Transform Your LBM Business with Cutting-Edge Retail Technology

Where yesterday’s retail success depended on home centers and service counters combined with phone orders and the in-person shopping experience, today’s focus includes digitalization and online channels. It’s critical for dealers to not only service their existing business as buyer preference adapts to new technology but additionally improve customer satisfaction. Digital tools for LBM dealers are essential in this digital transformation.

LBM dealers who have not begun the journey toward digitalization must act quickly because buyer behavior typically leans toward convenience. If your business is the only one that is not online, you are potentially at risk. The good news is online technology can do a lot of heavy lifting to help dealers compete and grow. The implementation of LBM business digital transformation strategies can significantly enhance operational efficiency.

One of the most important steps for LBM dealers is to embrace the need for change. While digital engagement from a business software system directly to customer account holders, like contractors and perpetual DIY accounts, has been around, the surge in e-commerce as a channel to individual markets is now table stakes. Dealers must understand the complexity of managing multiple solutions to address their business. Finding the right tech designed specifically for pulling all business aspects into one system is critical for improving efficiency and getting comfortable with technology. Retail technology for SMBs is crucial in achieving these goals.

Choosing the right business management software for the unique needs of an LBM business can be daunting enough, let alone the complexity of a deeply integrated digital engagement portal and e-commerce presence. However, the right choice in a modernization strategy will put your business in a stronger competitive position and allow you to service your market more conveniently and efficiently. This process of modernizing LBM business operations is vital for long-term success.

Digital technology empowers dealers to service their market more efficiently, manage trade accounts, and acquire new customers faster and more easily. These tools open opportunities to create highly personalized shopping experiences by focusing on customers’ unique needs and preferences, creating further loyalty. Data analytics break down buyer behavior into actionable steps LBM dealers can take to improve their operations and evolve marketing strategies. This focus on customer experience in LBM retail is essential for sustaining growth.

One example of how technology can enhance the customer experience and business efficiency is the Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) model, which is only possible with an industry-focused e-commerce platform. Research highlights a notable increase in buyer preference in the BOPIS model, which puts the customer first, combining physical shopping with the ease of online browsing. The benefits don’t end there, as dealers report additional in-store customer purchases when BOPIS is available. BOPIS in the LBM sector is becoming increasingly popular and beneficial.

The success of BOPIS in the U.S., as highlighted by “The 2023 Global Digital Shopping Index,” which showed a significant increase in BOPIS usage from 23% in 2021 to 32% in 2022, only reinforces this growing trend.

For LBM dealers looking to stay ahead of their competition, applying digital practices and modern technology tools can also increase customer loyalty and boost sales. Creating an engaging and efficient shopping environment for their customers is much easier while delivering convenience, speed, and flexibility. Think of the efficiency of order placement via e-commerce as an alternative to telephone orders, which are much more difficult to scale in volume. Each phone order requires a staff person on the other end. Online BOPIS orders are created at the source by a single individual and flow directly into your business fulfillment operation process.