THE PLATEFORM: 6 YEARS… AND 7 COUNTRIES ALREADY!

Poster announcing the opening of a "Plateform"
in Barcelona (Spain)
Launched in 1998, the “Platform” is the most recent building materials distribution concept. Last January, it was celebrating its sixth anniversary, and already had over 30 stores in seven countries.
Read below for more on this unprecedented sales concept that has already met with considerable success in France and abroad (more on the concept's internationalisation).

A SPECIFIC CUSTOMER SEGMENT

Based on the cash & carry concept, the “Platform” meets the specific needs of tradespeople and small businesses (1 to 20 staff) in large urban areas. This professional population numbers around two million in Europe, representing 50% of the building materials market in terms of value.

It has undergone a major shift in the past few years:
- renovation markets are growing more quickly;
- the progress made in building imposes multiple skills;
- technological innovations in products, and regulatory changes have led to the need for appropriate and precise information;
- and finally, increased pressure from competition implies increased reactivity in the face of increasingly demanding customers.

Lastly, for those working in urban environments, confronted with the difficulties inherent in large cities, such as traffic congestion, the need to save time and facilitate purchases have become fundamental.

In view of this situation, tradespeople and small and medium building enterprises want distributors who both listen to them and provide a greater level of attention to their needs. Targeted as a function of their size and their buying habits, the “Platform” has been developing, since 1998, a sales concept specifically devoted to their needs.

AN INNOVATIVE SALES APPROACH

To meet the immediate and day-to-day needs of urban-based tradespeople, this store brings together under one roof all the products for all building trades (masonry, joinery, paint, plumbing, electricity) as well as tools and hardware, in a short range of 20,000 references kept permanently in stock.

The access card "open sesame"
Alongside traditional outlets, these large stores are only set up in highly urbanised areas and are essentially orientated towards the renovation sector.

In France, the stores are exclusively reserved for professionals who are given a personalised trade card.

The principle is clear: “save time and money”. It must enable customers to buy their purchases in a maximum of 15 minutes. The whole “Platform” concept rests on this idea… Here are a few examples:
- prices are clearly displayed, to remove the need for any negotiation,
- opening hours are arranged to avoid the urban rush hour (6.30 am to 6.30 pm on weekdays and to 12.00 midday on Saturdays),
- all the departments are organised for self-service,
- advice is provided by professionals,
- the vehicle park and heavy product loading area are right beside the exit from the tills,
- a handy “catalogue” of all products is available and their prices makes job quoting easier.

Alongside its sales policy, “Platform” makes available to the trade a set of services designed to meet the everyday needs of tradespeople to fulfil the promise of “saving time and money”. They range from a service guaranteeing that orders placed before midnight can be picked up the next morning, through to a waste disposal service and equipment hire, along with customising services (e.g., glass cut to size, paint tinted, etc.), and a friendly café where tradespeople can meet informally (for services in France, consult www.laplateforme.com).

“Platform” is constantly seeking to adapt to the specific needs of its privileged customers. The first “compact Platform” opened its doors in May 2002 in Paris to provide even better local service to tradespeople working in town. This store offers a concentrated range of essential products needed for working in the city centre.

The concept's internationalisation