Solving Complexity in Building and Construction Materials Ecommerce: How BigCommerce Powers B2B Growth

In an industry where deadlines are tight, project specs are non-negotiable, and procurement spans everything from prefabricated materials to on-site deliveries, the way building and construction materials are sold is evolving fast. Today’s contractors, developers, and procurement teams don’t have time to chase quotes, dig through outdated catalogs, or manage fragmented supply chains offline. They want digital solutions built for how they actually work — across job sites, project phases, and complex bid cycles.

Leading brands like GlassCraft Door Company, a premier residential door manufacturer; MKM Building Supplies, the UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant; Industrial Tool Supplies, a top supplier of professional tools and equipment; and London Tile Company, a long-established specialty tile brand, are already investing in digital infrastructure to meet growing demand — and they’re choosing BigCommerce to help power their growth.

The global construction materials market, valued at over $1.1 trillion in 2022, is projected to reach nearly $1.4 trillion by 2028, growing at a modest pace of just over 3% CAGR. In a slow-growth environment, success isn’t about chasing volume; it’s about standing out. For many businesses, that means using ecommerce to drive profitability by solving industry-specific challenges such as configuring compliant product bundles, surfacing SKUs with precise specifications, enabling project-based pricing, and supporting high-volume repeat ordering without unnecessary friction.

BigCommerce is helping building and construction material brands meet those challenges head-on, empowering them to move faster, operate smarter, and grow stronger in a digital-first era.

Understanding the building and construction material B2B buyer

The B2B building and construction materials market serves a diverse ecosystem of professional buyers, all of whom bring complex needs and high expectations to the purchasing process. As demand accelerates and projects grow in scope, these buyers are increasingly turning to ecommerce for a faster, more reliable, and more customizable way to source materials.

Contractors and construction professionals.

Builders, contractors, and subcontractors are often responsible for sourcing materials across multiple job sites, balancing speed, accuracy, and project-specific requirements. These buyers frequently place high volumes of small, repetitive orders, and they rely on ecommerce platforms that support quick reordering, job-site-specific shipping addresses, and intuitive catalog navigation. Because projects often require bundled products, like fasteners, insulation, and siding that work together, these buyers benefit from guided selling tools and product configurators that simplify decision-making and reduce errors.

Procurement teams at construction firms.

Procurement specialists manage everything from sourcing materials for new builds to coordinating deliveries across active job sites. Their workflows often include formal processes like RFIs, submittals, and tender documents. They require access to downloadable documentation, transparent pricing, and approval workflows that support internal compliance. Features like project-based pricing and quote management help speed up decision-making, while integrations with ERPs and inventory systems ensure seamless procurement operations.

Distributors and material resellers.

Distributors play a key role in the construction supply chain, often purchasing in bulk and reselling to regional contractors, developers, or retail stores. These buyers require multi-location inventory visibility, accurate product specifications, and category structures aligned with industry standards like MasterFormat. Personalized pricing, volume discounts, and flexible shipping arrangements are critical for these customers to manage margin and serve their own downstream buyers efficiently.

Architects, engineers, and specifiers.

These buyers may not always place orders directly, but they influence product selection by defining the material specifications for a given project. They rely on ecommerce sites for detailed technical specs, code compliance information, and documentation to include in project bids or BOMs. Ensuring product data is accurate, structured, and easy to search is essential to winning visibility early in the planning and design process.

As buyer expectations rise, building and construction material brands need ecommerce experiences that are as strong and reliable as the materials they sell, with functionality that supports complex products, simplifies ordering, and delivers a seamless path from spec to site.

Common challenges building and construction material businesses face

Building and construction material ecommerce brands face a unique set of challenges when selling online — from managing complex product catalogs to supporting project-based orders and compliance requirements. Without the right tools, these pain points create friction for both buyers and internal teams. Solving them is essential to scaling efficiently in a competitive, specification-driven industry.

Complex product data and discovery.

Building and construction materials come with complex variations, from sizes and finishes to compliance requirements, making it challenging to manage product data and present it clearly online. Accurate specs, part numbers, and documentation are essential, as even small errors can lead to costly project delays.

Buyers often need to purchase related materials together but may not know which products are compatible. Without bundling tools or guided configuration, they’re forced to rely on offline support, slowing down the process.

Limited search and filtering can also frustrate buyers, especially when catalogs aren’t structured by standards like CSI MasterFormat. And when technical documents like submittals or spec sheets aren’t easy to access, it creates friction during sourcing and approvals.

To win in this space, brands must make it easy for buyers to find the right products, configure them accurately, and access the information they need — all in one seamless experience.

Outdated sales workflows in a project-driven industry.

The building and construction material sales process is often complex, involving project-specific requirements, documentation, and approval workflows. Many transactions start with a request for information (RFI), followed by bids, submittals, and formal quotes — all of which are difficult to manage without a flexible, digital system in place.

Buyers frequently need project-based pricing and personalized material lists, but most ecommerce platforms aren’t equipped to handle that level of customization. Without tools to support quoting, customer-specific pricing, and account-based workflows, sales teams are stuck fielding manual requests that slow down the entire process.

Construction firms also place frequent, small-volume orders across multiple job sites, requiring fast reordering and flexible shipping options. When ecommerce systems lack repurchase tools, multi-address support, or job-site delivery preferences, it creates friction and puts more pressure on sales and support teams.

