CMO Group scoops top industry award for the second time

CMO Group PLC, the Plymouth based company that has grown to be the UK’s largest online only retailer of building materials, has been recognised with a top accolade at one of the DIY industry’s most popular award schemes.

Organised by DIY Week, a leading trade publication read by retailers and suppliers to the home improvement market, the annual award scheme brings together some of the biggest names in the industry. CMO was presented with the prestigious Business Expansion Award in recognition of the successful growth and brand development of its nine online superstores which serve the retail, DIY and trade markets. Through the creation of a striking new brand identity, CMO saw a 30 per cent increase in revenue from repeat business in 2023 across its portfolio of specialist superstores.

This is the second time CMO has been presented with the DIY Week Business Expansion Award having first won the accolade in 2022 following a sustained period of growth through the strategic acquisition of Total Tiles, Click Basin and JTM Plumbing to enhance its already extensive product offering. CMO’s varied portfolio of e-commerce sites now includes Plumbing Superstore and Landscaping Superstore, in addition to its established brands Roofing Superstore, Insulation Superstore, Door Superstore, Drainage Superstore and Tile Superstore. Following a successful rebrand of its dedicated account service Building Superstore, formerly known as CMO Trade, CMO is also in a strong position to continue to support the company’s expanding customer base of professional trade contractors.

CMO has also recently launched Good Build Superstore, a new online ‘advice hub’ for DIY customers, professional renovators and self-builders. Developed to complement the more product-based ecommerce superstore sites, Goods Build Superstore provides customers with everything they need to tackle a wide variety of projects, from inspiration and design ideas, to practical tips and technical guidance.

Offering over 130,000 products through its portfolio of specialist websites, each superstore has a clearly-defined product offering and strong individual identity, underpinned by CMO’s wider award-winning customer service strategy that aims to be as personable and efficient as a face-to-face customer experience.

Commenting on the award win, Ben Hodson, CMO’s brand director said: “We take pride in being a disruptive force in the DIY and builders’ merchant markets and our ability to remain agile and responsive means that we are well placed to meet the evolving needs of our customers. This has been our strategy for growth over the last few years and so to have won the Business Expansion award twice, first in 2022 and now in 2024, is testament to the success of this vision. We want to empower our customers to gain the skills and access the materials they need to take on a variety of different DIY jobs and to support all of this with consistently excellent customer service. As the market continues to face new challenges and new opportunities, we certainly aren’t a company that stands still and this award is a great way to recognise the hard work and dedication of our team. It’s a fantastic result!”