In 2025, building supply companies are navigating a complex landscape—volatile material costs, fierce competition, labor shortages, and high customer expectations. In this environment, growing topline revenue is important, but improving gross margin is what truly drives profitability and long-term sustainability.
Whether you’re a distributor, dealer, or supplier, increasing your gross margin requires more than just raising prices. It’s about executing smarter across pricing, purchasing, operations, and sales.
Here’s a step-by-step playbook for how to execute a gross margin improvement strategy in 2025—with precision and impact.
- Conduct a Full Gross Margin Audit
Before you can improve margin, you need to understand where it’s leaking.
Key Actions:
Analyze margin by product, customer, region, and order size
Identify high-volume, low-margin SKUs
Review discounting and pricing override patterns
Track freight recovery rates and surcharges
✅ 2025 Tool Tip: Use advanced BI dashboards or ERP margin modules to pinpoint opportunities in real time.
- Implement Strategic Pricing Discipline
Pricing is the fastest lever to pull—but only when it’s managed with intent and control.
Execution Moves:
Introduce dynamic pricing models based on market cost fluctuations
Establish margin floors and approval workflows for discounts
Differentiate pricing by customer segment, order size, or urgency
✅ Enable sales with tools, like guided quoting platforms, to help them protect margin while remaining competitive.
- Shift Product Mix to Higher-Margin SKUs
You don’t need more SKUs—you need more profitable ones.
Strategic Actions:
Promote private label or exclusive product lines
Upsell to performance or specialty materials with better margins
Bundle value-added products or accessories (e.g., fasteners with framing lumber)
✅ Training Tip: Equip your sales team to sell value, not just price—especially on higher-margin items.
- Negotiate Smarter with Suppliers
Your cost of goods sold (COGS) is your margin’s foundation. Tighten procurement processes to get better pricing, terms, and rebates.
Key Moves:
Consolidate volume with fewer, more strategic vendors
Leverage quarterly volume rebates and early pay discounts
Use demand forecasts to negotiate better bulk pricing
✅ 2025 Advantage: Use vendor scorecards to strengthen your negotiating position.
- Recover Logistics and Delivery Costs
Delivery is a value-added service—but too often it’s a margin eroder.
Tactical Fixes:
Add delivery minimums or tiered service fees
Offer premium delivery windows for an upcharge
Use route optimization software to cut fuel and labor costs
✅ Pro Tip: Always separate product pricing from delivery charges to make margins more transparent.
- Improve Operational Efficiency to Protect Margin
Operational waste eats into every order’s profitability. Tighten processes to drive cost savings and throughput.
Efficiency Plays:
Streamline warehouse layout and picking routes
Reduce returns and rework through better QC
Invest in cross-training to reduce downtime
✅ Margin Impact: Lower fulfillment costs translate directly into higher gross margins.
- Manage Inventory to Reduce Carrying Costs
Excess inventory ties up capital and increases markdown risk. Leaner inventory = healthier margins.
Execution Plan:
Use just-in-time (JIT) or vendor-managed inventory models
Phase out slow-moving SKUs with poor turnover
Improve demand forecasting with project-level visibility
✅ KPI to Track: Inventory turnover ratio by product line and branch.
- Target Higher-Margin Customer Segments
Not all customers generate the same margin. Focus sales efforts where profitability is stronger.
Prioritize:
Contractors with recurring business and low service costs
Vertical markets (e.g., multifamily, remodeling) with premium product needs
Customers who value service, reliability, and delivery—not just price
✅ Action Tip: Score customers by margin contribution, not just revenue.
- Train Teams to Think Margin First
Margin protection starts on the front lines—with sales, purchasing, and operations.
What to Do:
Host margin workshops and real-life quoting scenarios
Align bonuses with gross profit, not just revenue
Celebrate margin-saving wins across departments
✅ Cultural Shift: Make margin a team metric, not just a finance metric.
- Measure, Adjust, and Scale What Works
Gross margin improvement isn’t a one-time project—it’s a continuous process.
Build a Reporting Rhythm:
Weekly margin reviews by team or branch
Monthly dashboards on pricing effectiveness, cost savings, and vendor performance
Quarterly strategy reviews to reset goals and share learnings
✅ 2025 Rule: Use data to drive agility—adjust pricing, product focus, or vendor terms based on what’s delivering margin growth.
Final Thoughts: Margin Is the Mission in 2025
In a year where cost pressures and competition are unlikely to ease, increasing gross margin is one of the most powerful levers for business health and scale. Execution matters more than strategy alone.
By tightening operations, enforcing pricing discipline, and equipping your team with the right tools, you can build a more profitable, resilient business—ready for whatever 2025 brings.
