Matthew Wilkin, Sales & Marketing Director at DART Tool Group, explains how builders’ merchants are gaining ground by making smarter decisions.
As the retail landscape rapidly evolves, builders’ merchants are discovering that success now hinges on more than just gut feeling or years of industry experience. While many merchants have long trusted their instincts to guide stock choices and customer service strategies, today’s data-rich environment is shifting the rules of the game.
Indeed, in an increasingly complex and margin-conscious industry, builders’ merchants that embrace a data-first mindset are pulling ahead. Whether it’s identifying overlooked revenue drivers, streamlining stock management, or creating a more tailored customer journey, data is becoming a vital tool in the merchant’s toolbox.
Using data to get ahead
Traditionally, merchants have leaned into familiarity, knowing which items typically sell well during certain seasons or which products perform in particular regions. However, surface-level sales data doesn’t always tell the full story.
Take, for example, a slow seller that’s often paired with a high-margin product. On paper, it might seem expendable, but in context, it could be playing a crucial role in driving total basket value. Meanwhile, a high-volume item may appear successful, until it becomes clear that its margins are small, and it’s tying up inventory without contributing meaningfully to profit.
The difference lies in what merchants do with the data available to them, and rather than relying solely on what’s moving off the shelves, leading businesses are examining how and why products are performing.
“While many merchants have long trusted their instincts to guide stock choices and customer service strategies, today’s data-rich environment is shifting the rules of the game.”
Turning insight into action
The integration of advanced analytics tools with point-of-sale (POS) systems is granting merchants unprecedented insight into customer buying behaviour. These platforms do more than report on transactions, as they can uncover patterns like frequently bundled purchases or product combinations that reliably increase order value.
By identifying that tools, for example, are commonly bought alongside safety gear, merchants can create smarter merchandising strategies through intuitive product placement or bundled promotions. This allows them to influence purchasing decisions and increase basket size without expanding shelf space.
More importantly, this shift marks a move from reactive selling to predictive, data-driven merchandising. With real-time visibility into sales, stock levels, and behavioural trends, merchants can adjust displays and inventory ahead of demand, not just in response to it.
Enhancing the customer experience
With the growing adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, merchants can now deliver personalised experiences at scale. By tracking purchasing habits and preferences, CRM platforms enable more tailored product offerings and promotions, leading to greater customer satisfaction and increased order value.
If certain customer segments regularly bulk-purchase products, like roofing nails, at a certain time each month, stock levels can be adjusted or promotions timed accordingly. These targeted interventions drive repeat business while also deepening customer loyalty.
Moreover, understanding the underlying intent behind purchases, such as tradespeople restocking consumables between larger projects, provides a new layer of commercial intelligence. This insight empowers merchants to tailor operations not just at the individual level, but across branches and entire regions.
However, tools alone don’t drive transformation — and the real advantage comes when branch teams are equipped to interpret and apply these insights. By empowering staff with the knowledge and confidence to make data-led decisions, merchants can shift from reactive habits to proactive action, whether that’s restocking a fast-moving line or suggesting value-adding products to customers on the spot.
By turning data into actionable insight, merchants can move from simply reacting to market trends to actively shaping them, driving profitability, strengthening customer relationships, and gaining a lasting competitive edge.
Ultimately, experience will always play a role, but merchants which combine their know-how with precise, real-time data are better equipped to meet modern demands and thrive in a market where strategic clarity makes all the difference.
Click here for more information on Dart Tool Group’s range of products and its support services for merchants.
