If you ask any tradesperson what’s vital to enabling them to do a good job, the answer is always the same.
It’s about their tools and the materials they use to carry out their work. Given how important the right tools are, the relationship with the supplier is paramount. Just like, as individuals, we all have our favoured supermarkets or sandwich shops, as tradespeople, we all have our ‘go to’ merchants. Those merchants we rely on, who we trust, that deliver the service and products we expect time and time again.
Painter and decorators are no exception. When entering the profession, many choose to buy their supplies from well-established merchants who’ve been operating for a long period of time. Although initially it is reputation and recommendation that attracts their custom, over time buying supplies from the same merchant becomes more of a habit than an active choice.
Buying supplies online
Often, there’s little consideration about other retailers, such as those online, who can potentially offer a better, more personalised customer experience and deliver the materials they need at the right price, at the right time.
U-PRO is one of those online retailers. Stocking tools and with a wide and diverse range of painting and decorating materials for the professional painter and decorator, U-PRO can receive stock quicker, more easily and provide painter and decorators with a bigger choice than traditional merchants are able to.
Buying online, however, creates benefits beyond brand variety including lower prices and convenient delivery. Online retailers are also often able to stock the latest tools on the market more quickly, keeping customers updated with the newest and most popular product ranges.
Bestselling tools
Many of U-PRO’s customers are painter and decorators who are keen to educate themselves on, and test out, the latest paintbrushes, rollers and other materials such as sanders and masking tapes. Current best sellers on the U-PRO website include the Wooster Silver Tip paintbrush. The Wooster collection is a firm favourite among painters and decorators and the Silver Tip is one of the most popular brushes on the market because of its high quality and performance with all types of paints.
Purdy is another exceptional brand that painters and decorators will be familiar with. The Purdy Elite Monarch paintbrushes are another winner with painters and decorators as they are synthetic paintbrushes which contain thicker filaments that allows them to pick up and release more paint, it means less visits to the paint bucket. These brushes work particularly well with coatings like emulsion.
It’s not just paintbrushes or rollers that are catching the eye of professional painters and decorators – they’re also keen to try new masking tapes and sanding discs to help them carry out their job more easily and to a higher standard of quality. For example, the Tesa Precision masking tape is a professional grade painter’s tape that provides razor-sharp paint edges. Made from Japanese rice paper and balanced with an acrylic adhesive, this results in a thin but robust masking tape that prevents paint build up at the paint edge. It can be easily removed from surfaces up to six months after being applied indoors.
With the various tools and materials needed in the day-to-day painting and decorating job, it’s no surprise that a current U-PRO bestseller is the Purdy Backpack. It’s hugely popular because it features multiple storage spaces for numerous painting tools including roller frames and covers, brushes, prep tools, extension poles and more, ensuring painters and decorators have everything they need in one organised place.
Bespoke benefits and a first-class customer service
Online retailers often provide unparalleled cost and convenience benefits. For example, alongside free delivery for orders over £50, U-PRO offers a U-SUBSCRIBE service which enables customers to place recurrent orders, helping them to save time and money. Through U-SUBSCRIBE, customers also get a discount on every order. Handily, orders can be placed via U-PRO’s mobile app which means customers can order whatever supplies they need, when they want them, wherever they are.
The ELITE effect
Online retailers also offer some great loyalty schemes that are not to be underestimated. U-PRO’s ELITE Membership scheme offers the tools painters and decorators need, delivered when it’s convenient to them, at the best price. With a U-PRO ELITE Membership, as well as a lower free delivery threshold of £30, members also receive cashback with every purchase. Additional benefits include access to discounted insurance for tools and supplies from Rhino Trade Insurance, who U-PRO has teamed up with to ensure members are protected in the event of lost or stolen tools – minimising downtime and maximising protection.
