As lockdowns and social-distancing measures have wrought havoc for Australia’s hospitality industry, procurement professionals have been seeking convenient, cost-effective means of sourcing supplies in the absence of trade shows, sales calls and often even physical shopping.
Enter TradeSquare, a new locally-owned and focused B2B wholesale marketplace. Think of it as a one-stop shop where hoteliers can source everything from napkins and teaspoons to furniture, bedding, high chairs and cleaning supplies – all at wholesale prices and sourced from multiple local vendors in a single order.
The new way companies have to conduct business in the wake of COVID-19 – along with a deteriorating trust in international online e-commerce platforms – has created the perfect environment for TradeSquare to launch.
Already the site has attracted more than 2500 registered buyers and over 400 wholesalers offering in excess of 100,000 products.
The benefits for buyers
TradeSquare solves several underlying pain points. Firstly, since the pandemic struck, ordering goods from overseas has become unreliable due to widespread disruption of regular supply chains. By buying local, companies can be more reassured about delivery, have a local point of contact if something goes wrong, and support local businesses and employers.
Secondly, smaller companies have traditionally lacked access to many wholesale suppliers because their order volumes and turnover are often insufficient to warrant the vendor going setting up accounts and conducting credit checks.
“Every buyer that signs on to our platform can start trading immediately with not just one wholesaler, but 400 – and counting,” explains TradeSquare CMO Roey Balbus. “We take care of the physical transaction process.”
“We’ve removed the risk to vendors, AND we’re providing protection to both the buyer and seller on an easy-to-use platform. And buyers can take advantage of financial solutions, such as Buy Now, Pay Later for business with Zip.”
The benefits for sellers
TradeSquare has opened up a whole new opportunity to boost local income by supplying buyers who were previously uneconomic to service.
“The turn-key solution we offer enables them to digitise their business and access new markets without having to invest in sales reps, trade shows, marketing, customer service, accounting and technology. All of their products can be displayed online, and all the customers buying from the platform are vetted and approved by TradeSquare. All the vendors have to do is focus on fulfilment and delivering good products,” says Balbus.
Better still, TradeSquare is working to integrate its platform with third-party software systems. A technical agreement with New Zealand software company Vend will soon allow seamless integration of Vend’s inventory management tools and cloud-based point-of-sale software with the marketplace platform.
TradeSquare is unique among its peers for being Australian-owned and managed, and only shipping to Australian businesses, not-for-profit organisations or government agencies. While anyone can access the site online, only registered buyers can see information such as wholesaling pricing and delivery options, or to physically order goods. Buyers pay no premium or registration fee to shop on TradeSquare.