether that’s for advice and recommendations, problem resolution or support. Buying in person provides a different kind of convenience to online shopping as it allows tradespeople to get the things they need right away. This can be the difference between being able to complete a job and not being able to work. In-store purchasing is particularly convenient when it comes to unplanned purchases such as broken tools, missing parts, last minute jobs, or impulse sales.”
For tradespeople who work alone and/or travel from job to job, Stratten said that buying supplies may be the only time that day that they get to speak to someone outside of the end customer. “This human side was shown to be even more important during the pandemic with one NBG Partner that we spoke to reporting that many tradespeople opted to pick up items from the store – even though they could have ordered online for delivery – because they wanted to interact with a person,” he said, adding that a physical branch can act as the equivalent of a watercooler, providing somewhere for tradespeople to connect with one another, and knowledgeable staff who understand their business.
NBG Partners interviewed for the study believe that service is a big influence. Stratten said: “Many said that a key difference between independent and national trade merchants is that customers have a direct line of communication to top management at an independent. This reassures them that if something goes wrong, or they have a
problem, they can speak to someone senior quickly to get it sorted.”
Personal relationships between customer and merchant were also a key reason to use an independent trade counter by both tradespeople and the merchants themselves. A personalised service is a major point of differentiation. Merchants questioned believe that the trade counter is essential in building these relationships, and that the independent merchant can help showcase products and draw tradespeople’s attention to things they may have overlooked or not discovered on their own. In turn, tradespeople place more trust in their recommendations as experts.
Stratten said: “It is very clear from our survey responses that a recognition of loyalty and the return relationship is appreciated. Tradespeople like getting special pricing, discounts and deals from independent merchants. Expert knowledge is vital as well. A tradesperson may not always consider every part or product needed to complete a job, so knowledgeable staff can play a vital role in making sure they get everything required in one trip rather than having to make multiple journeys.
“Unexpected issues can also arise on a site, so for tradespeople, being able to speak to someone they trust and get recommendations on how to solve those sudden problems is another valuable service. The smaller size of the independent trade merchant, and the lack of a large, complex management structure, offers a lot of benefits around flexibility and agility. This enables them to respond faster to customer needs or changes in the market.”
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