Case Study
Worldpay cuts costs and time at the till for Buxton Builders’ Merchant case study
WORLDPAY EDITORIAL TEAM
July 12, 2019
Buxton Building Supplies has been serving the tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts of Derbyshire for over 40 years. Open seven days-per-week, the builders’ merchant sells everything from doors and windows to garden supplies, roofing, ironmongery fittings, electricals and decorating materials — stocking all major brands. As well as an on-site shop, the firm also runs a joinery department for bespoke windows, doors, and staircases, and a glass department which offers glazing and unit replacements. The 15-employee company is a one-stop-shop for local businesses and consumers alike.
Looking to change – why a change was significant to the business
A lot has changed since Buxton Building Supplies was first established back in 1975. As of 2017, cards became the most popular form of payment in the UK — pushing cash into second place for the first time, according to UK Finance. British consumers made 13.2 billion debit card payments last year and the industry body forecasts these transactions to grow even further over the coming years. Contactless is particularly popular: payments on these cards increased by 97% during 2017 to 5.6 billion1.
As a local business keen to meet its customers’ expectations when it comes to payments, Buxton Building Supplies has accepted card transactions for many years. But with its most recent supplier the firm felt it was paying too much in terminal charges: billed for each device every month. According to accounts assistant, Laura Macdonald, a search was then launched for a new provider to drive cost savings. It was hoped that newer, more customer- and staff-friendly devices could be integrated into the current EPOS system with minimum fuss.
Why Worldpay?
Worldpay had an advantage from the start, as we have been Buxton Building Supplies’ acquirer since 1998. The firm was attracted by the prospect of consolidating onto a single provider, with one bill each month. But it was the positive impact on the bottom line which really caught the eye of Macdonald.
The big reason for swapping was the cost saving we got with Worldpay. Plus, the terminals were quick and easy to install,” she says. “They’re a lot more up-to-date than our last ones and everything integrates well.Accounts Assistant
Worldpay offers customers a range of price plans to suit every type of business2. These include the new Simplicity offering: a monthly plan with all our standard charges rolled up into one acquiring fee.
Customer experience comes first
Buxton Building Supplies has already seen significant cost savings each month with Worldpay, according to Macdonald. That’s money that can be reinvested into growing the company.
The terminals supplied by Worldpay are contactless, which has helped to further improve the customer experience in-store, says Macdonald.
Contactless is great as it’s faster for small transactions. It really makes our customers visit quick and easy, she explains. We processed over 800 transactions in June alone.Accounts Assistant
Shoppers also benefit from the support Buxton Building Supplies receives from Worldpay’s 24/7 team of experts, which helps to minimise downtime.
If the machine suffers a glitch, like all technologies do at some point, the support team is very helpful and understanding, talking us through the process, says Macdonald.Accounts Assistant
The final piece of the puzzle is the addition of Worldpay’s My Business Dashboard3: an online tool designed to provide insights to help clients run their business more efficiently. It offers the ability to view and compare sales trends, access transaction histories and monitor cashflow.
The Worldpay dashboard has been really helpful, allowing us to see when settlements go through and to monitor transactions, says Macdonald.Accounts Assistant
The end result is a business that has been able to drive success by putting the customer at the forefront of everything it does.
1UK Finance, https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/convenience-of-debit-card-payments-puts-cash-in-second-place/
2Worldpay, https://www.worldpay.com/uk/sme/pricing
3Worldpay, https://mybusiness.worldpay.com/