Hardware-store ecommerce: specifications, collection and site delivery
Similar-looking fixings can have different specifications and pack sizes. Connect product selection, branch picking, collection and supplier delivery so customers know exactly what they ordered, where to get it and what is still due.
Imagine a tradesperson ordering three packs of screws, a drill and several lengths of pipe. The screws are for collection today, the drill needs a check on what is included, and the pipes must go to a worksite. A checkout that only says “in stock” and “dispatched” still leaves the customer calling about units, locations and separate arrivals.
Public retail sites already show these patterns: Screwfix offers branch stock checks and collection check-in, with pack quantities on product pages; Toolstation explains separate deliveries for its own stock and supplier-direct items. The following design follows an order through a hardware store with branches, a warehouse and suppliers.
Screwfix — App and collection check-in · Screwfix — Joint connector bolts: specification and pack size · Toolstation — Delivery and supplier-direct orders
Choose the specification before the quantity
Customers can search by item code, name or familiar trade term, then filter by diameter, length, thread pitch, material and finish. A comparison screen brings differences together. Pipe fittings need connection sizes and thread standards; power tools need voltage, battery platform and kit contents. Unverified compatibility goes to staff for confirmation instead of being inferred from similar names.
Show “50 pieces per pack; 3 packs, 150 pieces” beside the quantity control, and keep that unit on the basket, pick list and receipt. Loose and boxed sales need separate prices, availability and conversion rules. Cable listings must distinguish cut lengths from fixed reels. Hilti Hong Kong lists batteries and chargers as optional kit additions: what appears in a product image is not necessarily what the order includes.
Screwfix — Joint connector bolts: specification and pack size · Hilti Hong Kong — SF 2-A12 kit configurator
Separate branch stock, reservation and collection readiness
After a customer chooses a branch or delivery area, the product page can offer collection from that branch, collection after a warehouse transfer, or delivery only. Show the branch address, opening hours and expected readiness. Company-wide stock must not appear as local availability. Staff see sellable, reserved and unchecked quantities, with the last update time.
A saved list or basket should not silently reserve stock. Set the reservation point and expiry to fit the store’s payment process, and recheck availability when the order is confirmed. If two people buy the last pack, allocate it once. Keep an uncertain payment attached to its original order so retries do not create duplicate purchases. Stale stock information should trigger a branch confirmation.
Screwfix — App and collection check-in · Toolstation — Stock and collection FAQs
Show each fulfilment group before checkout
The basket can group the screws and drill under branch collection, and the pipes under supplier delivery to site. Each group shows quantities, destination, expected date and delivery charge before the total. If an item cannot be collected at that branch, explain beside the item and let the customer change branch, choose delivery or remove it before paying.
Keep one customer-facing order reference with separate fulfilment groups underneath. Payment, preparation and handover each have their own status. Paid does not mean ready to collect, and the first dispatch does not complete outstanding items. A supplier date awaiting confirmation should stay pending instead of inheriting a standard parcel estimate.
Pick by item code, then notify the customer
The branch pick queue shows shelf location, specification, pack unit and quantity. Staff scan or confirm the item code, record what is actually ready and place it in a collection location before sending the notification. If only two of three packs are found, leave one outstanding and offer partial collection, waiting or cancellation of the missing part. Do not silently substitute similar screws.
On arrival, an order code or “I’m here” action can alert the counter, with a manual order-number lookup as a fallback. Apply the store’s checks for someone collecting on another person’s behalf, then record the quantities handed over and the time. Re-scanning shows the existing handover. Arrival is not collection; overdue orders need their notification, cancellation and refund states handled before reserved stock is released.
Track site delivery and supplier dispatch separately
For site deliveries, collect the site name, entrance, receiving contact and receiving window alongside the address. Long pipes, ladders and heavy goods may need vehicle access, unloading and upstairs delivery checked before charges and timing are confirmed. Show these fields only for relevant goods; an ordinary parcel should not require a full site-delivery form.
Order-processing staff can track supplier items as awaiting confirmation, accepted, awaiting dispatch and delivered, linked to the relevant order lines. A supplier’s acceptance is not dispatch. Where automatic tracking is unavailable, staff record confirmed dates and their information source. A refused delivery, missing pipe or absent recipient affects that shipment, leaving redelivery or refund work open without undoing completed collection lines.
Toolstation — Delivery and supplier-direct orders · Screwfix — Approved supplier deliveries
Save repeat lists, then recheck price and availability
Tradespeople can save lists by job type or project, keeping item codes, specifications and units for the next purchase. Reordering must reload current prices, pack sizes and stock. Flag discontinued items instead of replacing them automatically. Where several people buy for one company, the workflow can add project references, nominated collectors and appropriate order visibility.
A first version can cover one product family, one branch and one delivery arrangement, then add inter-branch transfers, cut lengths or company accounts as needed. Catalogue staff maintain specifications and pack data; branch and warehouse staff prepare goods; order-processing staff handle suppliers and delivery exceptions. Each screen should make clear what that user can change and what requires customer agreement.
Screwfix — Joint connector bolts: specification and pack size
Before payment, review a Demo of a mixed collection and delivery order
ProApp offers a Demo before payment. Using a product list with customer information removed, choose a few items with easily confused specifications, pack-based quantities and site-delivery needs, then review the steps for the customer, branch staff and order-processing staff:
- Select a screw specification and enter 3 packs, checking the 150-piece total; change the pack option and review the recalculated quantity and price.
- Set the screws and drill for collection and the pipes for site delivery; check drill contents, both schedules and each charge.
- Prepare only two screw packs and confirm partial collection with the customer. After handover, one remains outstanding and re-scanning does not deduct stock again.
- Change the supplier’s pipe delivery date, record the new arrangement, then try a one-pipe shortage and compare the follow-up task with the customer’s order view.
