Did you know that Amazon now sells building supplies? Well, they do. I know that Amazon has maintained a contractor supply shop in Beta status for a while, but building supplies is a whole new level!
I’m almost afraid to think about what they’ll start carrying next!
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Contractor Supplies via Amazon (BETA)
Building Supplies via Amazon
This does bring up an interesting question. Will home improvement stores eventually feel the pressure, and if they do, what happens next? As a consumer, I have yet to find a brick & mortar retail store that offers anything close to the quality of customer service that Amazon provides.
It may be a while before retailers feel threatened by online building suppliers, but if or when that happens, the outcome won’t be pretty.
jeff_williams
The products with variable consistency (like lumber) won’t do well on Amazon. Manufactured building supply items should do just fine though.
rob
If I recall didn’t Home Depot try this before with their HD branding plus buying one or two regional suppliers? I guess where Amazon could win is if they continue free delivery and are not charging sales tax. As the previous comment said, lumber would be a different story as people really like choosing their own lumber when building things like decks.
Stuart
True, but millwork products are fairly consistent.
If Amazon starts selling regular lumber such as 2×4 ply or 2x# wood, they’ll have to reach out to local lumber yards to help fulfill and deliver orders. I highly doubt that they’re prepared for the enormous task that would be.