Delivering excellent service is fundamental for builders’ merchants seeking a competitive edge. Stacey Booth, Head of Marketing & Portfolio at Okarno, examines how embracing smaller, more flexible deliveries enables merchants to differentiate themselves in a dynamic market.
Suppliers play a crucial role in tailoring products and service offerings that support merchants’ everyday operations and long-term growth. Central to this is the consistent provision of in-demand products, dependable deliveries and expert guidance. As market competition intensifies, innovative approaches to these fundamentals are increasingly essential for merchants aiming to differentiate themselves.
While bulk delivery models have their benefits, smaller and mixed pallet deliveries with a 48-hour turnaround offer merchants greater flexibility. This approach helps reduce overstocking, enables quick responses to market demands and allows merchants to trial new products or run promotions without large commitments, minimising risk and better gauging customer preferences.
A mix of products and promotions
For painters, decorators, plumbers, electricians and beyond, the convenience of sourcing essential products — such as Gyproc EasiFill, EasiFiller, scrim tapes and repair patches — alongside other materials, as smaller and mixed pallets with a 48-hour delivery, is invaluable. This is why we launched the Gyproc Express 48-hour delivery service, granting merchants swift access to our complete Gyproc jointing and filling range.
“By partnering with suppliers that offer smaller and mixed pallet deliveries with swift turnaround, merchants can better manage inventory, free up valuable storage space and respond more effectively to changing customer needs.”
This service enables merchants to order smaller quantities more frequently, maintain optimal stock levels, and improve customer satisfaction.
With the flexibility offered by smaller deliveries, merchants can also tailor their promotions to align with customer preferences and seasonal trends. For instance, by working with merchants to analyse sales data and customer feedback, we can help identify which products are in demand and create targeted promotions that appeal to them.
Smaller and mixed pallet deliveries also provide an excellent, low-risk opportunity for merchants to trial new products. By introducing a limited quantity of new lines, such as those from our range of jointing and filling products, they can gauge customer interest and adjust their inventory accordingly.
This approach not only reduces the risk of unsold stock but keeps the product offerings fresh and exciting.
Emphasising sustainability
As the construction industry becomes increasingly focused on sustainability, suppliers need to lead the way in sustainability initiatives and support merchants in their transition to net-zero.
Our sustainability journey at Okarno has involved significant investment at our Nottingham headquarters. For example, we have installed a biomass system that provides heating and hot water for the warehouse and offices, resulting in annual CO2 emissions savings of up to 150 tonnes.
Additionally, our core HGV fleet now runs on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), further reducing our carbon footprint.
We’re equally committed to supporting biodiversity. At our Ruddington site, 3.2 acres have been designated as a natural habitat for local wildlife. So far, we’ve planted more than 4,100 bulbs, 190 shrubs, and 445 trees, and we have ongoing plans to continue enhancing and maintaining this vital green space.
The road ahead
By partnering with suppliers that offer smaller and mixed pallet deliveries with swift turnaround, merchants can better manage inventory, free up valuable storage space and respond more effectively to changing customer needs. This approach helps merchants reduce costs, minimise waste and focus resources where they have the greatest impact.
A key strength of our business is our ability to source a wide range of products from local suppliers and Saint-Gobain products from our parent company, complemented by our flexible and prompt delivery service.
Reaching our 90th anniversary allows us to remind our customers of our cornerstones — continually seeking ways to exceed customer expectations and deliver best-in-class service. We are proud to jointly share our 90th anniversary with our parent company Saint-Gobain’s 360th year.
Click or tap here for more information about Okarno and its product and delivery services for merchants.
Okarno’s 90th anniversary milestone marks “a legacy of commitment to quality and sustainability” from the leading distributor of popular construction brands including Gyproc, Thistle, Dalapro, Blue Hawk and Weber. MD Jason Smith commented: “As we celebrate our past, we also look forward to the future, continuing to innovate and provide exceptional service to merchants through sustainable delivery of leading product brands that meet their customers’ needs.
“Reaching our 90th anniversary demonstrates that the Okarno brand has solid foundations built on purpose, energy and enthusiasm. These are the cornerstones of everything we do — continually looking for ways to exceed customer expectations and deliver best-in-class, unique service that makes life easier for them.”
The Okarno journey has been marked by significant achievements, including the introduction of groundbreaking materials that have set new industry standards. Originally founded as Artex in 1935, the company pioneered textured finishes that became a staple in British homes.
Over the decades, Artex evolved through innovation and strategic mergers to “better serve the building, construction and home improvement sectors” with the rebrand to Okarno in January 2024 intended to more fully reflect its role as “an essential fulfilment and supply chain partner for a range of leading construction products.”
