Direct-to-consumer window retailer opens e-commerce site

Pella Corp. is letting homeowners in select markets see pricing and purchase replacement windows and patio doors without visiting a brick-and-mortar store.

The Iowa-based manufacturer and designer of windows and doors is launching e-commerce capabilities on its Pella.com corporate site. The company, which operates over 200 showroom stores across the U.S., says it is the first national window and door manufacturer to offer the ability to customize product, see prices, and purchase windows and patio doors completely online.

Pella is beta-testing its e-commerce offering, powered by Elastic Path, in select cities before rolling it out nationally. The company is now conducting e-commerce in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Waterloo, Iowa; Chicago; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich.; Green Bay, Wis.; Indianapolis; and Minneapolis.

Online product selection includes wood and vinyl windows and doors now, with plans to have most product lines available to purchase online in 2021. Customers can filter searches by material type, product line and price range. Future plans call for additional features and options like professional in-home measurement verification, and certified installation.

To get started, customers go through customizing their window with the features and options they want and create an account upon checkout. A variety of tools are available online to help measure and select the right windows for their project.

"Our customers wanted a path for online purchase, and we're delivering that by bringing e-commerce to our category,” said Emily Videtto, chief marketing officer for Pella Corp. “This is the fastest way to customize a window and have it delivered directly to the homeowner. No other company in our category is doing this.”