How contractors buy materials
The professional buyer knows exactly what they need and is only checking three things: is it in stock, what is my price, and when can it be on site. A catalogue without live stock is useless to them, and trade pricing hidden behind a sales manager means they call a competitor who publishes it. The retail buyer has a different problem: they know the room, not the quantity, and cannot work out how many boxes of tile or bags of mix to order.
What we build for a materials store
First, live stock per warehouse, pulled from your accounting system, because everything else depends on it. Second, trade accounts with contract pricing and reorder from history, which is where the volume actually sits. Third, quantity calculators by area and material, which turn an unsure retail visitor into a complete order. Fourth, delivery priced by weight, volume and distance, since a tonne of mix and a box of screws are not the same delivery.