Some of America’s best internet retailers

“Internet Retailer”, a publication serving website retailing, recently compiled a list of what it determined to be the “top 50” web retailers in the U.S. Included on the list, in addition to well known websites like Ebay and Amazon, were several lesser known sites selling tools, hardware, woodworking equipment, etc.
Winning sites were organized by product categories, covering housewares/home furnishings and specialty/non-apparel retailing, in which several hardlines retailers were included.
The sales some of these sites produce are impressive - volume that would be noteworthy for most businesses. Their successful web retailing could prove useful to other retailers who might want to compare the look, performance and ease of navigation of their own websites with these award-winners cited by the magazine.
www.northerntool.com is the site of Northern Tool & Equipment Catalog Co. It is producing nearly US $ 100 mio in annual internet sales, with 1.2 mio unique visitors monthly.
Northern Tool sells products via 50 retail stores and by a mail order catalogue, in addition to the web sales. The website delivers product information and emphasizes the company’s broad selection as well as ringing up sales on its own, the magazine reports. More than 20 per cent of total sales now come from the website. 
The company’s 14 000 SKUs are organized into an easily-used list of categories. Customers can also search by brand, sale price, as well as “new” items. Web-based product descriptions are more complete than the limited descriptions found in its catalogues.
www.rockler.com is a site generating more than US $ 10 mio in annual sales for Rockler Cos., Inc. It too began as a mail order catalogue business serving woodworkers. Its site provides worlds of information on do-it-yourself projects and products. Rockler Woodworking & Hardware makes service a major component of its web strategy. Customers can check the status of any order, whether placed via fax, computer, phone or mail.
Visitors can read about products and are told how to use them on the website. With more than 10 000 products on its site, the web inventory is concentrated primarily on smaller items. Items can be shipped or picked up at any of the company’s 35 retail outlets. Its management thinks in-store pickup is under-utilized by multi-channel retailers.
Its site is organized into departments including hardware, tools, wood, plans, books, etc. It is attracting more than 300 000 unique visitors monthly.
www.toolking.com is generating US $ 20 mio in annual sales from its website. Its target audience consists of craftsmen and DIYers. It got into internet retailing somewhat by accident when the owner’s son sold a cordless drill on Ebay. Experimenting, they sold a few more and then invested US $ 8 000 to create their own website in 2002. 
Constant improvements in the website enabled the firm to expand beyond tools and begin offering home improvement, automotive and other related products. Its site is easy to navigate, offers bargains and even encourages email sign-ups for ongoing email communications and sales. Just one or two clicks are all that are needed to find a product, brand or information.
www.crateandbarrel.com - a housewares retailer which features unusual housewares products. Excellent source of information on stylish products. Its web sales exceed US $ 37 mio.
www.sears.com - one of America’s oldest retail names sells power tools, garden equipment and other hardlines products, in addition to appliances, apparel, etc., generating more than US $ 1 bn in internet sales.
www.williams-sonoma.com - another housewares retailer, whose website attracts more than a million visitors monthly. The site provides product information, home-making inspiration, etc.