Qualified Remodeler Magazine

JAN 2016

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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ONLINE PURCHASING Do you buy products for your remodeling projects online? onsumers shop online in big numbers and have done so for quite some time. Cyber Monday is now bigger than Black Friday, but business-to-business purchas- ing online is a diferent matter entirely. Long established distribution channels are not easily altered or disrupted. So as the Qualifed Remodeler team reprised its annual research of Supplier Service attributes and preferences, questions about business-related online purchases have become increasingly relevant. QR is not the frst organization to ask these questions. Te Farnsworth Group, an Indianapolis consultancy specializing in building and construction industries, re- cently conducted a survey where builders and remodelers are probed jointly about their use of online research and purchasing tools. Nearly 80 percent of remodelers and home improvement professionals now go online to re- search and buy products. In this report, we asked about purchasing only. "Do you buy products for your remodeling projects online?" More than half of our remodeler and home improvement re- spondents said yes (50.6 percent). When it comes to what they buy online, tools lead the way, followed by plumbing fxtures and faucets, lighting and fasteners. Conversely, only a tiny fraction of our readers report online purchas- ing of bulkier items like paint, roofng material, lumber, siding and windows. Tat is where traditional distribution relationships will likely remain relevant for years to come, and where the rest of our research comes in. In it, we ask remodelers what they want in their suppli- er relationships. Unlike new construction builders, who cite low prices as their No. 1 requirement, remodelers are all about quality, service, timeliness of deliveries and knowledgeable personnel. It stands to reason that many points of distribution have taken notice of a new world order, where remodelers are easily capturing a majority of the nation's overall level of residential investment RFI. Where builders once drove 60 percent of RFI, remodelers and home improvement pros now drive that amount. Tis report, with comparison to fgures gathered one year ago, is a useful guide to what remodelers want from their distribution partners. And increasingly, remodelers are getting what they want. | Purchasing is Moving Online Not counting online search activity, more than half of remodelers say they now purchase building products online. Meanwhile, tried-and-true relationships hold fast. By Patrick O'Toole and Laurie Banyay C Online buying of products for remodeling projects is now utilized by the majority of respodents. Source: Qualifed Remodeler 2016 Supplier Survey Yes 50.6% No 49.4% SPECIAL REPORT: Supplier Service 46 January 2016 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com

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