VIEWPOINT
FIX IT AT THE COUNTER Samac Fixings sales & marketing director, James Robinson
WITH THE INCREASE in online purchasing options and economic factors, margins have become tighter for traditional builders merchants. The rapidly shifting industry shows how vital it is for trade counters to focus on added customer benefits.
Make sure you are tracking not only your own industry’s movements but the changes in markets that influence it. Power tool innovations, for example, have changed the demand for certain nails drastically. From the rise of gas nailers leading to the need for collated nails with included fuel cells, to now the increase in battery nailers, prompting us to offer our Viper collated nails without fuel cells. Even if you don’t sell products like power tools, tracking trends in surrounding markets can help you adapt your offerings early and stay competitive.
Market the trends Changing regulations strongly influence buying patterns and trends in builders merchants. For instance, the changes to Part L of the building regulations requiring thicker insulation and in turn longer fixings to secure them, leading us to extend our offerings, adding 220mm and 240mm screws to our performance plus range. Keeping these products in stock at your builders merchants solidifies you as a go-to for new builds and shows your expertise. Promote add-on sales by grouping screws/fixings with complementary products. For example, if you are selling a customer plasterboard there is a high probability they will need drywall fixings to go along with it. A simple prompt from counter staff, explaining the benefits of the right fixings for the material can lead to additional sales.
Necessity items like screws and
on demand spikes while also maintaining customer loyalty during quieter periods.
fixings are easy impulse purchases for general builders. However, the key is tidy, well organised displays with easily accessible products at the counter. One of our best countertop products is our new performance plus screw case. In our latest redesign we recognised its potential as a countertop bestseller and made the outer cardboard box ready to display packaging with an easy-access cutout.
Size Matters
Offering different quantities of products dependent on your merchant business is a great way to increase sales and foster strong customer relationships.
For example, if you run a timber yard, customers will typically need more structural screws than in a general builders merchants. This means that you can sell bigger tubs of structural screws at a reduced cost per screw, saving both you and your customers money.
On the other hand, if you are a general builders merchants, stocking something like our small pre-packs of structural screws might be more beneficial for customers that only need them for a single job.
November 2025
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Support specialist lines Specialist screws and fixings deliver higher margins for builders merchants and often a better end result for the customer. However, we have found that specialist products require more point- of-sale material (informational diagrams, technical documents, usage guides) to assure the customer they are buying the right product for the job. We found this most recently with our new flat roof insulation fasteners, their unique design to reduce thermal bridging made it hard for the customer to conceptualise their use case leading to the need for diagrams to show their added benefits over traditional methods.
Seasonal Spotlight Focus on timely cues in your displays, such as exterior fixings and decking screws in the Spring and Summer months, and insulation fixings in Winter. Many merchants run product specific spring garden marketing campaigns with great success. Plan your marketing in advance so you can roll them out rapidly and cost effectively and ensure the right products are available at the right time, capitalising
Performance not price Too often selling products in builders merchants can become a race to the bottom on price, higher footfall but slimmer margins. Instead, we have found a well-trained team of friendly staff who are clued up on a wide range of product info can explain why a customer should pay more for a better product, highlighting how it’s going to help them on site and improve the finished product. This reduces returns, increases customer loyalty and most importantly keeps margins healthy across your stocked products.
POS should educate customers. It’s great to be eye-catching, and we put a lot of focus into finding colours that you can’t ignore. But, on the other hand, sometimes it can be confusing for customers if not accompanied by a quick to reference chart or leaflet. Having something that not only guides customers but shows them the breadth of the range can boost purchasing confidence and make upsells easier.
An overarching theme in all these tips is staff training and encouraging proactive selling techniques in your builders merchants. Staff being conversational and enthusiastic with an underlying knowledge of products can be invaluable to a growing trade counter. We have found with our new Viper Power Tool Accessories that the sell through has been consistently better in builders merchants that have trained their staff on the new products and embraced the fresh hook to engage with customers.
Just having a trade counter is no longer enough. By tracking trends, training staff, and maximising displays, independents can boost sales, margins, and loyalty in an increasingly competitive market. BMJ
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