BHETA - MEMBER CASE STUDY


DROP SHIPPING PROVES A LOCKDOWN LIFELINE FOR DRAPER AND ITS RETAIL PARTNERS


While Covid-19 is a human tragedy, it’s a commercial fact that most DIY suppliers have experienced unprecedented demand for product, making the sector one of only two areas of retail to see growth in 2020, the other being food. Here Will Jones, Chief Operating Officer of BHETA takes a look at the challenges DIY member companies have experienced over the last year and how they have addressed them and thrived.


E


stablished in 1919, Draper


Tools has


seen its share of challenging times, but no-one could have predicted the


concept of a national lockdown prior to the impact of the Covid pandemic. With no possibility at the start to predict the potential impact of what turned out to be three national lockdowns, the company was nevertheless determined to support its retail partners through incredibly difficult times. As things turned out, it had just the tool to do the job – its drop shipping service. The Draper drop shipping service allowed consumers at home to place an order for a Draper product from their preferred DIY retailer. Draper then supported that retailer by


delivering the product directly to the consumer’s home address - saving retailers time and money. This proved to be a lifeline when retailers needed it most.


Draper Tools Head of Marketing, Kev Smith explains further: “It’s been well documented that UK lockdowns saw huge numbers of consumers turning to home improvements. Drop shipping meant that Draper Tools could help DIY retailers meet this demand, regardless of their size


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or ecommerce capabilities. It gave retailers the opportunity to capitalise on vital


custom – even though


many of them lacked an ecommerce platform or space to store stock. And it proved incredibly popular too, going from 0.6 percent of business to more than 25 percent.” But support didn’t stop there. For those retailers without websites, Draper also offered free personalised social media materials so they could promote home delivery to their customers. Retailers could receive consumer orders via phone, email or social media and place these directly with Draper for drop shipping straight to the consumer. Drop shipping was made possible because Draper has real strength in depth with over 11,000 product lines and 560,000 sq ft of industry-leading


warehousing space. Combined with a policy of strong stock holding, this meant the company could continue to help retailers keep up with demand. The other big strength, of course, was the Draper team. Kev Smith continues: “Dedicated colleagues – many of them with decades of service – made sure the company remained fully operational throughout the pandemic. Staff worked from home to answer enquiries from retailers, warehouse teams observed


strict


hygiene and social distancing rules, and digital specialists ensured retailers could always order 24/7.” Since the first UK lockdown, Draper


Tools has successfully delivered tens of thousands of drop ship orders, keeping retailers trading and earning high praise for its service and support along the way.


www.diyweek.net


MAY 2021 DIY WEEK 21


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