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NOT ON THE HIGH STREET DIGITISATION • AIMING TO ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND DIFFERENTIATE ITS OFFERING, UNIVAR SOLUTIONS IS EXPANDING AND IMPROVING ITS ONLINE FACE TO THE WORLD THE COVID-19 CRISIS and associated lockdown has discouraged high-street shopping but, with plenty of options online, people have largely managed to keep themselves fed, clothed and entertained. Given the number of store closures and redundancies among the major retailers being announced, it seems that online shopping is going to be the primary retail outlet in the future. The same goes for chemicals: there are now plenty of avenues through which users can compare and buy products. That means
UNIVAR IS WORKING HARD TO ENSURE ITS CUSTOMERS HAVE ONLINE ACCESS TO ITS LARGE PORTFOLIO
chemical distributors have to be alert to changes in customer behaviour. Leading global distributor Univar Solutions is ahead of the curve and is continuing to expand on its existing industry-leading digital capabilities. “Designed to enhance and differentiate the customer experience, reach new markets and customers, and accelerate growth, these capabilities open up more ways for buyers to search, source, and self-serve on the products they need at the time that best suits them,” the company states. Univar has plenty to offer on its own website and its ChemPoint.com offering is well established in terms of finding, engaging and nurturing customers. Additionally, ChemPoint’s MarketConnect offers marketing as a service,
helping to create multi-channel digital marketing campaigns for a wide range of chemical and ingredient products. Univar has expanded on that digital base with the launch of Shop.UnivarSolutions.com (‘Shop’) and ChemCentral.com. Shop provides access to Univar Solutions’ full catalogue of more than 17,000 products through an innovative e-commerce experience that includes complete order status, invoicing, transaction history, safety and regulatory documentation, as well as a new ‘where’s my stuff’ functionality that allows customers to know the real-time status of orders. For customers who want a simple, no-frills buying option and transparent, all-digital experience, ChemCentral.com provides fast, easy and direct access to a portfolio of products, alongside detailed product information and simplified pricing. ROLLING OUT “The addition of Shop.UnivarSolutions.com and ChemCentral.com expands our e-commerce offerings and gives both existing and new customers options to search, source and self-serve anytime and from anywhere,” says Brian Herington, CCO and head of North American Chemical Distribution at Univar Solutions. “These new tools are created to help drive growth through a streamlined buying journey and a digitised end-to-end supply chain.” Univar says it will continue to work on expanding its new e-commerce offerings in new territories through to early 2021. “Launching in the US, these platforms will be rolled out globally as our customers continue to seek information, select products, make purchases and manage their business online through our suite of digital capabilities,” adds Herington. Intended to enhance the customer experience, generate demand and make it easier to do business, Univar Solutions’ digital capabilities are designed to meet a multifaceted set of demand trends. “With many markets looking for chemical and ingredient solutions online, our digital capabilities are fulfilling a need at the right time,” Herington says. www.univarsolutions.com
HCB MONTHLY | OCTOBER 2020
