It has been a long time coming, but CR Laurence (CRL) is proud to announce the launch of its new website, a significant investment that has been designed to transform online ordering for customers. Glass Times editor, Luke Wood, talks to CRL managing director, Simon Boocock to find out more.

CR Laurence (CRL) UK has launched its long-awaited new website, marking a significant step forward in the company’s digital offering and giving customers a faster, more intuitive way to browse products, check stock and place orders online.

In today’s increasingly connected marketplace, a well-designed website is more than simply an online presence. It is often the first port of call for customers looking to research products, compare solutions or place orders at any hour of the day. For suppliers, it serves as both a shopfront and a portal, a place where customers can explore products, access account information and complete transactions quickly and efficiently.

Until recently, CRL UK had been operating with what the company openly acknowledges was a legacy platform that had long since reached the end of its useful life. While the business itself has continued to grow, supported by strong customer relationships and a comprehensive product range, its digital presence had struggled to keep pace.

Simon Boocock, managing director of CRL UK, says the company’s long-standing reputation for service and reliability has meant customers have remained loyal, despite the limitations of its online platform.

CRL Europe currently holds over £6 million worth of stock for the glass sector at any one time and offers a product portfolio of more than 8,000 items, from architectural hardware and glazing accessories to specialist systems for commercial and residential applications.

“What we’ve never been able to offer, up until now, is a good website,” says Simon. “When it was originally introduced in 2009 it was already based on an old platform, and it was so clunky that we actively encouraged customers to place orders with us over the phone or via email instead.

“That worked for many years because of the relationships we have with our customers and the service our team provides. But we knew that, as expectations changed, we needed to bring our online experience up to the same standard.”

The benefits of doing so had already been demonstrated within the wider CRL Group. In Germany, the company introduced a new website in 2019 that has since helped transform the way customers interact with the business.

“The benefits of a modern, responsive website were demonstrated by CRL in Germany,” explains Simon. “That platform has proven itself by significantly boosting revenue, helping to almost double the size of the business there since it was introduced.

“We were set to follow that example here in the UK, but the project was delayed by a number of factors beyond our control.”

Those delays included a major group-wide implementation of a new SAP system designed to centralise and automate core business processes across CRL’s international operations. That was followed by the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic, which forced many organisations to reprioritise resources and postpone major projects.

“We had to pause the website development while the SAP upgrade was being implemented in the US and Canada, and then Covid understandably changed everyone’s priorities,” says Simon. “After that it took some time to restart the project and ensure everything was fully integrated.

“It’s been a long time coming, and we know many of our customers have been looking forward to it, but we’re confident that it will genuinely transform the way they do business with us.”

From a customer’s perspective, the new CRL website represents a major step forward in terms of usability and functionality.

Navigation has been significantly improved, while the search capability is far more intelligent and responsive than before. Previously, locating a product often required users to input the exact product name or code, meaning even a small typing error could result in no results being returned. The new system now provides predictive search suggestions and returns relevant results even when the search term is only partially entered.

Live stock availability is another key feature, providing instant visibility of product availability before an order is placed. For fabricators, installers and contractors working to tight project deadlines, this transparency can make a significant difference when planning deliveries and avoiding unnecessary delays.

Customers can also view their account-specific pricing online, helping to streamline both the quoting and ordering process. Meanwhile, new products and promotional offers are clearly highlighted across the site, ensuring users can quickly identify the latest innovations and sales opportunities.

To further encourage customers to adopt the new platform, CRL is offering a 2% discount on web orders over £/€300.

Account management has also been improved, with secure password reset functionality and enhanced system security designed to provide a more robust digital experience for users.

And while the new website is primarily a customer-facing development, Simon says it will also have a significant impact on the way CRL operates internally.

“It will completely change the way we work,” he says. “Orders placed through the website can be processed much more efficiently because, once they are received and approved, they are relayed straight to the warehouse for packing.

“Because we made the decision to extend working hours in the warehouse, that can often mean orders will be delivered next day, even if we receive them during the afternoon. Customers can also choose from a number of payment and delivery options, including the ability to collect directly from our warehouse.”

The new system also provides greater visibility of incoming orders, helping the team to manage workflows more effectively.

“We now have much greater clarity of the orders coming in, and customers receive a notification when those orders have been shipped, which further enhances our quality of service,” Simon continues.

“Customers can also see stock levels, which again gives them confidence in our ability to deliver and demonstrates one of our key strengths as a supplier.

“Crucially, the new site also gives us access to Google Analytics, which in the long run will enable us to identify trends, respond more quickly and efficiently when we need to, monitor our progress and continually improve the service we provide.”

The website launch also forms part of a wider programme of improvements at CRL UK’s business.

The company has recently updated the in-house showroom featuring many of its most popular systems and products, allowing customers to view solutions first-hand.

At the same time, the business has continued to invest in its technical team, which increasingly supports customers working on complex or specialist projects where more detailed advice and product expertise are required.

For Simon, the new website represents both a modernisation of CRL’s customer offering and a foundation for future growth.

“We’re already seeing a surge in activity on the new site, including orders being placed out of hours and at weekends,” he says. “It has been optimised for desktop, tablet and mobile use, so it enables users to check availability, confirm specifications and place orders wherever they are.

“It’s a digital solution that supports the fast-paced demands of the glazing and architectural hardware sectors and has been designed to future-proof our online operations, because we now have the ability to introduce additional features as and when we see fit.

“Crucially, thanks to the investments we’ve made in our current facility, we already have a massive capacity to respond to any increase in demand,” he concludes. “That means we’re well placed to support further growth in the years ahead.”