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MKM Disrupts the B2B Ecommerce Experience with BigCommerce
Discover how customisable, cost-effective and reliable BigCommerce is and why we built it that way.
75%
improvement in average page load speed
42%
increase in site traffic
82%
uptick in revenue
Performance metrics four weeks post-launch on 31 August 2022, comparing YoY results.
Building on a brand new B2B ecommerce experience.
MKM Building Supplies, the UK's largest independent brand for builder supplies, embarked on a significant digital transformation project that showcased the blueprint for establishing a robust B2B ecommerce presence.
Established in 1995, MKM swiftly became one of the UK's largest builders' merchants, boasting over 120 branches across England, Scotland, and Wales. Serving diverse customers in B2B, B2C, and B2B2C sectors, MKM is renowned for offering a comprehensive range of construction materials, from kitchen essentials to landscaping products.
MKM's journey emphasises the importance of robust yet flexible ecommerce solutions and experts to build on a customer-centric approach.
CHALLENGE
Stepping away from outdated technologies and closer to customers.
With its old online store, MKM witnessed a widening rift between the online and offline customer experience. While the brand's in-store customer experience elevated with its service and highly-trained staff, the online store lagged behind.
“The website was almost a distraction and a negative experience for customers,” said Andy Pickup, Digital Director at MKM Building Supplies. “Some of the staff at the branches were telling our customers to not go to the website but contact them directly instead.”
MKM needed to emulate its in-store experience online to avoid losing online customers.
Additionally, the MKM team needed to provide a frictionless experience to its younger customer base. The goal was to offer a seamless customer journey across all digital touchpoints, prioritising an exceptional mobile-first digital experience.
“MKM’s unique business model, continued company growth and desire to serve our diverse range of customers with exceptional and hyper-personalised shopping experiences meant we had to revitalise our online store and evolve in an increasingly digital world,” added Pickup.
MKM sought a solution to create a compelling and unified customer experience, optimise better operations and elevate online revenue in the long term.
“The website was almost a distraction and a negative experience for customers.”
Andy Pickup, Digital Director, MKM Building Supplies
SOLUTION
A brand new approach to ecommerce with headless technology.
With these unique requirements in mind, MKM knew it will have to utilise MACH-based (microservices-based, API-first, Cloud native SaaS, Headless) solutions and had its mind set to a headless architecture.
“We had the business objective to get a site that was quicker, slicker and could be designed faster. Andy was the architect behind using headless technology. The previous technology we had was 11 years old and has been built on various times over the years. As a website, we needed to do something absolutely brand new and leading edge,” explained Craig McLaren, Head of Digital at MKM Building Supplies.
Under the guidance of the agency Brave Bison, MKM migrated to BigCommerce because of its API-first and microservices based system, and the team was able to build the headless architecture it was craving.
“Using headless technology meant we could do rapid improvements and change directions quickly, adding new features or categories without being limited by the technology,” added Pickup. “It was really key to me that we didn’t have to buy an all-suite of products but could change specific components when they become out-of-date rather than having to change the full platform, which is time-consuming and more expensive.”
An innovative and future-proof tech stack
This freedom of choice is the cornerstone of headless architecture, and has enabled MKM to build a tailor-made and future-proof tech stack.
“We could pick the best pieces from what is out there and tailored them to what suits our ever changing and rapidly growing business,” explained Pickup.
In the early discovery phase, Brave Bison outlined high-level requirements and technical architecture before seamlessly transitioning into a scrum cadence of work. This entailed daily collaboration between Brave Bison engineers, solution experts, and MKM product and creative teams, refining the project backlog throughout the entire implementation phase.
Brave Bison also helped complement the MKM team in terms of development and navigate the right technology choices. To implement its new headless architecture, MKM enlisted front-end solution Vue Storefront and chose Bloomreach to ensure seamless personalisation of the entire site.
