New Zealand-based bricks-and-mortar chain Plumbing World has launched an e-commerce site for the first time.
The site is targeted at the consumer market, including first-time home buyers and DIYers and will initially sell Plumbing World’s range of tapware and accessories.
“Our customers invest significant time and energy when selecting bathroom, kitchen, laundry and heating fittings, and the new website will help them easily visualise and research products, enhancing their overall brand experience,” Plumbing World’s general manager, Rob Kidd, said.
In addition to supporting transactions, the website has been designed to drive foot traffic to Plumbing World’s 48-store network, with the ability for customers to browse a digital catalogue and add items to a wish list and book an in-store bathroom consultation.
Plumbing World worked with e-commerce software provider eStar to design the site. eStar also led the customer experience design process, which included analysing Plumbing World’s online customer behaviours and interviewing store sales people to determine what great one-to-one experiences look like.
eStar CEO Andrew Buxton noted that plumbing as a category has been slow to fully adopt e-commerce, despite the fact that consumers expect a range of online options for all products.
Plumbing World expects the online store to strengthen its position and help it compete with larger big box retailers as well as emerging online-only players.
