The verdict in three sentences
For an electrical wholesaler in London or Toronto serving 3,000 contractors across 25,000 SKUs, the heart of the project is not the storefront but the pricing engine: imported manufacturer price files, discount bands by product group, negotiated net prices and project pricing, calculated in real time for each account. Done well, a B2B catalogue shifts 20 to 30% of orders away from the counter and the phone within 12 to 18 months, which frees branch staff at the 7 am rush. Plan 4 to 6 months, in the medium to complex application categories of our grid depending on the number of connectors.
The real problem: a different price for every contractor
A sole trader in Croydon and a main contractor in Canary Wharf do not pay the same price for the same breaker. Electrical wholesale runs on a manufacturer list price, discount bands per product group, net prices agreed on specific lines and sometimes project-specific terms. If the site shows a wrong price, the contractor calls the branch and the project loses its point.
The good news: the trade has standard data formats. In the UK, manufacturers increasingly supply ETIM classified data and BMEcat files; in Canada, many work through IDEA style data pools and ETIM as well. Price imports become a scheduled job rather than manual keying.
| Pricing rule | Example | Typical volume | Handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer list price | Catalogue price of a breaker | 25,000 SKUs | Quarterly ETIM or BMEcat import |
| Discount band by group | 42% on wiring accessories, 35% on cable | 150 to 400 groups | Discount table per customer |
| Negotiated net price | Fixed price on 200 lines | 5 to 15% of accounts | Priority override |
| Project pricing | Special price for a 120-unit housing scheme | 50 to 200 live projects | Price tied to a project reference |
| Copper surcharge | Cable indexed on metal price | 1,500 to 3,000 SKUs | Weekly recalculation |
| Carriage and minimum order | Free delivery above 250 GBP or 400 CAD | All accounts | Basket rule |
What contractors expect online
Contractors often order from site, on their phone, between jobs. They want to get it done faster than on the phone: quick order by SKU or manufacturer code, a list of frequent purchases, a basket shared with their foreman, branch stock and a choice between counter collection at 7 am and delivery to site.
| Feature | Contractor use | Measured effect, 2026 estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Quick order by SKU | Paste a 30-line list from a quote | 3 to 5 minutes instead of 15 on the phone |
| History and favourite lists | Reordering consumables | 40 to 60% of online orders |
| Real-time branch stock | Pick the collection branch | Fewer wasted trips |
| Reserved counter collection | Pick up at 7 am without queuing | Queue time down 20 to 30% |
| Account balance and invoices | Owner controls the account | Fewer calls to credit control |
| Multi-user accounts | Foremen with spending limits | Orders approved by the owner |
Budget and architecture
The catalogue rests on three blocks: price and product data imports, a pricing engine connected to the ERP, and a mobile-first ordering front end. Specialist agencies quote, as 2026 orders of magnitude, 50,000 to 130,000 GBP in London or 90,000 to 220,000 CAD in Toronto for this scope on vendor platforms, plus yearly licences.
At Kolonell, this project falls in the medium application category of our grid, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), and moves into the complex category, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR), once project pricing, copper indexing and several ERPs are in scope. The exact figure is set in the quote after a data flow audit. The B2B e-commerce work is often paired with search optimisation on product pages.
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Ryan, sales director at an electrical wholesaler in Mississauga near Toronto, manages 3,000 contractor accounts and about 40,000 orders a year, with an average basket of 550 CAD.
- Cost of a counter or phone order: about 14 CAD of sales time and keying.
- Cost of an online order: about 3 CAD, keying and checks included.
- Target at 18 months: 25% of orders online, or 10,000 orders.
- Processing savings: 10,000 × 11 CAD = 110,000 CAD a year.
- Basket effect: accessory suggestions add 4% to online baskets, or 10,000 × 550 CAD × 4% = 220,000 CAD of extra revenue, about 55,000 CAD of margin at 25%.
The yearly gain of about 165,000 CAD comfortably covers a project in the medium or complex category of our grid within the first year.
FAQ
Should all 25,000 SKUs go live at launch?
No: 80% of sales often come from 4,000 to 6,000 SKUs. Launching with that enriched core range, then opening the rest within 2 to 3 months, lowers risk without slowing adoption.
How do we avoid wrong prices online?
Prices should be calculated by the ERP or by an engine synced at least every 15 minutes. A nightly check compares 500 random prices between site and ERP and raises an alert above a 0.5% gap.
Will contractors really order online?
Wholesalers who have done it see 20 to 30% of orders online at 18 months, mostly consumables. When reps build favourite lists with each customer, adoption speed roughly doubles.
How long does ERP integration take?
Plan 4 to 8 weeks for customer, price, stock and order flows if the ERP exposes an API, longer if the exchange relies on files.
Let's scope your project. ETIM and BMEcat imports, contractor net pricing, mobile ordering from site and ERP integration, delivered in 4 to 6 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
