Unitas rolls out procurement service to help members reduce operating costs

Unitas Wholesale is leveraging its position as the UK’s largest independent wholesale group to offer its 150 members centrally-negotiated rates on overhead purchases including energy supply and agency staff.

Procurement specialist Auditel is managing the service, after carrying out a six-month trial in which Unitas members achieved average savings of 42% on stationery, 43% on packaging and 18.4% on merchant cards.

Additional savings will come from Auditel’s individual review of each business’s costs, which identifies the optimal volumes and specifications for the products purchased. One wholesaler in the trial is reducing its use of pallet wrap plastic by 12.7 tonnes as a result of adopting Auditel’s recommendation.

The service is free for Unitas members, and Auditel works with suppliers in over 100 categories including:

Energy supply and management
Merchant cards
Open banking
Packaging
Agency staff
Freight and logistics
Warehouse consumables
Stationery and office supplies
Workwear and PPE.

Unitas MD John Kinney said: “Helping our members reduce operating costs is one of Unitas’ strategic pillars, and working in partnership with Auditel has shown just how effective this collaborative approach can be for them. We are delighted to formalise an exclusive relationship with Auditel and fully outsource this service under the banner of Unitas Procurement Services.”

Chris Gallacher of United Wholesale (Scotland), a participant in the trial, said: “We joined Unitas to buy better. It’s no different if it’s the products we sell on to our customers, or the energy, fuel or paper clips we use ourselves. Since partnering with Auditel, we’ve been saving over £20,000 a month.”

Vipin Patara, managing director of SOS Wholesale, added: “I couldn’t believe it when an office services supplier delivered a 55% saving on shelf-edge strips against what we were previously paying.”