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.
Issue link: https://qualifiedremodeler.epubxp.com/i/771639
2015 nline purchasing has made deeper inroads with re- modelers over the last 12 months. A year ago ap- proximately 51 percent of remodelers said they pur- chased remodeling products online. is year that number has jumped to 62.5 percent, as remodelers increasingly sought the selection and availability of online commerce sites. Importantly, the types of items pur- chased online re- mained similar year- over-year. Remodelers focus their online buying on lighting and plumbing fix- tures as well as tools. Conversely, lumber, roofing, siding, paint and other basic build- ing materials remain an in-person purchase made at thousands of local lumberyards around the country. e movement to some online buying by remodelers is significant. In this, our third annual survey to determine what remodelers want in their supplier relationships, many of the differences between the needs of remodelers and new home professionals have been documented. In 2016—just as they reported in 2014 and again in 2015—remodelers tend to go with quality and performance over price. ey want to be serviced by reps who are not only prompt but who also have a base level of understanding about the remodeling and home improvement busi- ness. Online purchasing gives remodelers another place to go to get the quality, performance and correctness of orders they seek. Qualified Remodeler sat down with a lead- ing LBM distribution expert, Greg Brooks, a 46-year veteran of the building supply business and editor of LBM Executive, to discuss changes in the LBM market and how they might affect remodelers' purchasing options. QR: Are you seeing more LBM dealers shifting their fo- cus toward cater- ing to remodeling professionals? Brooks: What we find is that dealers who are really active with remodelers—who make remodelers a priority—did so because they had a big, strong, local remodeler base in their area. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, is a classic example, where you have the Scherer Bros. Lumber and Shaw/Stewart Lumber. e Online Purchasing Ramps Up Remodelers are increasingly going online, but mostly for unique and specialized items. Meanwhile, LBM expert Greg Brooks offers an update from the supply side. By Patrick L. O'Toole ONLINE PURCHASING Do you buy products for your remodeling projects online? Online buying of products for remodeling projects is now utilized by the majority of respondents-a big jump in 2016. Source: Qualified Remodeler 2016 Supplier Survey Yes 50.6% No 49.4% Yes 62.4% 2016 No 37.6% O What we find is that dealers who are really active with remodelers ... did so because they had a big, strong, local remodeler base in their area. Greg Brooks SPECIAL REPORT: Supplier Service 34 January 2017 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com