MSC Industrial Direct redesigns website

Updates provide more product information

By Susan Avery -- Purchasing, 2/26/2008 6:48:00 AM

MSC Industrial Direct Co. has launched a redesigned and reorganized customer website.

In response to customer demand, the company made the changes to mscdirect.com to make viewing products and ordering online faster, more convenient and more efficient.

The changes consist of:

• A reorganized home page and my account page, helping to make them more user friendly.
• Improved site navigation. Now, there are more descriptive tabs and drop down links.
• Display categories on the home page now use the same categories customers find in the MSC Big Book product catalog.
• New capability to view and print “printer friendly” pages for nearly every page of the site.

“One of MSC’s key strengths has always been our ability to provide our customers with a level of service second to none, and we have always been committed to ensuring that this never changes,” says David Sadler, president and CEO of MSC in Melville, N.Y. “The introduction of our website eight years ago was a watershed moment in our commitment to our customers, and this redesign is the next step in making sure they continue to receive the level of service and support they’ve come to expect from us.”  

In addition to the new capabilities, the site retains these features:

• Real-time inventory status.
• A search engine powered by Google.
• Customer specific pricing.
• Order tracking.
• Account history.
• Online invoice payment.

The website also provides access to the virtual Big Book with more than 500,000 products, extensive product information and customer support.

MSC launched the site after testing it with customers.

 “We redesigned the website based on feedback detailing to what would make the site more efficient and easier to use,” says Tom Cox, executive vice president of sales at MSC Industrial Direct.

A guidebook link on the customer support page provides a demo of some of the site’s new capabilities.