In 2019 , Director Rob Horton had already made the decision to open an online store , but the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020 accelerated his efforts to get this side of the business up and running . Since launching the service , online ordering has grown significantly .

THE CONVENIENCE OF ‘ CLICK AND COLLECT ’

Rob tells us , “ Our e-commerce plans were already in development back in 2019 , but when Covid struck the team got a move on to ensure we could continue to service our customers with minimum disruption .

“ Since launching Horton ’ s online store , it ’ s taken off massively . ‘ Click & collect ’ is a convenient way for our customers to buy and people seem to be enjoying it . A lot of customers like the fact they can order at night , or first thing in the morning while they ’ re having a cuppa , before stopping by to pick up their goods in store within minutes if they want .

“ We opted for a platform with ‘ live ’ stock integration , quickly realising this would eliminate issues such as items not being available when customers arrived in store after placing an order .

“ We ’ re managing a significant inventory of stock across four branches , so having this information visible and live on the website 24 / 7 certainly helps with order fulfilment and keeps things running smoothly .”

One Horton customer , window and conservatory installer Neil of DNP Building Plastics tells us , “ Horton has made ordering materials much easier for me and my fitter Darren . I don ’ t have to run around anymore as I can log in and order at night , and the lads from the Horton store have it ready first thing for Daz to collect around 8am . It ’ s easy .”

DELIVERING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Besides in-store collection , Horton Building Plastics also offers a nationwide delivery service , with the success of the online store prompting investment in a new fleet of vehicles .

Rob explains , “ In the beginning we were using couriers for delivery , but as the business has grown , we ’ ve started doing our transport planning in house .

We have just acquired four long wheelbase maxi-loaders which can carry 5.2 metre lengths , and we have three vans for local , smaller deliveries .”

He continues , “ Not only does this mean we can offer a more cost-effective , comprehensive service but it also gives us peace of mind . Manual handling is decreased and carried out by our own trained and trusted team members , greatly reducing the risk of goods being lost or damaged in transit , as sometimes happens with a courier service .

“ Managing our own fleet means Horton ’ s customers are getting a much faster , more reliable and efficient delivery service . The new wagons have been a big investment for us , but definitely worthwhile . Orders are particularly busy in Crewe and the wider Cheshire area , which we ’ re really excited about as they ’ re key to connecting routes such as Middlewich , Chester and Wales - all locations offering great opportunities for growing the business .”

STRIKING THE PERFECT BALANCE The positive experience of Horton ’ s digital expansion has left Rob keen to continue developing in this area , but the company ’ s physical stores still play a crucial role in his growth plans .

Rob concludes , “ I am putting resources into increasing Horton ’ s visibility on Google and improving SEO to keep our digital business thriving . However , the bricks and mortar side of the business provides the infrastructure to support our online efforts as well as a space where we establish vital face-to-face relationships between our customers and team members , and we ’ re still planning to open more branches in the future .

“ We aim to strike a perfect balance between our online and offline presence that meets both our business objectives and the needs of Horton ’ s customers well into the future .”

www . hortonstore . co . uk

www . liniar . co . uk

24 OCTOBER 2023

CLEARVIEW-UK . COM