03.16.10
Benjamin Moore is now selling direct to consumers and delivering to their doorsteps via a new e-commerce addition to its web site, www.benjaminmoore.com. The Benjamin Moore “Shop Now” virtual store, accessible from the web site’s navigation bar, features a range of the brands, interior paints and sundry painting accessories, including brushes, rollers, trays, spackle and an application starter kit. Color fan decks also can be purchased at the site.
According to the company, nearly every consumer requirement or possible question that might typically arise when it comes to purchasing paint has been anticipated. There is information and assistance on what sheen, or gloss level, to choose for a project, color selection guidance, plus access to a paint calculator that helps figure what amount is needed based on square footage of the space being painted.
The seven paint products offered online are from Benjamin Moore’s “Green Promise” portfolio and are low- or zero-VOC formulations featuring the company’s patented waterborne colorant technology. This lineup includes the self-priming Aura paint; Aura Bath and Spa, for any high-moisture area in a home; Natura, considered to be the “greenest” paint Benjamin Moore makes; ben Interior; WB Ceiling Paint; Natura Primer; and, ben Primer. Both gallon and quart sizes are sold. The online color options have been simplified, with 2,500 to choose from. The Color Samples are available in 600 hues.
E-commerce shoppers who require advice and assistance while making their selections will have toll-free phone access to a Benjamin Moore customer service representative, available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Orders are being tinted and shipped from the company’s main distribution center in Clifton, NJ. A policy for accepting returns and exchanges is posted.
In making the leap into internet sales, Benjamin Moore is heading to where DIY consumers are more likely to shop, the company said. It is a burgeoning audience that represents untapped potential for the company. The company has an extensive network of more than 4,000 retailers throughout North America, primarily comprised of paint and decorating stores, hardware stores and lumberyards. This independent selling channel is an industry exclusive that has given Benjamin Moore a competitive advantage.
“Online shopping increasingly is part of today’s lifestyle and demanded by consumers,” said Carl Minchew, Benjamin Moore’s director of product development. “Today’s purchase decisions more frequently occur during non-store hours. A product must be accessible and available on the consumer’s timetable, not the other way around. Any business that hopes to remain relevant and viable has to be responsive to this reality and incorporate it into its selling strategy.
“We’ve studied this e-commerce decision for a long time,” he said. “We believe now is the time to add it into our marketing mix. While we remain steadfastly committed to our retail partners, we hope they share our vision that this move will allow the brand to cast its net wider and capture new and more consumers, a benefit to us all.”
According to the company, nearly every consumer requirement or possible question that might typically arise when it comes to purchasing paint has been anticipated. There is information and assistance on what sheen, or gloss level, to choose for a project, color selection guidance, plus access to a paint calculator that helps figure what amount is needed based on square footage of the space being painted.
The seven paint products offered online are from Benjamin Moore’s “Green Promise” portfolio and are low- or zero-VOC formulations featuring the company’s patented waterborne colorant technology. This lineup includes the self-priming Aura paint; Aura Bath and Spa, for any high-moisture area in a home; Natura, considered to be the “greenest” paint Benjamin Moore makes; ben Interior; WB Ceiling Paint; Natura Primer; and, ben Primer. Both gallon and quart sizes are sold. The online color options have been simplified, with 2,500 to choose from. The Color Samples are available in 600 hues.
E-commerce shoppers who require advice and assistance while making their selections will have toll-free phone access to a Benjamin Moore customer service representative, available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Orders are being tinted and shipped from the company’s main distribution center in Clifton, NJ. A policy for accepting returns and exchanges is posted.
In making the leap into internet sales, Benjamin Moore is heading to where DIY consumers are more likely to shop, the company said. It is a burgeoning audience that represents untapped potential for the company. The company has an extensive network of more than 4,000 retailers throughout North America, primarily comprised of paint and decorating stores, hardware stores and lumberyards. This independent selling channel is an industry exclusive that has given Benjamin Moore a competitive advantage.
“Online shopping increasingly is part of today’s lifestyle and demanded by consumers,” said Carl Minchew, Benjamin Moore’s director of product development. “Today’s purchase decisions more frequently occur during non-store hours. A product must be accessible and available on the consumer’s timetable, not the other way around. Any business that hopes to remain relevant and viable has to be responsive to this reality and incorporate it into its selling strategy.
“We’ve studied this e-commerce decision for a long time,” he said. “We believe now is the time to add it into our marketing mix. While we remain steadfastly committed to our retail partners, we hope they share our vision that this move will allow the brand to cast its net wider and capture new and more consumers, a benefit to us all.”
