B&Q teams up with Rithum to boost online sales strategy
B&Q, a UK home improvement retailer, will partner with Rithum, a globally trusted e-commerce network, to enhance its online sales strategy. This move follows B&Q's recent expansion of its e-commerce offer in response to an increase in home renovations during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This collaboration with Rithum aims to further bolster B&Q's marketplace expansion by strikingly decreasing the time taken for brands to be onboarded onto the B&Q website. As a result, the time to enlist new products will be reduced by half, thus providing sellers with a more streamlined and friendly experience. This transformation also unlocks new opportunities for home and DIY sellers aspiring to broaden their market reach.
Philip Hall, the Managing Director for EMEA at Rithum, has commented on the increasing propensity of consumers to shop around for the best deals, noting that even traditional brick-and-mortar sectors are increasingly establishing their presence online. "Home improvement became a big focus during lockdown, and being able to bring new products online quickly and efficiently will be essential to success," Hall said. He went on to note that this new venture would enable B&Q to broaden its inventory catalogue and strengthen relations with customers and suppliers.
Rithum's tools, such as automated SKU conversion, product discovery, and supplier and product performance insights, will empower B&Q with the flexibility to launch and manage its partnerships. Hall views these tools as "all essential factors in helping to support growth."
Joanna McKew, Head of Business Development at B&Q, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the company’s commitment to growing its product range in the B&Q marketplace. "Being able to onboard new products quickly is crucial to this so that we can give customers even more choice to help make it easier to improve their homes,” McKew said. "Reducing the time taken to get products live allows us to be flexible and react to trends quickly."
Rithum's e-commerce platform also provides B&Q with operational agility to connect with their customers and drive e-commerce revenue. This partnership between the two companies exhibits a commitment to offering customers a seamless online shopping experience and a focus on sustaining their successful e-commerce growth trajectories. By reducing the time it takes to launch new products, they hope to stay ahead of consumer trends and continue to offer a wide range of options for their customers.
Moreover, the partnership between B&Q and Rithum signifies a strategic move to enhance B&Q's online marketplace and streamline the onboarding process for sellers. By leveraging Rithum's e-commerce tools, B&Q aims to offer customers a broader product range and maintain its momentum in the competitive online home improvement market.
