More trade accounts and counter sales from local search.

Yes. Local search favours businesses that are genuinely close to the customer, with a real yard, strong reviews and clear information about what they stock and where they deliver. Many trades prefer an independent that knows them by name and answers the phone, and we help make that clear to Google and AI tools so more people come to you directly.

Yes. Google Merchant Center lets retailers show in-store products in free local listings, so a customer searching for a particular product can see it is available at your branch. We can help you set this up and keep your Google profile, departments and click-and-collect options consistent with it.

Where full stock data isn’t practical, we focus on clear department pages and your best-selling ranges, which still help customers and AI assistants understand what you carry.

The Authority plan includes multi-location strategy, giving each branch its own optimised profile and visibility across the towns and villages it delivers to.

Updating your profile and stockist listings can start to help within a few weeks. Stronger map positions and AI recommendations usually take three to six months, depending on how many merchants compete locally — so work begun in winter is paying back by the spring building rush.

No. Each plan runs month to month, and you can cancel any time before your next billing date. Your branch profiles, listings and links all remain in place once you stop.

Many independents show guide or retail prices for common lines and keep trade pricing behind an account login. Whichever you choose, be clear about delivery charges, minimum orders, crane offload, pallet deposits and whether prices include VAT, as trade and homeowner customers often expect different things.

Membership of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), membership of a buying group, FSC or PEFC chain of custody certification for timber and approved stockist status with major manufacturers all reassure customers. Show them on your website, Google profile and trade counter, and only claim certification for the products and sites your certificate actually covers.

Make applying simple, with a short online form, a clear explanation of credit checks and terms, and a named contact at each branch. Many merchants offer a cash account straight away while a credit application is assessed.

Supplier days, breakfast mornings and product training at the branch give local trades a reason to visit, meet your team and open an account.

Landscaping and heavyside demand usually rises in spring and summer, while heating and plumbing spares pick up as the weather turns colder. Promoting each department ahead of its busy season, and building visibility over quieter months, helps keep the yard and the delivery fleet busy all year.