Fuel, tools and safety gear add up quickly over a year. An Auckland civil engineering firm explains what it found when it looked at the total. Savings of nearly $35,000** in a year is not small change for most Kiwi trade businesses.
For Auckland-based Grouting Services, it’s a meaningful amount that has made a difference to its profits, and it’s been achieved with minimal effort.
The business – which provides specialist civil engineering and construction services such as post-tensioning, ground anchoring, soil nailing, drilling and grouting throughout New Zealand – saved $34,897** in 12 months by using n3 TRADE to find competitive prices among the suppliers it uses.
“As a construction business, we buy everything from fuel and safety equipment through to tools, electrical products and general business supplies,” Grouting Services director David Sharp says.
“n3 gives our team a simple way to leverage the collective buying power of a much larger group while still allowing us to use suppliers we know and trust.
“Ultimately, if we are buying these products anyway, it makes sense to make sure we are getting the best commercial value available.”
n3 TRADE is a buying group specifically tailored to meet the needs of the construction industry. It uses its collective buying power to reduce costs for its trade members, securing better prices from suppliers than they could manage on their own.
With more than 5000 trade businesses among its approximately 16,000 members, n3 Trade's team of procurement experts does the work to secure preferential pricing so tradies can get the best deals without spending precious time ringing around suppliers.
The savings can be significant, meaning everyone from builders and sparkies to chippies and plumbers can protect their profits with smarter purchasing, instead of only focusing on increasing their revenue.
The financial savings – which are calculated by n3 TRADE so users can see what a difference it’s making – are the most obvious benefit of membership, says Sharp.
But also important is being able to save money without saddling his team with additional administration work. Not having to individually negotiate every purchasing agreement because n3 has already done it means Grouting Services, which employs 50 people, is freed up to focus on its customers.
“We don’t have to change the way we operate or continually shop around to achieve the savings,” points out Sharp.
Since using n3 TRADE, Grouting Services has noticed it has a greater awareness of what it is paying for items needed for day-to-day operations that it buys from suppliers like NZ Safety Blackwoods, Hirepool, Bunnings, OfficeMax, Ideal Electrical, BOC and Mobil.
“Small saving across a lot of regular purchases add up surprisingly quickly over the course of a year. We don’t necessarily notice every individual saving, but when the overall result is nearly $35,000** in 12 months, clearly those individual transactions are adding up.”
Another bonus of membership with n3 TRADE is the Trade Card App, which can be used in-store or online. It means tradies can unlock discounts from popular suppliers without having to open a trade account.
When buying in-store, they simply show the app at the counter and the cashier applies n3 pricing to the purchase. Sharp says that’s particularly useful for a business like his where multiple staff are making purchases from a range of suppliers.
“The Trade Card App makes the n3 benefits practical for our people who are out working on projects,” he explains.
“Our teams regularly need to purchase safety gear, tools and other supplies while they are on the road or on site, so having the n3 pricing available through the app is convenient and easy to use.
“Rather than relying on someone remembering a particular account or discount arrangement, the Trade Card puts that purchasing benefit in their hands.”
n3 TRADE has a network of over 45 suppliers, so its members can maintain existing relationships with a wide range of companies. It has looked into the typical savings tradies are getting from suppliers and found that, for example, they’re saving around 25%^ from Carters, Plumbing World and NZ Safety Blackwoods, and 33%^ from Resene.
Members also get a trade account manager who will help identify ways they can make further savings within their business.
n3 TRADE’s head of sales Darcy Pye says members report being able to save on just about everything they need to run their businesses, which is making a considerable difference to their profits. "We've looked at the numbers, and small businesses with up to 10 employees are seeing typical savings of around $11,411* a year," says [Pye].
"For medium businesses with 11 to 99 employees, typical savings are about $33,621*, and for companies with over 100 employees, typical savings are around $54,681*."
This shows that smart trade businesses are treating procurement like a growth strategy, with every dollar saved flowing straight to the bottom line.
Sharp says Grouting Services will keep using n3 TRADE, and he’d recommend it to other businesses.
“Nearly $35,000** in savings over the last 12 months is a pretty compelling reason for us to continue using it.”
To find out how much your business could save using n3 TRADE, visit www.n3.co.nz/n3trade
^ Savings are indicative only, and based on typical n3 Member savings and/or Supplier tender responses from a combination of list price, trade price or RRP depending on category. Individual Member savings will vary depending on basket of goods purchase.
* Data represents the 2025 calendar year. Sample based on n3 Construction Industry Members who use 3 or more n3 Suppliers on-account.
** The savings shown represent the member's last 12-month savings, ending July 2026.