Online builders’ merchant, cmostores.com, has unveiled a new online portal at www.cmotrade.co.uk.

In 2018, the £38 million company, previously known as Construction Materials Online launched Door Superstore alongside its existing drainagesuperstore.co.uk, insulationsuperstore.co.uk, and roofingsuperstore.co.uk websites.

The new website brings together all 75,000 products from 350 suppliers provided by these different specialist websites operated by cmostores.com. It aims to bring to the trade builder the experience of a consumer online retailer and offers trade credit and bulk discounts for companies.

CEO Andy Dunkley said: “We’re disrupting a market that historically had seen few of the benefits that technology and e-commerce can bring, and to offer the largest range of building products available anywhere online is a great way to launch the new site,”

“Every independent builder, whether you are two men and a van, or a multi-million turnover operation with multiple sites, wants to save time and keep projects on or ahead of schedule and budget, and we have been working to build a business that makes that easier.”

The business aims to take market share from traditional builders’ merchants that have made relatively little investment in their online presence and service models, and the company has made significant progress towards this goal since the investment in 2017.

Dunkley added: “Sometimes disruption is the best thing for a market, and certainly it’s almost always of benefit for the customer.

“The Amazon and Wayfair models are hard to exactly replicate for the UK construction market, but some of the elements are deliverable, and we’re investing in providing traditional customer service as well as the latest technology to ensure we attract people who like to talk to someone on the phone or need advice.

“We’re here to save customers time and hassle by providing systems and tools to help them keep track of their projects and meet deadlines. That is done by delivering what they need for a job, reliably to where they need it, exactly when they need it.

“Had the building industry as a whole taken advantage of the potential benefits technology can offer, cmostores.com wouldn’t have enjoyed the growth we have demonstrated.”

Further new services and an expanded product range are expected later in 2019.