How Toolsaver Scaled B2B & B2C with BigCommerce to Drive 23.5% Revenue Growth

Introduction

In late 2018, the UK family-owned hardware retailer Toolstop launched Toolsaver, its dedicated B2B wholesale brand. While Toolstop’s consumer site had migrated from Joomla to Magento, the underlying platform proved overly complex and caused dips in organic traffic, direct visits and revenue. Seeking greater control and faster time to market, ecommerce manager Neil Bruce and his team explored alternatives and quickly recognized the simplicity and power of BigCommerce.

Challenges with Magento

Toolstop’s move to Magento in 2017 ended up introducing unnecessary technical hurdles. Development cycles dragged on, third-party integrations were costly, and the team remained dependent on outside agencies. Within months of going live, the brand experienced declines in key growth metrics. The company needed a platform that was both intuitive for in-house developers and robust enough to support B2C and B2B operations.

An Open, Flexible Solution

Over Christmas 2018, Bruce built the initial Toolsaver storefront on BigCommerce, migrating thousands of SKUs in days rather than weeks. The open API architecture allowed the team to bring development fully in-house. Leveraging this openness, they created SKUPAL—a bespoke product information management (PIM) system that drives deals, promotions and product data. They also integrated Sage 200 as their ERP and deployed a warehouse management system that sends orders directly to handheld scanners on the warehouse floor, virtually eliminating mispicks and returns.

Omnichannel Expansion

To reach more customers, Toolsaver adopted Feedonomics to syndicate product data to Google Shopping, Facebook and beyond. Roughly one-third of orders now originate from marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, managed seamlessly via Codisto. Every order—no matter the source—feeds into BigCommerce, channels into Sage 200 and flows to warehouse scanners for consistent fulfillment.

Impressive Results

Since fully migrating both Toolsaver and Toolstop to BigCommerce in 2019, the combined brands have enjoyed steady, sustainable growth. In comparing 2022 to 2021 performance, orders jumped by 19.9%, revenue climbed 23.5%, and average order value improved by 3%. Today, Toolsaver alone processes about £700K in monthly sales, providing a solid foundation for national expansion.

Looking Ahead

With retail becoming increasingly competitive, Toolsaver is doubling down on wholesale relationships with national merchants. By supplying larger chains that buy in bulk, the business expects higher margins and faster growth. BigCommerce’s openness and scalability will continue to underpin the brand’s journey as it targets multi-branch buyers across the United Kingdom.