To keep up with demand and deliver a better buyer experience, building and construction material brands need digital sales tools that mirror the complexity of the projects they support and reduce the manual lift required to close the deal.

How BigCommerce tackles these obstacles

Meeting the needs of building and construction material buyers takes more than a basic ecommerce site. With project-based pricing, complex product bundling, and detailed technical documentation baked into the buying process, construction materials sellers need flexible, scalable technology that mirrors how their buyers actually work. BigCommerce gives these brands the tools to streamline operations, reduce friction, and support workflows across every phase of the customer journey — all while staying adaptable to unique project and procurement needs.

Built-in repurchase functionalities for high-volume buyers.

Construction buyers often place frequent, small-volume orders across multiple job sites, and BigCommerce makes that easy to manage. Tools like the Quick Order Pad allow users to enter SKUs in bulk or quickly reorder materials from past purchases. This helps procurement teams restock fast without combing through entire catalogs.

Buyers can also create saved shopping lists and access searchable order history to simplify recurring purchases, while shipping settings support deliveries to multiple addresses and job sites. These out-of-the-box tools help building and construction material B2B ecommerce brands reduce friction, improve buyer satisfaction, and boost operational efficiency.

Project-ready bundling tools and configurable product support.

Bundling is essential in construction ecommerce. Buyers often need groups of materials that work together for a specific build or project spec. BigCommerce gives merchants the ability to create custom product bundles and kits, enabling buyers to select compatible components like siding, vapor barriers, and fasteners in one seamless experience.

Merchants can also support configurable products and display relevant technical details such as part numbers, load ratings, or compliance codes — all without needing custom development. This functionality streamlines the buying experience and helps reduce errors during the ordering process.

Custom catalogs, pricing, and content by buyer type.

Every project is different, and every buyer has unique needs. With BigCommerce, sellers can create customer-specific catalogs, pricing tiers, and content that reflect negotiated contracts or procurement preferences. Whether you're serving a general contractor with pre-approved material lists or offering project-based pricing for a regional distributor, you can tailor the shopping experience to match.

Need to add downloadable submittals or product certifications? BigCommerce makes it easy to attach the necessary documentation directly to product pages, ensuring buyers have the information they need at every step.

Open architecture for project-driven integrations.

Construction sales often continue long after the first order, with change orders, job site deliveries, and documentation updates along the way. BigCommerce’s open, composable architecture gives sellers the flexibility to integrate essential back-office systems and post-purchase tools, including ERP platforms, bid and tender management software, and logistics partners.

By removing barriers to integration, BigCommerce helps building and construction material brands connect their ecommerce experience to the broader project lifecycle, supporting seamless collaboration between sales, operations, and procurement teams.

Building and construction material brands that have seen success with BigCommerce

MKM Building Supplies.

MKM Building Supplies, the UK’s largest independent supplier of building materials, operates more than 120 branches across England, Scotland, and Wales. Serving a wide range of customers across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C sectors, MKM was seeking a solution to deliver a unified customer experience, streamline operations, and drive long-term online revenue growth.

MKM chose to migrate to BigCommerce for its API-first, microservices-based architecture — giving the team the flexibility to build the headless infrastructure they had envisioned. This freedom of choice is a hallmark of headless commerce and has allowed MKM to develop a customized, future-proof tech stack tailored to their unique business needs. Since choosing BigCommerce, MKM has drastically improved the customer experience, resulting in an 82% uptick in revenue.

“Launching on BigCommerce allowed us to personalize the customer journey and deliver frictionless experiences across channels,” remarked Andy Pickup, Digital Director at MKM Building Supplies.

GlassCraft Door Company.

GlassCraft Door Company, a leader in premium B2B2C door manufacturing, blends sustainable practices, competitive pricing, and advanced craftsmanship. With a focus on simplifying the supply chain and empowering end customers, GlassCraft needed an ecommerce solution that could support both innovation and operational efficiency.

The company chose BigCommerce for its flexibility and scalability, leveraging B2B Edition features like multi-user accounts, order tracking, and quoting to streamline the buyer experience. GlassCraft also built a custom DoorCrafter configurator — their standout tool that transforms complex product selection into a seamless, user-friendly experience. Since launching on BigCommerce, GlassCraft has seen a 150% increase in sales.

“B2B Edition has been a great addition to our site,” said Donald Polansky, Senior Manager for Corporate Systems Development at GlassCraft Door Company. “It lets our distributors add all their employees to our backend portal, so rather than in a traditional ecommerce experience where everybody has their own login and sees their own orders, the entire company can keep track of quotes and orders going out to customers.”

The final word

From shifting buyer expectations to increasingly complex procurement cycles, the construction materials industry is facing a pivotal moment. What used to be managed through phone calls, PDFs, and in-person sales now demands fast, flexible, and connected digital experiences. For brands ready to modernize, the growth potential is enormous.

BigCommerce gives building and construction material sellers the flexibility, power, and openness to rise to that challenge. Whether you're modernizing procurement, simplifying project-based ordering, or expanding into new markets, BigCommerce provides the infrastructure to help you grow — without growing pains. Now is the time to lay the foundation for long-term success.

Ready to modernize your ecommerce experience? Explore BigCommerce B2B Edition and see what’s possible — book a demo today.