Online hardware: which are the best in Italy and how to open your new online hardware?
Choosing to rely on a technical
online hardware store can be very convenient, especially if you need to find professional and uncommon items quickly and easily.
In Italy there are several generic hardware stores with many widely used items in stock, such as
Bricoman (which has now changed the name of its brand and goes by the name of
Tecnomat). In reality, there are still very few specialized hardware stores able to supply professional items.
There are also few realities completely dedicated to certain areas. These are the situations where the online purchase is more convenient.
For example, Windowo hardware has the advantage of offering many niche products in the world of doors and windows. For example, there is a whole huge category dedicated only to the world of
handles. In addition, most of the Windowo
brands are Italian companies. This is a further sign of the quality of the offer proposed both for a professional
window maker and for private customers.
I also recommend that you take a look at the
Agritechstore portal, a reality mainly dedicated to the world of agriculture. The advantage of this shop is that you can find many particular professional products, often difficult to find in normal physical stores.
Here is a list of the
best online hardware in Italy (obviously the order is not a yardstick):
- Windowo;
- Agritechstore
- FerramentaOnline;
- CasaDellaFerramenta;
- All hardware;
- Work Shop Italy;
- BricoBravo;
- Toolshop;
- Fershop;
- Hardware Shop;
- GalvagniStore;
- LaFerramenta;
- Vanoli hardware;
- Toolmarket;
- Online tools;
- Masterfer;
- Falconer;
- Giordanojolly;
- Web hardware.
How to open an online hardware store?
Do you want to start an online hardware business right away? I immediately warn you that this is an ambitious business project that can have some minimal chance of success only if
studied in every detail . This is even more true if you want to open a hardware e-commerce to sell in Italy and also in the rest of the world.
It will certainly not be easy, but with a detailed analysis and with the
right strategies you can dream big of opening your new online hardware store.
As with all commercial activities, also in this case it is necessary to cover fixed and variable costs. Hence the need to start with an adequate initial
capital . In reality, you don't need a large amount of money, but the exact value depends on the size of the project you have in mind.
Another important step will be the
room to be used to carry out the activity. The best choice is to find a large space, because the goods are bulky. Instead the area where the restaurant is located is probably not very important (by selling only online we don't care about the competition in the area).
Online hardware and bureaucratic aspects
To start, you will need to open a new
VAT number at the Revenue Agency and register the business in the Business Register at the Chamber of Commerce.
For these delicate aspects you can decide to proceed independently or contact a trusted accountant.
Should you open a hardware store?
Before opening an online hardware store you should have a
clear idea of the project : design, bureaucratic aspect, advertising to make known the new business and
earning goals you would like to achieve.
In the case of online hardware, an aspect that should not be underestimated is
paid advertising through search engines, social networks, or using alternative channels such as radio channels, general or sectoral newspapers or television advertisements.
How to open an online hardware store with ecommerce?
An ecommerce done properly can make you reach a lot of customers in Italy and around the world. The sales system can be done with private ecommerce or by relying on large platforms such as Amazon or eBay.
If you decide to opt for a site, it should be impactful and easily accessible. You can have it
written in HTML code for maximum customization, or you can use
free or paid CMS .
Types of platforms for online hardware
You can choose between different platform
systems: open source systems (with editable source code) or a more expensive
proprietary website .
One of the most important phases is the
construction and organization of the catalog , so that the products intended for sale are recognizable with descriptions and photographs.
Finally, I would like to point out that those who want to open an online hardware store in addition to having to be competitive should allow their customers to buy with different
payment methods .
