Core Insights - BigCommerce has launched the "Branch of the Future" accelerator specifically for the UK building materials industry, aimed at digitizing operations and enhancing customer experiences [1][4] - The company has joined the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) to strengthen its commitment to the building supplies sector [2] Industry Context - The building supplies sector has traditionally relied on offline interactions, but there is a growing demand for seamless, omnichannel experiences from trade buyers [3] - Many builders merchants have been underserved by generic ecommerce solutions that do not address the complexities of trade pricing and real-time inventory [3] Accelerator Features - The accelerator combines proven technologies with industry expertise to help builders' merchants modernize their online experiences quickly and affordably [4] - It includes capabilities such as customer-specific pricing, product visibility, and quoting, which are typically missing from legacy platforms [7] - Pimberly contributes over 1.5 million pre-optimized SKUs tailored for the building materials sector, enhancing product information management [8][9] Business Transformation - The accelerator aims to reduce operational costs by automating repetitive tasks, allowing teams to focus on higher-value work [6] - Business transformation consulting from The Journey leverages over 25 years of experience in the building materials industry to assist merchants in enhancing their digital channels [9][15]
BigCommerce, Brave Bison, The Journey and Pimberly Launch ‘Branch of the Future' Accelerator to Digitally Transform the UK Building Material Supplies Sector