Browse Store function set to help wholesalers show off their range and recruit new customers
b2b.store has answered demand to make wholesaler eCommerce websites open for non-customers to browse by rolling out its Browse Store function to customers.
The new feature provides open access to people without a customer login and will be trialled by a selection of B2B eCommerce users to record the benefits, which include helping with the promotion of new products and acting as a customer acquisition tool.
Browse Store will also see wholesalers’ websites earn a ranking on search engines and shows off their range to anyone who visits the online-ordering platform, although prices still won’t be visible to non-customers.
Previously, customer logins blocked the visibility of eCommerce websites from Google and stopped prospects from discovering wholesalers’ offerings.
The development comes as Lumina Intelligence’s Wholesale Online 2023 Report found that four in five sessions on wholesalers’ eCommerce platforms were purely for browsing, which highlights the value of making websites more easily accessible.
Several b2b.store customers will be testing the Browse Store in the coming weeks, before it’s made universally available to all B2B eCommerce users – giving them the chance to opt in or out of opening up their platform.
“The way people use technology is always changing and that’s no different in B2B, so offering the option to adapt our eCommerce sites to latest trends is important,” said b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion.
“Some of our customers have been asking for the functionality Browse Store offers for several months, which highlights the demand for it.
“We expect this need to grow as wholesalers see the potential for acquiring customers and driving additional revenue by opening their platforms to a wider audience.”
b2b.store’s B2B eCommerce module is tailored for use by food and drink wholesalers and so offering new functionality to address specific trends or challenges the industry sees is key.
“Part of our promise to our customers is to keep developing our solution, so it’s a constant process to roll out new features so our customers can get the best possible service,” Mannion continued.
“Browse Store has been in the pipeline for a number of months and is one of the most significant updates for a while, but we see it as a crucial tool for wholesalers’ digital approach.”
