In this issue our friend and colleague Thierry Coeman reviews a recently published, and in his view outstanding, retail book, The Retail Revolution, which he is confident will resonate strongly with a key segment of the sector.
Rarely does the Home Improvement & DIY sector offer such a clear and candid explanation of how the system truly works from the buyer’s perspective. It is precisely this vantage point that gives The Retail Revolution its greatest strength.
Author Fiorella Origlia draws on hands-on experience from both sides of the playing field: first as a hardware buyer at Adeo and Kingfisher, and later on the supplier side at the German brand Hailo, renowned for its household storage and access solutions.
This dual perspective allows her to decode the mechanics of DIY retail decision-making with rare precision.
The publication of this book coincides with a pivotal moment for the Home Improvement sector. The industry is facing unprecedented pressure from multiple directions. More importantly, Origlia’s work does not merely diagnose these challenges; it provides concrete tools to understand them and, crucially, to respond with intent and direction. The author succeeds in cutting through the complexity of these challenges by sharply exposing the true drivers behind buyer decision-making.
Across ten clearly structured chapters, she equips readers with the foundations needed to design a future-proof transformation roadmap. The reference book culminates in a powerful three-phase retail transformation plan that bridges theory and practice, guiding suppliers on their journey from transactional vendors to fully fledged strategic partners.
The Funnel Effect
Today’s transformation in DIY retail is shaped by four fundamental forces: geopolitical instability, socio-demographic shifts, climate change, and the accelerating pace of technological innovation. Together, these forces have profoundly reshaped how retailers organise, prioritise, conceive and act.
Some retailers have moved decisively ahead of their suppliers, fundamentally altering traditional power dynamics and collaboration models. This advantage is driven largely by their willingness to share, analyse and exploit data; an evolution increasingly powered by artificial intelligence. The most advanced retailers have thoroughly mastered these pillars and now possess deep insights into consumer behaviour, both in terms of home improvement projects and purchasing decisions.
To acquire and leverage this knowledge, they have invested heavily in sophisticated tools, processes, and systems; elements that Origlia meticulously dissects in the third part of her book. For suppliers, the challenge is not merely to access similar insights, but to align their internal structures and operations consistently with this new reality.
Too often, contends the author, negotiations are still conducted using techniques from the classic “sales trick box,” gradually eroding trust and credibility. Buyers are confronted daily with key account managers, commercial directors or sales agents who, often unconsciously, cling to sometimes outdated negotiation patterns, prompting defensive reactions rather than constructive dialogue.
The real breakthrough lies in understanding and mastering the internal decision-making process of each retail organisation. Origlia captures this elegantly through the concept of the “Expertise Ecosystem.” The supplier’s challenge is to build a counterweight that is equally balanced and equally powerful. Those who successfully navigate this funnel evolve into strategic partners, a status reserved for the happy few.
The Kraljic Matrix
In Part Two, Chapter Four, Origlia provides valuable insight into how retailers systematically map, segment and leverage suppliers using the Kraljic Matrix.
Developed by Hungarian economist Peter Kraljic, the founder of strategic procurement management (Harvard Business Review, 1983), this model segments purchasing strategies along two axes: profit impact and supply risk. Within DIY retail, this framework proves particularly relevant, as each quadrant is governed by specific KPIs, ranging from process costs and margins to purchase prices, inventory turnover, service levels, and out-of-stock ratios.
These metrics enable retailers to respond effectively to seasonality, supply risks, and broader supply-chain disruptions. When combined with category management, the Kraljic Matrix becomes an even more powerful strategic instrument.
Origlia’s analysis is sharp, directional, and engaging. She clearly demonstrates how suppliers can improve their positioning within this framework, while encouraging them to conduct a reciprocal analysis of their retail customers. This surprising “reverse matrix” allows suppliers to prioritise accounts with clarity and deploy resources more effectively. One of the most striking insights from this exercise is that supplier positioning often varies significantly from one retailer to the other, revealing untapped strategic opportunities.
Retail Value Patterns
Chapter Seven represents the true climax of the book: how does a supplier become not just relevant, but indispensable? Here, Fiorella Origlia unveils the retailer core logic by identifying three dominant value patterns: cost reduction, revenue growth, and risk mitigation.
Mastery of these three interdependent drivers leads to a pivotal shift; the retailer begins to listen, opens up, and becomes receptive to the ten value patterns through which suppliers can genuinely create competitive advantage. Amongst these ten proven ways to create meaningful retailer-relevant differentiation are the unique product specifications that competitors don’t offer, manufacturing processes that are really hard to copy, exclusive distribution channels, unique go-to-market strategies and brand heritage that competitors cannot easily replicate. These serve new target groups like seniors or eco-conscious target audiences and add to a unique company culture.
In six clear and actionable steps, Origlia then delivers a practical blueprint for sustainable differentiation.
From Good and Better to the very best option
The Retail Revolution is far more than just another must-read. It can confidently be described as an excellent guide for any supplier determined to avoid strategic blindness and seeking to combine competitive advantage with tangible commercial impact.
Those who embrace its principles can rapidly reposition themselves, reset their approach, and excel on the road to 2026 and further on. This book offers a compelling pathway from old-school and traditional selling to proactive, co-creative development, a logical evolution from simply doing the job to achieving operational excellence across the board.
So yes, magic does exist in DIY retail. May this ambition become reality for many.
The Book, The Retail Revolution, is available on this link via Amazon, www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQK5YJ56, at a preferential rate for readers of The Hardware Journal until 23rd February. Author Fiorella Origlia is contactable by email at fiorella@la-revolution.fr or visit www.la-revolution.fr or on Linkedin: Fiorella Origlia.
