E-commerce leads the way

E-commerce points the way

DO IT BEST MODERNIZES ITS ONLINE PLATFORM; LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH EPICOR.

By Tim Burke

Taking online to the next level, Do it Best announced the creation of an e-commerce division to serve its members better, and a new partnership with software solutions company Epicor.

Nick Talarico, new vice president of e-commerce at Do it Best, told members: “E-commerce is a basic, integrated part of successful retail.”

The shopping journey for today’s retail customers has been profoundly and permanently changed. Yes, it’s been trending for a while, he said, but the last two years have really accelerated the changes in the way consumers shop today.

For many, that journey now starts online, said Talarico, making e-commerce a critical function of any successful business.

“And if you’re already on our platform, but not on our Professional Plan, it’s time to move to it so you can use our platform to its greatest potential right now. This will give you the ability to offer same day pickup and give your customers the choice to shop your store before they walk in,” said Talarico.

“If you’re on our platform but your point-ofsale system isn’t compatible for same day pickup,” he said, it’s time to upgrade your POS now.

“I’m really excited to announce an exclusively endorsed partnership with Epicor that will offer Do it Best members a next level of service capabilities.”

What next-level looks like:

Improved pricing structure for new users of all of Epicor’s products. Dedicated teams at Do it Best and Epicor committed to shortening the development time for service enhancements. This ensures the dealer’s POS has the latest features. A much closer partnership on integrations, allowing for access to real time data between the dealer's POS and the co-op. “So your system is moving as fast as you are,” Talarico said. More powerful intelligence and data analytics to identify what's actually selling and what should be selling; and to track inventory in real time.

Talarico said the co-op is investing in platform improvements that will have a big impact.

“We’re moving quickly to speed up our platform and make it more responsive. We’re re-engineering the programming behind the customer checkout function to streamline that process, driving down the rate for abandoned carts,” said Talarico. Epicor CEO Steve Murphy said the software solutions provider is excited to expand its partnership with Do it Best. “Our portfolio of industry-specific technologies will help their members grow and streamline operations, empowering them to connect with us to deliver a world of better business.”

Do it Best Corp. CEO Dan Starr said, “with our vendor-of-choice recognition of Epicor technologies, we’re delivering advanced e-commerce and supply chain management capabilities to position our members to be the first, best choice for their customers.”

The agreement, the co-op said, includes dedicated Epicor and Do it Best teams committed to supporting members with streamlined POS technology integration, shortened development time,

and continuous feature updates via the cloud.

Talarico: “I’ll say this to our members: ‘We’ve heard you.’ Our commitment to e-commerce is a big one that tackles current needs while planning for the future.”

Make decisive buys

As supply chain issues continue to challenge the world, the words “If you can see it, and you can sell it, then you need to buy it,” from Do it Best President and CEO Dan Starr, reverberated across the home improvement cooperative’s recent 2022 virtual Spring Market.

“I think product shortages remain a regular occurrence across the entire retail spectrum,” said Starr. “That affects grocery, electronics, restaurants, and, of course, home improvement. The environment we’re in right now is very unforgiving if you hesitate.”

Starr, referring to the co-op’s recent Spring Market opportunities, said “our team has partnered with the best vendors to offer the best deals of the market. And I’d encourage all Do it Best members to make the time to connect and leverage everything at this market to build for their growth.”

The CEO said members have added 220 new locations, so far, halfway through the fiscal year.

On what he described as the customer journey, Starr discussed e-commerce projections.

Virtually every retailer in every segment has incorporated online shopping, and not just from the website, but the ability for BOPIS, or Buy Online Pick Up In-Store. They’ve done it for one reason: Customers demand it, said Starr.

E-commerce sales are expected to reach $72 billion by 2024, that’s not far away. Half of that is expected to be through BOPIS, he said.

“It’s stunning, the enormity of that,” said Starr. “And what it spells is opportunity. There are 5.6 billion Google searches a day. And many of those are searches for product.”

When you consider the rise of BOPIS, combined with the consumer need for in-person product knowledge and support, said Starr, “online shopping with BOPIS is very well-suited to complement in-store sales and the service our members offer.

“The real strength of ours, is the presence of stores that we have in every single state and in thousands of cities and towns across the country where customers are conducting those searches and they want to do that business.”

These are all points of differentiation, the CEO said, “that we’re going to use to our advantage.” Starr shared with Do it Best members: “Not long ago, everyone treated instore and online shopping as though it were two different things. But I would say the distinction between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce has largely gone away. “We’re fans of saying it’s just commerce. Businesses that do well, do both.”

Dan Starr, president and CEO of Do it Best, emphasized continuity across all store channels when he told members recently, “the distinction between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce has largely gone away.”