SupplyHouse.com is revolutionising trade-focused online retail with smarter inventory planning and richer product information, reducing delays and decision friction for contractors under pressure.
SupplyHouse.com’s recent discussion on the And So It Flows podcast offered a detailed look at how an online specialist for plumbing, heating, HVAC and electrical supplies is reshaping merchandising and fulfilment to serve tradespeople under time pressure. Jennifer Harrison, ...
Continue Reading This Article
Enjoy this article as well as all of our content, including reports, news, tips and more.
By registering or signing into your SRM Today account, you agree to SRM Today's Terms of Use and consent to the processing of your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.
vice president of merchandising, and Kaytee Gray, vice president of fulfilment operations, described a tightly integrated approach that blends richer product data, search-driven merchandising and advanced inventory planning to reduce on-site delays and decision friction for contractors.
Harrison outlined how the company seeks to simplify the buying process for professionals who cannot afford lengthy product research on the job. By surfacing curated, expert-level information where customers search and by streamlining navigation, SupplyHouse.com aims to cut through the “analysis paralysis” that can slow repairs and installations. That merchandising strategy, she said, is designed to put the right technical detail and guidance at a technician’s fingertips so decisions are faster and more accurate.
Gray expanded on the operational side, describing investments in machine-learning demand planning and collaborative forecasting to manage seasonal volatility and spikes in heating and cooling demand. She emphasised that for trades-focused e-commerce the stakes are higher than consumer convenience: a late delivery can delay a job and inconvenience a homeowner, so speed and inventory accuracy are business-critical. To that end, SupplyHouse.com has pursued enhancements across its network of fulfilment centres to ensure product is available in the right place at the right time.
The company’s adoption of RELEX Solutions to provide unified, AI-driven forecasting and replenishment across its distribution network is a concrete example of that strategy. According to a BusinessWire release and RELEX’s own account, the RELEX platform was implemented to support the retailer’s four fulfilment centres in Nevada, New Jersey, Texas and Ohio beginning in mid‑2023. The vendor and industry reports credit the system with significantly cutting split shipments through more accurate forecasting, improving primary fill rates year-over-year, and optimising inventory levels to lower holding costs and obsolescence.
Those operational gains dovetail with the merchandising objectives Harrison described. The two functions, she and Gray said, must operate as a single engine: adding new SKUs, updating item data and expanding assortments are useful only if the supply chain can backstop availability and delivery. SupplyHouse.com has been rolling out warehouse management upgrades, robotics and ergonomic enhancements while refining cross‑team decision‑making so that product introductions and site presentation do not outpace fulfilment capability.
Industry data and the company’s public statements point to measurable benefits from pairing better product information with stronger planning tools. The RELEX partnership, announced publicly in July 2023 and discussed in subsequent corporate communications, was presented as a response to rapid growth and the need for greater confidence in inventory decisions. According to those communications, the platform’s AI models helped the business reduce the frequency of split consignments, raise on‑shelf availability and trim excess inventory investment, outcomes that translate directly into fewer jobsite interruptions for contractors.
Looking ahead, both leaders said continued investment in technology and infrastructure will be essential to scale without eroding service. Harrison signalled further emphasis on product data quality and search experience, while Gray flagged ongoing enhancements to forecasting and fulfilment execution. Their shared objective remains straightforward: to be able to respond affirmatively and quickly to customer needs, aligning merchandising promises with operational delivery so that contractors can keep jobs on schedule.
Source: Noah Wire Services
