Why a Cash & Carry should use a B2B portal

Cash & Carry: past and present

Since I delved into the digital world, I’ve often heard tales of “how things used to be”. Digitalisation is now deeply embedded in our lives, and I’m always fascinated by how things were done in the past.

Once upon a time, agents would drive hundreds of kilometres each day visiting their clients. After visiting, they’d return to the office, leave cheques and some cash, pull out their scribbled notes listing the items to order, and carry on with their work.

Later, tablets arrived and changed everything: orders could be sent directly to headquarters without intermediary steps; payments could be logged by the client; and catalogues could be browsed without lugging around heavy folders.

Today, companies are asking us to go a step further: to support clients even when no physical salesperson is present, offering them a truly comprehensive service.

Our dedicated offering for Cash & Carry businesses was created to ensure enhanced client management, increased volumes, improved customer loyalty, and better communication between headquarters and end clients.

The .onSales B2B platform, used by leading players like Cattel and Granarolo, combines the convenience of online purchasing with that of a traditional physical outlet: the client places an order via their preferred device and collects it using Click & Collect or Home Delivery.

Meanwhile, in-store staff, once they receive the order, can pick the requested products directly in the aisle using a mobile device. To explore further, we recommend this article 👉 .onSales B2B: the E-Commerce devoted to Cash&Carry.

Why Cash & Carry Businesses need a B2B portal

In my previous article, I shared the advantages enjoyed by end users when purchasing from Cash & Carry businesses that use a B2B portal. Now I’d like to focus on the benefits for the company:

• Flexibility in order collection: today’s customer prefers to place orders via smart devices at any time of the day, and is even willing to choose less economical suppliers, as long as they are guaranteed flexibility.
• Stronger local presence and customer loyalty: it becomes possible to acquire and retain customers even in the most remote areas, without having to visit them constantly, because digital tools support the customer at every stage of their day.
• Sustainability: fewer visits, optimised transport and the digitalisation of documents are all practices that certainly benefit the planet.
• Fewer calls for information requests: calls for information drop dramatically, freeing up head office staff to focus on other tasks, since all necessary details are available directly on the portal.
• Process efficiency and acceleration: much is said today about process optimisation, which comes for example from managing all documents in a single hub. One tool where documents sent by email or uploaded to intranet portals can be stored. In addition, features such as an accounts receivable schedule and the option to pay invoices online lighten the workload for administrative staff.
• Communication: communication with customers is simplified through a dedicated section of our portal. No more unread emails and fewer reminder calls.

B2B portals: benefits for everyone

The advantages for Cash & Carry businesses and their customers overlap, making our solution rich in benefits for both suppliers and their clients. It is a tool that is constantly evolving with new features, always keeping in mind the three pillars of our charter:

• People: staff work with innovative tools that streamline and speed up their activities.
• Planet: a tangible contribution to the well-being of our planet, thanks to reduced travel and optimised transport.
• Prosperity: a new solution to increase sales and reach more customers.