MKM also transitioned its operations to Cloud services thanks to the openness of the BigCommerce platform without compromising its distinctive business identity. Liberated from the constraints of a monolithic application suite, MKM reduced costs and system dependency risks, while unlocking potential avenues for expanding to new experiences and channels in the future.
A unified customer experience across channels.
MKM chose Vue Storefront due to its pre-built integrations with Bloomreach and BigCommerce, significantly reducing its time to market — a crucial factor for MKM, given their strict timeline. Furthermore, Vue Storefront offered a complete storefront-as-a-service solution, reducing the burden of maintenance and infrastructure management.
And the result is not just enhanced operational efficiency but also a more holistic approach to business, creating a unified ecosystem where online and offline channels work in harmony to elevate the overall customer experience. “We are seeing a migration of customers using the site as a value add,” noted Pickup. “And the branches are engaging with us about the site, which has never happened before.
Agency Partner: Brave Bison
Highlighted Applications:
Frontend: Vue Storefront
Commerce experience cloud platform for content, discovery and engagement: Bloomreach
ERP: Kerridge
Technical features:
BigCommerce optimised one-page checkout
BigCommerce out-of-the-box PCI compliant payment integration
Multi-channel price module
Data ingest processes
Tally engine
Invoice payment
Bespoke basket rules
Indexer
B2B access
Branch engine
Customer Success Manager
Implementation Project Manager
Solution Architect
Education Services: Developer On-Demand Training
“We had the business objective to get a site that was quicker, slicker and could be designed faster. [...] As a website, we needed to do something absolutely brand new and leading edge.”
Craig McLaren, Head of Digital, MKM Building Supplies
“Using headless technology meant we could do rapid improvements and change directions quickly, adding new features or categories without being limited by the technology. It was really key to me that we didn’t have to buy an all-suite of products but could change specific components when they become out-of-date rather than having to change the full platform, which is time-consuming and more expensive.”
Andy Pickup, Digital Director, MKM Building Supplies
RESULTS
Business growth through digital transformation.
In under a year, MKM had successfully migrated to its new architecture and in just four weeks post-launch, the brand witnessed a phenomenal surge in its online presence. The metrics tell a compelling story, with a 42% increase in site traffic compared to the previous year, 75% reduction in average page load speed, and 77% increase in average time spent on pages. Additionally, MKM observed a 26% rise in total web orders and a 82% boost in revenue.
The impact on customer engagement is equally remarkable. New monthly account creations more than doubled, with these new customers not only joining but also spending more. The average order value experienced a significant uptick, growing from £95 to £137, surpassing MKM's initial goal of £120.
“Launching on BigCommerce allowed us to personalise the customer journey and deliver frictionless experiences across channels,” said Pickup. “Since moving to the platform, we have been performing above expectations on ecommerce metrics and driving more physical store visits.”
Beyond the numbers, the enhanced functionality of the new site has garnered positive feedback, reflected in a noteworthy 23% increase in the net promoter score. MKM's online transformation not only attracted a broader customer base but also succeeded in elevating customer satisfaction and purchasing behaviour.
“Launching on BigCommerce allowed us to personalise the customer journey and deliver frictionless experiences across channels.”
Andy Pickup, Digital Director, MKM Building Supplies
LOOKING AHEAD
Leading the way to the future of the B2B commerce experience.
When asked what he's most proud of about this project, Andy Pickup concluded: “We’ve done something nobody has done before. You can’t disrupt the industry by copying people, you need to do things differently and try different things.”
With its new architecture, MKM has set exemplary foundations for its ecommerce tech stack. Now the team can focus on high-value projects such as improving its content, products and continuing to elevate even more the experience, and ensure customer engagement and satisfaction stay as high as they have been since the migration.
Published: January 2024
“We’ve done something nobody has done before. You can’t disrupt the industry by copying people, you need to do things differently and try different things.”
Andy Pickup, Digital Director, MKM Building Supplies
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