WBS was born out of Robert and Bruce’s desire to become the supplier that that they, as contractors, would want to work with. The obsession to be the best possible contractor resource continues today. In recent work toward these goals, we learned that our contractors favorite way to shop is not to shop at all
Recently we began to think about how we could provide a better experience in our retail store. As usual, we jumped in with both feet, doing a detailed sales analysis to determine what our contractors bought and what they did not. We also spent time as a team in the store asking ourselves what was working and what we could make better. We considered things like security and how easily things can be located. We had some great ideas about how to improve our shopping experience.
Armed with that information, we talked with contractors about why they shopped with us and asked how we can improve. The results were eye opening.
We learned that our contractors favorite way to shop is not to shop at all. Most of the time they are coming in to get something they lost, broke, or forgot. They know exactly what they need and are burning precious time going through the process of coming to get it. In the worst case, a crew of 4 will stand and wait for 30-45 minutes while an order is placed, stock is pulled, and a truck is loaded. Picking up supplies can be a very expensive proposition. They know what they need and want to be in and out as fast as possible. With this knowledge we knew what we had to do.
Double down: We reviewed all the items we carry with an eye toward making space for things our contractors need and weeding out things they don’t. With supply chain issues continuing to be a challenge, we added to our stock to ensure we have plenty of the products they count on.
Open it up: We used the space we gained by weeding out things that contractors don’t need to open up the space, provide shelving for more stock of things they do need, and to make those things easier to find.
Why shop at all?: We made it possible for Pro Account customers to place their orders online. Then we made a will call area where all they need to do is drive through to pick up their order. Not only is this easier and time saving, but we also allow for discounted pricing on orders placed this way.
We are excited for these new ways to serve our contractors, but we are not done improving yet. Stay tuned for what we think of next.
