A company that bills itself as the largest chain of specialty retail hydroponics and organic garden centers in the U.S. is getting into the B2B marketplace business.

GrowGeneration Corp. sells a variety of hydroponics- and organic gardening-related products online. They include nutrients, additives, growing media, lighting, environmental control systems and other products for indoor and outdoor cultivation. Additionally, it sells online and at its 46 retail locations across 18 states.

Launching a B2B hydroponics marketplace

Now, through its Horticultural Rep Group (HRG) wholesale division, the company is launching a B2B marketplace called The HRG B2B Portal. It created the HRG B2B Portal as a one-stop destination for all hydroponic product needs across various categories, GrowGeneration says.

The B2B marketplace also offers a range of services. Those include detailed product catalogs, shipping tracking, purchase orders and invoices, credit management, and inventory location.

Soon, the HRG marketplace will “become accessible to over 500 existing customers and tens of thousands of garden centers nationwide,” the company says.

“We are excited to launch this cutting-edge platform that directly addresses the requirements of today’s hydroponic products industry,” says HRG director Brian Carlevato. “Its B2B functionality empowers hydroponic retailers and garden centers, providing a seamless centralized hub that enables them to grow their businesses by meeting the growing demand for high-quality hydroponic products with efficiency and ease.”

What HRG and GrowGeneration do

Currently, HRG carries more than 500 products sold to a base of more than 1,000 customers. GrowGeneration operates its own ecommerce site. However, it doesn’t break out digital sales.

For the first quarter ended March 31, net sales fell $8.9 million, or 15.7%, to $47.9 million from $56.8 million for the prior year. Meanwhile, net loss for the first quarter was $8.8 million. That compares to $6.1 million in the prior year.

“Our soon-to-be-launched digital platform will enhance connectivity to our B2B portal, further empowering our customers’ ability and convenience to do business with us,” GrowGeneration Corp. CEO Darren Lampert told analysts on an earnings call.

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