Founded in 1869, Graybar Electric Inc., a distributor of such products as electrical components and supplies, data communications technology and video surveillance cameras, launched its first e-commerce site in 1995 and has since grown to more than $100 million in annual e-commerce sales.
The company is projecting $150 million in business-to-business e-commerce sales in 2015, up 11% from $135 million in 2014 and 30% from $115 million in 2013, the company says.
Graybar, founded in 1869, sells to companies across multiple industries, including building construction, government agencies, industrial products manufacturers and electric power utilities. Customers can place orders without setting up an account on the online store at Graybar.com, where many of the 140,000 SKUs from hundreds of suppliers can be ordered in bulk. Payment options include credit, debit and prepaid cards under the Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card brands.
Graybar says it receives an average of 46,000 B2B monthly visitors at Graybar.com. The site has a 2.5% conversion rate and was built by a team of in-house developers.These developers also built Graybar’s two mobile applications—Graybar SmartStock Plus, which customers use for restocking parts and materials, and Graybar Mobile App, which companies use for placing, tracking and managing product orders.
Buyers who place orders according to contract terms log in to another section of the site at Shop.graybar.com, to view their personalized pricing and product selections. Graybar also takes orders through e-procurement software and through electronic data interchange, or EDI.
Customers such as Haywood Community College in Clyde, N.C., purchase online through payment cards or electronic invoices.
Buyers can also choose to pick up products ordered online from one of Graybar’s more than 250 North American distribution centers, or have their ordered products delivered straight to their door.
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