Skip to main content
Talk to an expert
SectorBuilders & trade

Builders merchant ecommerce that fits how trade works.

iWeb works with builders merchants, timber merchants and trade suppliers whose ecommerce sits inside a branch-led operation. Trade accounts, customer-specific pricing, branch stock and pre-7am ordering peaks shape every design decision.
600+
Commerce projects
40+
Engineers · on staff
31
Years · complex commerce
1995
Founded
Contents · 4 sections
  1. 01Common problems in builders & trade.
  2. 02Selected case studies.
  3. 03Questions we get asked.
  4. 04Where this fits in the wider estate.
01 · Common problems in builders & trade

What we typically see in builders & trade.

Branch stock and click-and-collect
Real availability per branch, depot and yard - not a generic warehouse count - with collect-by-time honoured against the OMS.
Customer-specific pricing
Contracted pricing per account, sometimes per line, held in the ERP and surfaced live to the storefront.
Trade account ordering
Account hierarchies, credit limits, statements, approvals and account-only catalogues for trade buyers.
Pre-7am ordering peaks
Predictable performance against trade-driven traffic that arrives before the branch counter opens.
Catalogue depth across suppliers
PIM-governed catalogues across hundreds of suppliers, with technical attributes, units of measure and pack rules.
ERP-integrated commerce
Pricing, stock, accounts, invoices and order status flow from the merchant ERP (BisTrack, Intact iQ, BCP, Kerridge) into the storefront.
Mobile and on-site ordering
Mobile-first ordering for trade buyers on site or in the van, with quick re-order and saved baskets pinned to the account.
Approvals and spend limits
Multi-buyer accounts with approver workflows, per-buyer spend caps and visible order history across the account tree.
Returns and branch credits
Returns raised against the original order, credit notes back into the ERP, and branch-led part-returns where the pack is split.
Seasonal demand peaks
Capacity headroom for weather-driven peaks (insulation in cold snaps, decorating bank holidays) without rebuilding the platform each year.
Product compliance and datasheets
CE markings, MSDS, fire ratings and technical datasheets attached to product, governed in PIM, surfaced consistently across storefront and PDFs.
Quote-to-order, pack sizes and delivery zones
Quote-to-order for project work, units of measure and pack-break rules on the line, with delivery zones and substitutions resolved against branch stock before the basket is placed.
02 · Selected case studies
03 · Questions we get asked

Common questions.

What makes builders merchant ecommerce different?

It is account-led, branch-based and operationally heavy: contracted pricing, branch stock, click and collect, pre-7am ordering, account credit and statements. The storefront has to reflect what the ERP and branch network already do.

Can ecommerce support branch stock and click and collect?

Yes. Branch and yard stock is surfaced live to the storefront, with fulfilment rules per branch so click and collect, branch transfer and delivery options reflect operational reality.

Can trade pricing and account ordering work online?

Yes. Account customers see their contracted pricing, credit position and account-only catalogues online, with approvals and credit limits honoured at checkout. Pricing is read from the ERP rather than re-keyed.

How do ERP and PIM fit into this sector?

The ERP (typically Epicor BisTrack, Intact iQ or Kerridge) owns pricing, stock and accounts. A PIM such as Akeneo owns enriched product data across thousands of technical SKUs. The storefront reads from both.

Can ecommerce handle pre-7am trade ordering peaks?

Yes. Most online trade ordering happens before 7am. The platform is sized for that peak: cached pricing and stock at storefront read time, asynchronous order posting and monitored queues into the ERP.

How is seasonal demand handled in builders merchant ecommerce?

The platform is sized for the peak window, not the average. Caching, asynchronous order posting and monitored queues into the ERP carry the load. Reference data is refreshed on a defined schedule rather than on every request.

Which commerce platforms are relevant for builders merchants?

iWeb work in this sector has run mainly on Adobe Commerce and Magento, where the team has direct project evidence. The operational pattern is platform-agnostic and applies on other commerce platforms where the architecture supports branch, account and trade behaviour.

Do you have proof in builders and trade?

Yes. Builders merchants are a core specialism for iWeb. The work archive lists projects in this sector that are public; others can be walked through under NDA. iWeb does not claim a project it did not deliver.

Does iWeb only work with builders merchants?

No. Builders and trade is a deep specialism, not an exclusive one. The same operational patterns apply in other B2B and trade sectors where account, branch and ERP complexity are real.

How does search work for trade SKUs and part numbers in this sector?

Search is tuned for exact and partial part-number matching, supplier codes, fitment and account-specific SKUs. Tuning is informed by the query log, not by assumptions.

Accreditations & assurance
Gold Commerce Partner
Specialised in Commerce & AI
ISO certified
27001 · 9001 · 42001
Cyber Essentials Plus
Independently verified security
WCAG 2.2 AA
Accessibility embedded by design
Employee-owned
The same team, long term
Next step

Working in builders & trade?

Send the brief. You'll get a written response from a senior expert on the platform, ERP and operational realities we'd look at first, not a pitch deck.
Talk to an expertor browse all sectors →