How DIY retailers can take better advantage of eCommerce
The use of eCommerce is growing by leaps and bounds in the DIY sector although the physical store still plays an essential role in the buying process.
With the advent of the Covid-19 global pandemic, we began to look at our homes with new eyes and, as a result, we began to see the opportunities offered by our neglected spaces.
For this reason, eCommerce became essential to attract consumers who wanted to embark on DIY projects, but eCommerce platforms sometimes don’t offer customers the shopping experience they would get in-store, especially for DIY and home improvement projects.
With growing demand and increasingly fierce online competition, DIY retailers have realized that they need to differentiate themselves from more generalist platforms that can’t offer customers the in-store advice they would get and which is so important for DIY and home improvement projects.
In addition to the growing consumer interest in DIY projects, the professional segment also experienced growth and will continue to be an important part of the market.
In fact, some of the leading DIY retail chains have started to develop different and specialized systems to ensure a planned professional shopping experience for their professional customers.
A good example of this is what Leroy Merlin is doing in Spain by creating a PRO space.
Customers have access to personalized advice from specialists, exclusive prices and offers as PRO customers, a large stock of more than 1,200 specialized products for them, as well as being able to place custom orders for the best brands.
They can also make their purchases via email, the web application or WhatsApp and benefit from different payment facilities as PRO customers.
The Home Depot, the largest DIY retailer in the United States, has done something similar. To strengthen its position among professional customers, The Home Depot has launched virtual workshops to offer business advice to professional contractors.
