Gerrie Electric powers a digital B2B transformation

Gerrie Electric is one of Canada’s leading electrical distributors, providing a wide range of products and solutions to industrial, commercial, and residential markets. In this segment of Customer Confidential, Darko Milivojevic, Director of ECommerce, shares how Gerrie Electric has transformed its digital commerce strategy using Optimizely. From improving customer experience through self-service capabilities to driving measurable ROI with personalized product recommendations and backend automation, the conversation explores the real-world impact of technology on B2B operations.

Inside Gerrie Electric’s ECommerce leadership

Key Points:

Gerrie Electric is one of Canada's leading electrical distributors.
As Director of Ecommerce, Darko Milivojevic oversees all digital transactions at Gerrie Electric, including web, mobile app, VMI, PO's, quotes, and punchout systems.
His role also includes data science and analytics, customer service, and digital leads.

Gerrie Electric’s Ecommerce evolution with Optimizely

Key Points:

Gerrie Electric overcame resistance to digital tools in a historically offline market by aligning solutions with evolving customer expectations.
3 years ago, Gerrie Electric switched from another CMS to Optimizely.
Optimizely enables quicker backend workflows, easier content management for non-technical users, and on-budget custom development.
Leveraging customer insights and Optimizely's capabilities, Gerrie Electric introduced self-service tools like “My Quotes” and customized statements to meet specific B2B needs.

We could develop things that were specific to our business in a reasonable amount of time and under budget.

Darko Milivojevic — Gerrie Electric

Product Recommendations drive ROI at Gerrie Electric

Key Points:

Gerrie Electric uses both Optimizely’s Product Recommendations and their own factual recommendations.
After refining the engine to include brand-specific suggestions, they saw a notable uptick in sales—enough to cover the cost of the solution and generate profit.
Optimizely’s Commerce platform integrates seamlessly with Gerrie’s tech stack, enabling highly efficient workflows for staff and smoother interaction with customers.

After we tweaked the product recommendations engine to include brands… we saw an uptick in sales.

Darko Milivojevic— Gerrie Electric

Self-service and Personalization fuel growth at Gerrie Electric

Key Points:

Logged-in users have a tailored digital experience in terms of product visibility, purchase permissions, and checkout, all based on their account history.
Since implementing Optimizely Configured Commerce, Gerrie has seen a year-over-year increase in revenue and a significant improvement in customer service. They've reduced online response time to under and hour.
Expanded self-service boosts customer experience and generates ROI by freeing employees from manual tasks.

Customer service all across the board is the number one thing that’s really improved. Our time to talk to a customer and answer their questions—it's under an hour.”

Darko Milivojevic— Gerrie Electric

Gerrie Electric’s digital roadmap with Optimizely

Key Points:

Gerrie will be undergoing a redesign within the next year to further improve their customers' digital experience on the site.
They're currently implementing the Optimizely VMI program.
They're also planning on integrating AI systems into their existing program and leveraging data with Optimizely Data Platform.

Conclusion

Gerrie Electric’s digital transformation with Optimizely has delivered clear, measurable results across its business. With customer response times reduced to under an hour, increased year-over-year revenue, and growing adoption of self-service tools, the company has successfully streamlined operations while enhancing the customer journey. Their strategic focus on automation, personalization, and backend efficiency continues to unlock ROI by reducing manual tasks and empowering both customers and employees. As they look ahead with initiatives like a site redesign, VMI expansion, and deeper data integration, Gerrie Electric is well-positioned to lead the charge in B2B digital commerce innovation.