Mobile commerce is a strong building block for HD Supply White Cap, a distributor of construction products ranging from concrete and rebar to ladders and power tools.

The company, a unit of Atlanta-based HD Supply Holdings Inc., launched a mobile-optimized site and mobile app today to build on the interest customers had already shown in using smartphones to access the White Cap’s web site at WhiteCap.com. Although the company doesn’t break out web or mobile sales, it says that more than a fifth of its online customers have used their smartphones to access the company web site.

“Creating a dedicated mobile site was a key strategic project for the company because 23% of our online customer interaction comes from smartphones, and that number is growing rapidly,” John Stegeman, president of HD Supply White Cap, said today. “We are committed to meeting the changing needs of our customers. The launch of our new mobile site and apps reinforces our online presence and adaptability.”

When customers now use their smartphones to access WhiteCap.com, they’re automatically redirected to the mobile site. The mobile site was designed to show detailed product pages, a quick-order feature for ordering products with only a few clicks, and a section for letting customers register and manage their accounts.

White Cap’s mobile apps are available for Apple Inc. devices through Apple’s iTunes.com and Android devices through the Google Play Store. In addition to the features offered on the mobile site, the apps offer a SpeedBuild tool for quickly re-ordering commonly purchased items; a concrete calculator for helping customers figure out how much material they need for a particular job; and a branch locator for White Cap’s chain of 140 outlets that lets customers enter a ZIP code or use GPS to find the nearest location with driving directions.

The next project in HD Supply White Cap’s e-commerce strategy, Stegeman says, is building a mobile site designed for tablet computers. “Now that we have completed our mobile site, our next logical step will be to develop a tablet-friendly version,” he says.

HD Supply White Cap posted $352 million in net sales for the fiscal third quarter Nov. 3, 2013, up 11% from $318 million in the year-earlier quarter, HD Supply Holdings reports. The company didn’t break out online sales.

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