Rexel Express, a new urban model based on customer proximity

Rexel, which finds itself at the forefront of structural changes in its sector, has continued its transition from a traditional distribution model to becoming an industry reference in the use and analysis of data, promoting high value-added and customised solutions and services. This transformation has allowed the Group to put in place new innovative solutions as well as localised services which aim to simplify and streamline the customer experience as part of its pure omnichannel approach.

It is with the objective of continually improving its service offer as its focal point, that Rexel Express, which was designed for large urban areas, was launched in 2020 in the Paris region.

But how does it work?  

Customer orders which are placed in branch, over the phone or via the webshop on rexel.fr are then processed using the Autostore automated system (which stocks more than 20,000 references) and made available immediately. Orders placed before 12h, can either be picked up from one of the 500 dedicated lockers available 24/7 or from a Rexel branch before 2pm. Orders can also be delivered direct to the customer’s worksite by bicycle, scooter or natural gas-powered vehicle in under 2 hours.

Moreover, thanks to a new partnership with INDIGO, clients now have a new means of picking up their orders. Orders can be collected from a secured “Rexel Box” which can be found in a dedicated Rexel zone in one of several Parisian carparks. Having introduced this solution in October 2020 at the INDIGO carpark at the Place Victor Hugo in Paris, Rexel plans to quickly roll-out the offer to eight other carparks in the French capital.

The Rexel Express promise, which has been enhanced by all these innovations, is to facilitate the lives of its clients by offering them better access to its products by providing a faster response to their needs. This new, localised model allows clients to save the maximum amount of time possible to dedicate to their projects and in so doing, improve their performance. The partnership between an automated logistics model, a value-added omnichannel approach and digitised services, have allowed Rexel to enrich its customer experience significantly, whilst reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations, and that of its clients.