To help merchants turn missed opportunities into measurable growth, Keith Johnston, Business Development Director at DART Tool Group, shares four practical strategies for building more connected, customer-focused merchandising that drives basket size and convenience.

A common challenge in the builders’ merchant sector isn't customer loyalty, it is basket size. While tradespeople visit regularly, many split their purchases across multiple stores, buying core materials like timber in one location and heading elsewhere for fixings, adhesives, or accessories.

This revenue leakage often comes down to disconnected merchandising. When related products are hidden, poorly signposted, or placed out of flow, merchants miss easy add-on sales, and customers face unnecessary inconvenience. The result? Margins quietly erode, and valuable spend drifts into the hands of competitors.

Here are four practical strategies for building more connected, customer-focused merchandising that drives basket size and convenience. 

Create frictionless flows between core and complementary items 

Expanding sales starts with guiding the customer naturally through related products. Every buying journey starts with intent, but the best store layouts are designed to expand that intent into a bigger basket. Tradespeople often enter for one product, but with the right layout, they leave with more. 

Accessories, fixings, and consumables should always be positioned close to their related core lines. This makes cross-selling effortless and natural. Proximity drives purchase, and that extra convenience means customers are less likely to go elsewhere.

Use data to spot split baskets 

Understanding customer behaviour is key to closing gaps in sales. Gut instinct is useful, but numbers tell the real story of where sales are being lost. For example, sales data can quickly reveal when customers buy core products without the likely add-ons, such as timber without screws, or adhesive without applicators. 

Identifying these gaps gives merchants the insight to reposition stock, bundle products, or adjust promotions. It’s about making sure every visit meets the customer’s complete need, not just part of it.

Improve in-store wayfinding 

Easy navigation keeps customers shopping longer and increases the likelihood of add-on purchases, but even the best-stocked store will lose sales if customers can’t navigate it with ease. If customers can’t find what they need quickly, they will abandon the search or shop with a competitor. 

Clear signage, logical category grouping, and intuitive layout design are essential. A smooth in-store journey not only keeps customers in your store longer, it increases the chance they will buy more.

Make every aisle a sales opportunity

Every section of a store is a chance to drive incremental revenue and influence buying decisions when used strategically. Too often high-margin add-ons are hidden in low-traffic areas. 

Bringing profitable accessories into high-visibility spaces, like entrances, tills, or alongside bestsellers, turns dead space into active revenue. Every aisle, display, and counter should be a selling zone.

Merchants can grow not just by attracting new customers, but by ensuring existing customers can find and purchase everything they need in one place. Strategic merchandising makes shopping more convenient, encourages customers to spend more in-store, and builds lasting loyalty.