Introducing Branch of the Future: modern commerce for builders merchants
July 2025
The builders merchant sector is changing — fast.
Customer expectations are evolving. Nationals are investing in ecommerce. Independents are feeling the pressure to modernise. But for many, digital transformation still feels out of reach: too complex, too expensive, too risky.
That’s why we’ve launched Branch of the Future.
A modular, ready-to-deploy digital commerce framework built specifically for builders merchants. No drawn-out replatform required.
Developed in partnership with BigCommerce, The Journey and Pimberly, Branch of the Future brings together four leaders in ecommerce strategy, implementation, platform and product data.
The result? A packaged solution that delivers big impact without the heavy lifting.
Built for the real-world complexity of merchant operations
Trade buyers aren’t like everyday shoppers, and neither are builders merchants. Generic ecommerce platforms can’t handle the realities of branch networks, trade pricing, quoting, or complex product data. That’s why most B2B digitisation efforts in this space stall before they scale.
Branch of the Future is different.
It’s designed to work with your business, not against it, flexing around your current operations while laying the groundwork for growth. Whether you’re a regional merchant or a national supplier, it gives you the tools to deliver seamless experiences across every channel, without disrupting what already works in branch.
As Al Ward, VP of Commerce at Brave Bison puts it:
“Builders’ merchants have an important opportunity to reduce operational costs by automating repetitive tasks like order tracking and invoice inquiries, freeing up teams to focus on higher-value work. At the same time, they can deliver a more personalised, self-serve buying experience for trade customers.”
Why now?
Research from The Journey shows:
Customers who buy online and offline spend 3× more
Digitally engaged customers are 60% less likely to churn
Yet fewer than 25% of merchants offer online order tracking
And less than 5% of revenue comes from digital channels
The opportunity is real. The time to act is now.
“With over 25 years of experience working alongside and inside builders merchants, we know digital doesn’t replace customer relationships — it enhances them,” says John Godwin, Director at The Journey. “This is about practical transformation that starts with your customer and delivers measurable results.”
What’s included?
Branch of the Future combines everything you need to upgrade your customer experience and future-proof your business:
Composable commerce infrastructure
Powered by BigCommerce B2B Edition and Catalyst, delivering out-of-the-box support for trade-specific functionality like account-based pricing, quoting, and product visibility.
Best-in-class product data
Via Pimberly’s leading Product Information Management platform, complete with 1.5M+ pre-optimised SKUs tailored for builders merchants.
Sector-specific strategy
Led by The Journey, whose consultants have decades of experience helping merchants like Travis Perkins unlock digital growth.
Rapid implementation
Delivered by Brave Bison’s expert tech and experience teams, using a phased approach that ensures speed, stability and long-term success.
“Reliable product data is the foundation of operational efficiency and buyer trust,” adds Craig McCalley, MD at Pimberly. “We’ve spent years helping merchants centralise, enrich and optimise product content — and we’ve baked that knowledge into this accelerator.”
“The Branch of the Future accelerator is about delivering customer-first experiences that grow revenue and deepen loyalty,” says Lance Owide, GM of B2B at BigCommerce. “We’re giving merchants a faster, more affordable path to compete.”
Ready to lay the foundations for digital growth?
