IBC Buying Group’s Brickfinder department is enjoying sustained growth among its members, nine months on from its initial launch in January 2020.
Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, IBC’s Brickfinder offering is now being used by a wide range of independent merchants from all across the UK, as more IBC Members take advantage of the special offers and exclusive brick-matching service.
Every month, Brickfinder brings IBC Members spot purchasing deals and special offers on brick ranges from leading UK Suppliers, including Forterra, Kingscourt Brick, Imperial Brick, Ibstock Brick, The Bespoke Brick Company, and Edenhall.
A regular newsletter distributed to all Members puts these deals right on the doorstep of IBC’s 180+ independent merchants, as well as bringing them all the latest news and developments in the UK brick market, straight from the Suppliers.
Through IBC Brickfinder, independent merchants can order bricks directly, at extremely competitive prices that reflect IBC’s considerable £650m+ buying power. Merchants can also take advantage of having their own accounts with leading UK brick manufacturers, thanks to IBC, that they may not have been able to access alone.
The IBC Brickfinder department is run by Consultant Graham Vines, who has extensive experience within the UK brick sector, and now works closely with industry-leading brick manufacturers to negotiate key deals for IBC Members.
Brickfinder also offers IBC members a remote brick-matching service, where IBC will help independent merchants to source the exact bricks needed for a specific project. If they are available, Brickfinder will help the merchant to find and order the product quickly. If they are unavailable, however, Graham will use his considerable 40-year knowledge of the brick market to source a suitable alternative that meets the needs of the merchant and their customer.
He says: “IBC Brickfinder’s renewed focus on the brick sector is enhancing IBC’s offering in the brick market and provides our Members with even more favourable terms and considerable savings. Working together, we can all buy stronger and develop long-lasting partnerships with our Supplier Partners, and it’s fantastic to see so many IBC Members are already using our Brickfinder service and enjoying the benefits.”
One merchant that is maximising the benefits of the IBC Brickfinder service is Guildford Tipper Hire. Managing Director Dick Lane says: “Being part of IBC allowed us to expand our brick offering during COVID-19, which in turn has helped existing and new customers with their building projects. The knowledge that IBC possesses of the brick market is second to none, and the very competitive pricing has allowed us to trade in a very competitive market.”
To take advantage of the IBC Brickfinder, IBC members should visit the Supplier Partners section on the IBC Member Portal for more information. There, they will also have access to the Brickfinder Brick-Matching template.
As well as the IBC Brickfinder initiative, IBC members have access to strong pricing deals from 120+ leading Supplier partners, along with a wide range of powerful marketing and business tools designed specifically for independent merchants.
For more information on the Brickfinder service, IBC Members and Supplier Partners can contact Graham Vines at ibcbrickfinder@ibcbuyinggroup.com.
