Ten Gen IT Co Ltd

The next step for Ten Gen, in 2018, was Mall.Builderhood. This online shopping mall aims to reshape the traditional hardware sales model in Hong Kong for both wholesale and retail.

Mall.Builderhood stocks hardware accessories, electric tools, safety equipment, building and maintenance materials as well as household items from more than 40 global names including 3M, Bosch, Worx and Selleys (Nippon Paint). Getting these names on board was an important development.

“We captured the attention of different well-known international brands, and proved to them the feasibility of online shopping for hardware tools,” said King Lau, Project Manager at Ten Gen. “Their support laid a solid foundation for the development of our online shopping mall.”

Changing the buying habits of construction workers was another step in the process. “With Mall.Builderhood, we blazed a trail in cultivating people within the industry to shift their consumer habits from offline to online,” Lau added.

But Mall.Builderhood also wanted to attract non-professionals, especially since renovating and decorating have become more popular. Physical hardware stores have generally catered to experts from within the industry who know exactly what sort of product they need, but can seem opaque to amateurs.

”Mall.Builderhood made the price and product information more open and transparent, bridging the gap between the general public and traditional hardware stores,” said Lau.

This gives amateur buyers more confidence, he said, adding that even housewives are now shopping online for electric tools to do home improvement.

Edwin Man, Assistant Marketing Manager of Ten Gen, explained that the company had looked at the set-up of the traditional hardware industry from the perspective of both brands and users. They noted that information about the selling points of new products was not always clear to customers.

By using fresh and innovative sales methods, Ten Gen aims not just to help buyers understand the products better, but to also help brands access new customers.

“We bridge the gap between sales and promotion by making good use of online promotion, helping brands directly yet tactically by presenting the advantageous features of the products to appeal to prospective customers,” said Man.

“Through online promotion, our platform helps brands combine promotion with sales which can ultimately maximize the profit,” he said.

Customers can respond directly about the products on Ten Gen’s social media, thus enabling brands to learn instantly from the market response and to improve their products.

Mall.Builderhood also stocks a diverse range of products from different brands, to meet the different needs of customers. “This sales model impresses both suppliers and customers deeply, as they benefit from our willingness to try a wide range of products,” said Man.

Internet shopping is a major trend but it is not the only way of closing transactions, Man said, adding that physical stores are complementary to online shopping in many ways as they provide showrooms, product information and transparency in stock status, which are helpful in developing the shopping mall.

So in May 2019, Mall.Builderhood opened its first physical shop, followed by a second one a year later. The aim is not to recreate traditional hardware store, but to dovetail with their online business.

“E-commerce is neither the substitute nor competitor of offline retailing. They are built upon each other.

Mall.Builderhood values both online and offline platforms to serve customers with a pleasant shopping experience. We provide customers with plenty of choices so that people will visit us again when they need help,” Man said.

“We give customers greater confidence by providing simultaneous online and offline wholesale and retail of all kinds of hardware tools, accessories and safety supplies.”

Promoting the construction sector

Ten Gen also uses its innovative ideas to help promote the construction industry. Hong Kong has long suffered from a shortage of skilled construction workers. To help address this issue, Mall.Builderhood has partnered with the Construction Industry Council to promote the courses offered by the Hong Kong Institute of Construction, with the aim of nurturing new blood for the industry.

It has also cooperated with the Occupational Safety and Health Management Institute to promote training courses for the Construction Industry Safety Card. “This service greatly facilitates construction workers, as it is mandatory for them to have the safety card to work in the construction sites,” Lau added.

Moving forward

Ten Gen faced challenges in the beginning, including suppliers’ doubts about their model. Nevertheless, the team lobbied brands by demonstrating their commitment to creative product promotion, sophisticated SEO, and IT support. On the customer side, the team highlighted their smooth online shopping and efficient delivery.

“Whether B2B or B2C, we are committed to strengthening professional services, increasing logistics speed and expanding product categories, coupled with effective online promotion and information spreading on social media,” said Operations Manager Yip. “This can help us appeal to those in the industry and beyond, seizing the market share.”

Hardware has traditionally been seen as belonging in the builders’ world but Ten Gen aims to welcome non-professionals and make tools and accessories accessible to all.

“We hope to promote the universality of hardware products through our platform,” Yip said, “so that more people understand the functionality and convenience that these tools can bring to enhance our daily lives.”

Company : Ten Gen IT Co Ltd  HKGCC Membership No. : HKT0800 Established : 2015 Website : http://mall.builderhood.com