Sooner Distributors announces the launch of their new eCommerce website

Sooner Distributors, one of the leading wholesale and retail players in the tobacco and related products, announced the launch of their eCommerce store. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sooner Distributors has a comprehensive range of products which include cigarettes, cigars, drinks, energy shots, batteries, etc. With the new eCommerce store, they intend to provide online shoppers in the US with premium quality products at remarkably affordable rates. This decision to go online is part of their larger strategy to expand from their traditional B2B wholesale model and explore the D2C model. 

It’s a well-known fact that COVID-19 has left an indelible mark on people and businesses across the world. The year 2020 will forever be etched in history for the changes it has effected in people, processes, and technology. From daily habits to consumption patterns everything has changed and no industry remains unaffected. From education, manufacturing to logistics every sector seems to have undergone a sea change. However, the one sector that has borne the brunt is retail. It is predicted that the pandemic will permanently reshape the retail landscape. 

There has been a complete shift in consumer behavior. The latest “Deloitte Global State of the Consumer Tracker” done states that 50% of customers interviewed still feel unsafe going to a store and convenience and safety are being given priority over price. This massive shift from offline to online has put the eCommerce industry on a growth trajectory and the latest studies show 2020 to be the strongest year yet for eCommerce with +22% growth.

Sooner Distributors cite a drop in in-store traffic to be one of the main reasons to go online. They plan to use the eCommerce store to popularize their brand amongst the online shoppers and thereby increase store traffic. “Traditionally we are a wholesale company and we stock a large number of brands. People are not aware of the variety of products we have to offer and the first exercise would be to get them to notice our shop while they are searching online for products, increase awareness about our range and eventually get them to visit our store” says Rohail, Sooner Distributors. 

Partnership with 24SevenCommerce: Once the decision was taken to go online the team at Sooner Distributors started scouting around for a digital solutions partner who could guide them to build, launch and grow a profitable online store. After much deliberation, Sooner Distributors decided to partner with 24SevenCommerce an omnichannel eCommerce expert with 19+ years of experience in POS eCommerce integrations. The scope of work included building the eCommerce site from scratch and integrating the physical store with the eCommerce store allowing for better inventory management and customer experience.

To start with 24SevenCommerce helped develop an eCommerce site on the WooCommerce platform that looks great and at the same time provides a great user experience.

However, 24SevenCommerce’s competency lies in enabling multi-channel retailers to effectively manage their business – both online and in-store. Their proprietary cloud-based integration platform, Octopus, integrates the world’s top POS systems with eCommerce platforms like Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, etc allowing for real-time inventory tracking and sales data. It allows businesses to maintain a single inventory master file for all channels and automatically synchronizes inventory data between systems 24/7/365 without human intervention. This prevents out of stock situations, improves operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and reduces labor costs. Octopus also syncs online and offline sales every few minutes.

“As a wholesaler & distributor, we have large amounts of inventory and posting all those items online is quite tedious and takes time. Octopus has made it very easy to manage our online platform. So whether your online presence is restricted to just your eCommerce store or you are present in multiple platforms Octopus is the best solution you can find for your online business management.” - Mohammad Sohail, President, Sooner Distributors. 

Sooner Distributors intends to use the eCommerce site to further develop their B2B business as well. The objective is to expand the current customer base by tapping into the new small businesses being set up in Oklahoma and in other states in the US and be the most preferred supplier for their product line. The eCommerce store will be used to generate awareness about the Company and its products amongst this target audience. 

Now that the eCommerce site is live the next step is to effectively market it. “People have become very cautious about buying things online. We want to effectively communicate that all our products are manufactured within the country and not imported from China. We handle the products with all safety precautions in place. We intend to soon launch a communication campaign that will increase site visibility and sales.” - Rohail, Sooner Distributors.

“We are looking to further expand our online presence in the coming months. We understand that the eCommerce growth story is here to stay and we want to take full advantage of this. We are looking to 24SevenCommerce to partner with us on this journey and guide us on how to take this forward. Our experience with the 24SevenCommerce team has been fabulous. They have been extremely helpful in understanding all our issues and have resolved them promptly.” - Mohammad Sohail, President, Sooner Distributors. 

About Sooner Distributors 

Sooner Distributors is a wholesale goods supplier selling products like Cigarettes, Cigars, Drinks, Energy shots, Batteries, etc. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma Sooner Distributors supply to convenience stores in the state and outside. Sooner Distributors offers a huge selection at affordable prices and same-day shipping. Top-notch customer service is what sets them apart from other players. To find out more, visit: https://soonerdistributors.com/