Despite online shopping being around since the 90s, business-to-business (B2B) companies and customers, particularly those in the plumbing industry, have been hesitant to capitalise on ecommerce.

But attitudes are slowly changing – and for good reason.

Why buy your plumbing supplies online, particularly from a reputable plumbing supply store like Forge Plumbing? Amongst a wealth of reasons, here are seven of the most compelling.

1. Convenience

How far is your nearest plumbing supplier from your workplace or your home? Five minutes? 10? Perhaps 15? Whatever the travel time might be, you can warranty that a trip takes longer than typing “forgeplumbing.com.au” into your web browser.

This convenience extends to the in-store experience. When you arrive at a retail store, you’ll either need to find the right plumbing fittings and plumbing fixtures yourself, or you’ll need a worker to find them for you, which can be a time-consuming affair. Alternatively, you can jump online, type in a few characters to find the plumbing products you need, and then add them to your cart in a click.

2. Delivery to your door

On top of the fact that you have to drive to a brick-and-mortar plumbing supplier, wasting precious time during your workday, the store doesn’t always have what you need, so you may have to make a return trip to pick up the toilet, taps, vanity or sink when it comes into stock.

When you use an online plumbing supply company, you don’t have to move an inch, as plumbing products are delivered to your door. What’s more, at Forge we offer FREE shipping and returns on every order and same-day despatch before 3pm AEST.

3. 24/7 availability

As a plumber, your working hours line up closely with the opening hours of your local plumbing supply store. This is a good thing, allowing you to grab whatever bathroom supplies, plumbing materials and parts you need throughout your workday.

But often you’ll only take stock of the supplies you need at the end of your day. If you do so after 5pm, you’re out of luck… unless you take advantage of the 24/7 opening hours of an online plumbing supplier like Forge, which allows you to shop at your convenience after hours, on weekends, and even on public holidays.

4. Easy price comparison

When you shop in a physical store it can be hard to tell whether you’re being charged a fair price, particularly as most plumbing supply retailers won’t display their trade prices because they sell to the general public too. Are you getting a good deal? The answer will often come down to trust and gut feel.

Shopping online is a different story altogether. Once you’ve found what you need on the Forge online store, open a new window and search for the same product on a different online plumbing supply website to see if you’re getting a good deal. (With Forge, you will get a good deal.)

5. Competitive pricing

When you do this price comparison, you’ll notice that fittings, fixtures, supplies and products from Forge Plumbing compare quite favourably to the prices found in brick-and-mortar retailers. There are two main reasons why online plumbing supply companies can offer such competitive pricing:

• Lower overheads: Retail stores, and the people needed to run them, are expensive. Digital storefronts are comparatively cost-effective, and at Forge Plumbing we pass these cost savings onto you.
• Purchasing power: As a large online retailer, we can negotiate with manufacturers to secure the very best price for plumbing equipment, materials and parts. If we get them cheaper, so do you.

What’s more, we only sell to licensed plumbers, so we offer every customer the same low trade price, which we display for all to see, and which also allows small plumbers to compete with the largest players.

6. No pushy salespeople

Salespeople tend to be driven by incentives – the more they sell, the bigger their paycheque. This can make a visit to a plumbing store an uncomfortable experience at times, full of upselling, cross-selling and general pressure to buy.

There are no such worries when visiting an online store like Forge Plumbing. We’re here to help – if you’ve got a question, just type it into the pop-up chat box where a human will answer it – but there is never any pressure to buy.

7. Customer reviews

Whether you’re shopping for valves, faucets, bathroom accessories or heated towel rails, you want to know that the items you buy are of the highest quality. Buying in a brick-and-mortar store can involve some guesswork, but buying online allows you to check the customer reviews for every item to ensure that it does what it says and will last the distance.

Backed by our famous 25-year warranty, you can be confident that the plumbing parts and bathroom supplies you purchase from Forge Plumbing are of the highest quality.

Forge Plumbing: your online plumbing supplier

At Forge Plumbing we’re excited to offer plumbers a better alternative to shopping in a brick-and-mortar store. With free delivery Australia-wide on every order (no matter the size), and with our no-questions-asked return policy, shopping online for your plumbing needs has never been more convenient, cost-effective or risk-free.