JABO can now deliver the same strong e-commerce experience to both its resellers and end customers in one smooth solution for combined B2B & B2C

JABO’s growth called for a new e-commerce solution

JABO is a well-known brand in home and garden products, and historically the company has handled its sales through resellers in the builders’ merchant trade. The previous site mainly showcased products without offering e-commerce purchasing, but JABO saw a clear need to offer smoother digital sales to more customer groups.

Elina Malmlund, E-commerce and Marketing Manager at JABO, explains how their sales have evolved:

“At JABO, we’re constantly developing our brand, our offer and our service. To improve the customer experience, we invested in a new ERP system during the year to streamline our workflows and strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our resellers. We also wanted to complement our B2B sales with B2C and create a better customer experience for both our resellers and end customers, with simple navigation, round-the-clock availability and more personalised functionality. A stronger customer experience for both groups is good for us and for our resellers, because it creates more opportunities and broadens our brand.” says Elina.

Processes matter just as much as technology when combining B2B and B2C sales

For JABO, e-commerce is a new channel. It previously had no sales through its site and mainly handled orders via email, EDI or phone. To create a smoother sales process for both B2B and B2C, JABO needed a new e-commerce solution.

Here’s how Elina describes their thinking ahead of the project:

“We felt we needed a solution that helps our customers place orders, find information and check stock status whenever they want. That, together with the pace of innovation, mattered most. We didn’t want a partner we’d outgrow in two years. We wanted a long-term partner for a long-term collaboration.” says Elina.

JABO found that partner in Viskan. The Viskan E-commerce Platform is built to handle both B2B and B2C in one platform with ease. The project was straightforward to implement because the platform is designed to combine the two models smoothly. JABO also had a strong grasp of its internal technology, which made the integrations easier.

The solution means JABO now manages everything in the same platform while still being able to separate B2B and B2C where needed, for example by using different images on each site. While the technical difference between B2B and B2C is not that great within the platform, the e-commerce setup itself needs processes that also meet the high expectations of end consumers. That includes, for example, designing consumer-adapted B2C processes for payments, customer communication, and order and delivery confirmations. JABO started by launching B2B sales to give its resellers a better digital service, and once the new internal processes were in place, the B2C part was also launched in 2025.

A better buying experience for both B2B and B2C customers

While it’s possible to create separate stores for B2B and B2C, JABO chose to use the same site for both. The only difference is that B2B customers log in to the site to view their agreements and customer-specific prices. According to Elina, the goal has been to create the same experience for both groups.

“We use the same features because we believe that whether you’re buying as a purchaser or a private individual, your needs and buying patterns are similar. It’s always a person making the purchase. That’s why a B2B site needs to be built with the same simplicity as B2C, so it creates the same smooth feel and experience. Viskan has a very strong, user-friendly platform for that. They’ve got that combination right.” says Elina.

As part of the project, JABO also added a popular feature on the homepage where customers can build their own fence and tailor it to their needs. This was done through a third-party solution, with Viskan building the connection to the platform. The result has been a highly appreciated and powerful feature for JABO and its customers. “Viskan helped implement the ‘Build your own fence’ feature through an integration, and it turned out really well. Both private customers and B2B customers benefit from it, and both groups use it.” says Elina.

A customer-friendly, sales-driven platform with smooth functionality that has strengthened JABO’s processes and brand

With a modern e-commerce platform that combines B2B and B2C, JABO has been able to strengthen both its brand and its internal processes. When Elina sums up the project, she sees that the new solution has brought a number of benefits:

• We’ve gained a new sales channel and a faster go-to-market for new products. We can get products directly in front of customers.

• Our site has much better content and product information, which makes things easier for both B2B and B2C. Neither resellers nor customers should need to call us for information. Everything should be available on our site. It should be simple and clear for our customers.

• We’re looking forward to stronger brand awareness. We now have a great deal of product and content information that’s extremely valuable for customers, whether they’re B2B or B2C. The fact that both groups also get the same visual experience is another strong step for our brand.

• We’ve developed smoother internal processes. Previously, orders were submitted and handled manually by the internal sales team. Now orders can go straight into the ERP system through an integration built by Viskan, which saves time and increases efficiency.

Elina also highlights how much easier JABO’s e-commerce work has become by bringing B2B and B2C together in the same platform:

“We only need to manage one platform, not two separate ones. Now all our master data sits in our ERP, where everything is synchronised. The only things we update separately are images and product copy, which we manage in Viskan’s platform because it has more and better functionality for that. When we make changes in our ERP and in our master data, they sync to the Viskan E-commerce Platform, which minimises misunderstandings and saves an incredible amount of time. Having everything gathered in one and the same platform helps in many ways and makes things much easier.” says Elina.

A long-term partnership that gives JABO both support and independence

When JABO started the project, it was looking for a long-term partner and an end-to-end solution, but also for a solution it could manage itself. Here’s how Elina describes the way they wanted to work:

“Previously, we were very dependent on an agency to make changes and updates to our site. We didn’t want to be in that position again. We want to manage things ourselves and be self-sufficient in our e-commerce. That’s what we’ve got with Viskan. What’s so positive about them is that we can also get help with things beyond the e-commerce platform, such as SEO, Google Ads or other types of analysis. Viskan always has answers to the questions we ask.” says Elina.

JABO itself gave the project high internal priority, with a driven project team and an engaged organisation where management was involved and quick with decisions and feedback. Elina also highlights the smooth collaboration with Viskan as a success factor in the project:

“Viskan has been so accommodating and helped us in so many ways. It’s a substantial project with many people involved and many flows to take into account. But it’s turned out really well, and now we’ve reached the finish line!” concludes Elina.