Unitas Procurement saves wholesalers £2.2 million in six months

Unitas members have seen savings of up to 38% on business expenditure in the first half of the year through the group’s procurement service in partnership with Auditel. In total, Unitas wholesalers have saved more than £2.2 million since January.

The scheme, which was launched last year, leverages the scale of Unitas’ 148 members to negotiate preferential terms with suppliers of non-resale products and services, ranging from open banking services to office furniture.

Among the savings reported by members are 30% on office furniture, 38% on warehouse consumables, and a 3p per litre discount on fuel cards.

Members have also seen reductions of up to 25% in waste through strategic purchasing and adopting services that improve recycling and waste segregation, and help change uplift patterns.

They are able to access savings in an increasing range of categories including mobile phone contracts, packaging, energy procurement and management, freight and logistics, and insurance.

Vipin Patara, managing director of SOS Wholesale, said that the company had saved over £20,000 in packaging costs and £5,000 on fuel. It is working with a payment solutions provider through Unitas Procurement, and also uses the service to source 11 product and service categories, including stationery, energy and logistics.

Patara said: “Unitas Procurement helps us to get absolutely brilliant deals on the products and services we use within the business – not just lowering prices on consumables, but also optimising our use of them to reduce the amount we buy.”

Sean Connaughton of Auditel, who co-ordinates Unitas Procurement, says the service extends beyond simply using the group’s size to drive price reductions from suppliers: “We are seeing the most enhanced savings where wholesalers are doing things differently. They are being more strategic and less transactional. In many cases it’s the specification of a product or service, helping them find the perfect solution for their business, that gives them the biggest benefit, rather than simply the lowest cost,” he points out.

Unitas MD John Kinney commented: “In the current challenging market wholesalers are having to invest in price and margin to remain competitive, so making these saving in other areas of their business is a very welcome contribution. It’s great to be able to help our members make these impressive reductions in overheads through our relationship with Auditel.”