How Groupe Barillet Modernized Its B2B Sales with OroCommerce
in France
SKUs
The Challenge
Despite its long-standing presence and reputation within the French wood industry, Barillet wanted to develop its digital strategy in conjunction with its agencies and customers.
Several key factors contributed to Barillet’s decision to seek a new B2B eCommerce solution:
- Inefficient Order Processing: Valuable time was lost as sales representatives manually processed simple, high-volume orders. This hindered their capacity to dedicate time to providing expert advice and consultations, which were far more valuable to customers and the business.
- Missed Growth Opportunities: A weak online presence has significantly limited Barillet’s ability to acquire new customers and effectively compete in the increasingly digital marketplace.
- Supporting Clients in Their Digital Transformation: Barillet recognized the importance of empowering clients with digital tools that streamline their purchasing experience and align with modern business needs
Etienne Blum
Director of Ecommerce and Marketing, Groupe Barillet
The Solution
Barillet knew they had to adapt their business for the digital age. Their goal was straightforward: build a B2B eCommerce platform to streamline sales and solidify their industry standing. They chose OroCommerce to create barillet-distribution.fr, a website designed to be both powerful and easy to use.
“We wanted a site that was fast, intuitive, and would save time,” says Etienne Blum, Barillet’s Director of Ecommerce and Marketing. Their choice of OroCommerce stemmed from its inherent focus on B2B complexities. This meant they didn’t waste time and resources on extensive customizations, allowing them to launch a tailored solution efficiently.
Learning from their past misstep, Barillet knew that technology alone wouldn’t guarantee success. This time, he prioritized internal buy-in, particularly from the sales team.
“The sales team was involved from the outset to overcome internal skepticism,” Blum explains. Thorough training ensured everyone felt comfortable with the platform and could advocate for its use among their customers.
To deliver a seamless experience, Barillet didn’t stop at just the website. They integrated OroCommerce with their existing ERP system for real-time data updates and developed an award-winning custom PIM (Product Information Management) system. This central hub for product information replaced outdated printed catalogs, giving customers constant access to the latest product information.
The intuitive design resonated with clients, who returned to place an average of three orders each, signifying strong satisfaction and trust in the new platform.
This shift to online ordering also freed up Barillet’s sales force. Now, with more time, they could focus on nurturing relationships and pursuing new opportunities rather than processing basic orders.
Big Results, Bold Ambitions
The results spoke for themselves. Combining effective SEO with the company’s strong reputation, barillet-distribution.fr saw over 2,000 visitors in its first month alone. Remarkably, even without significant marketing spend, the sales generated in the first month on the site exceeded all expectations.
Building on this success, Groupe Barillet plans to further leverage OroCommerce. By 2025–2026, they aim to extend the eCommerce platform to all 40 distribution agencies and to other Group distribution brands. They plan to incorporate hardware products, doubling the online catalog from 30,000 to 60,000 items.
They’re also exploring new ways to enhance the customer experience, such as implementing AI-powered product recommendations and barcode scanning to further streamline the ordering process.
For Barillet, OroCommerce wasn’t just a technology solution; it was the key to unlocking their digital potential, exceeding expectations, and driving their continued leadership within the industry.
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