New Rules of Trade Buying: Findings from the Branch of the Future Report

Key highlights: 

• Trade buying has changed: Customers move between digital and the branch as naturally as they move between jobs.

• Confidence beats convenience: The teams earning trust are the ones removing uncertainty — from stock availability to delivery dates.

• The branch isn’t going anywhere: Digital works best when it extends the value of your branch, not competes with it.

• Your operations are your customer experience: Better data, connected systems, and accurate information make buying feel effortless.

• Digital maturity starts with the basics: The biggest competitive advantage isn’t another digital tool. It’s getting the fundamentals right, every day.

What does the future of trade really look like?

For generations, builders’ merchants have earned trust one conversation at a time: at the trade counter, on the phone, and in person.

That hasn’t changed. Customer expectations have. 

It’s why more than 60 leaders from across the UK’s builders’ merchant industry came together at the inaugural Branch of the Future event, hosted by Brave Bison in partnership with Commerce, Pimberly, and The Journey. 

The Branch of the Future report brings together the day’s most thought-provoking conversations, fresh customer research, and practical ideas from businesses already making progress, created in a free report. Here are five insights worth taking back to the branch.

Takeaway #1: The trade customer is already changing. 

Not long ago, the branch was where the buying journey began. Today, it’s just one stop along the way. 

Trade customers move seamlessly between websites, phones, and branches, depending on what they need and where the job takes them. Some purchases still call for a conversation. Others simply need quick answers, and the confidence to get on with the day.

For builders’ merchants, it’s less about keeping up with digital trends and more about keeping up with changing customer expectations. The easier it is for trade customers to find products, check stock, and get the answers they need before reaching the trade counter, the more likely they are to want to work with you.

Takeaway #2: Confidence wins more business than convenience alone.

Every builders’ merchant wants to make buying easier.

But for trade customers, “easy” starts with confidence. Is the product in stock at the local branch? Will it arrive when promised? Is it the right product for the job? Those questions matter far more than the latest digital feature.

That’s where confidence becomes a competitive advantage.

“The minute that you don’t give customers confidence that a product’s turning up at the right time, or they have to go and search for the information, they’re going somewhere else.”

— Andy Pickup, Digital Director, MKM 

When customers trust your stock levels, delivery promises, pricing, and product information, they’re far less likely to pick up the phone and double-check, or worse, turn to a competitor who seems more organised.

According to the report, 86% of trade customers say they would switch merchants if they couldn’t get a specific delivery date. When every job is running on a schedule, confidence isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s part of the service you provide. 

Takeaway #3: Every digital touchpoint shapes the branch experience.

No one wakes up hoping to spend their morning on hold asking whether a product is in stock. Trade customers would much rather get the answer in a few clicks and get back to work. That’s why your website isn’t just a digital catalogue; it’s often the first conversation customers have with your business.

The easier it is to find products, check stock, and buy with confidence, the more time your branch teams can spend doing what they do best: offering expert advice, solving complex problems, and building relationships. 

As Adrian Gordon, Ecommerce Director of JT Atkinson pointed out, “If a customer can’t find a product, they can’t buy it.” Sometimes, the simplest truth is the most important one.

Takeaway #4: Your customers see one business, not separate channels.

Trade customers don’t think in channels. They think in jobs.

They’ll research products online over breakfast, check stock from the van, ring the branch to ask a question, then collect everything they need on the way to the site. To them, those aren’t separate experiences; they’re all part of buying from the same builders’ merchant. 

They expect every touchpoint to pick up where the last one left off: That’s where connected commerce comes in. 

It’s not about convincing customers to buy online instead of visiting the branch. It’s about making every interaction work together, so customers can move effortlessly between digital and in-person experiences without having to start over, or second-guess the information they see.

The businesses pulling ahead aren’t choosing between digital and the branch; they’re making every channel feel like the same trusted business. 

“It’s not about replacing the branch, it’s about extending its value.”

— Allan Ward, Managing Director, Brave Bison

Takeaway #5: Better operations create better buying experiences.

Nobody’s ever left a supplier saying, “That was some impressive product data.” But they do notice when they can’t find the right product, when stock isn’t accurate, or when delivery dates keep changing. The best operations are a bit like good plumbing: you only notice them when something goes wrong.

The report highlights just how much operational gaps affect the customer experience. Eighty-nine percent of trade customers have abandoned an online order, while 64% still contact their branch every week for information they believe should be readily available online. Those aren’t technology problems alone; they’re signs that customers are working harder than they should to get the answers they need. The businesses making the biggest gains aren’t simply launching new digital tools.

They’re connecting the foundations behind the scenes: product data, stock, pricing, search, and branch operations, so every part of the business works together. And the reality is, good operations don’t steal the spotlight. They make everything else shine.

The final word

The Branch of the Future report shows where trade buying is heading. The Digital Maturity Assessment helps you understand where your business fits into that future.

The good news? You don’t have to transform everything overnight. 

Digital maturity starts with knowing where you are today, identifying the improvements that can have the biggest impact, and building from there. It’s an approach that’s already delivering results: businesses that actively assess their digital maturity are more likely to accelerate growth, while digital leaders are 50% more likely to achieve 10–30% business growth.

If you’re wondering what that looks like in practice, look at MKM Building Supplies. By creating a more connected buying experience, the business achieved 42% more site traffic, 26% more web orders, and an 82% increase in revenue. 

The opportunity isn’t to become a different kind of business. It’s to build on what you’ve always done best, while giving customers that same confidence wherever their buying journey begins.