Rebooting JB Hi-Fi’s Travel Strategy:
How a Smart Shift Delivered Big Savings

When JB Hi-Fi New Zealand set out to rewire their approach to business travel, it wasn’t just about booking flights - it was about creating a smarter, leaner travel program that aligned with their low-cost, high-value ethos.

As one of New Zealand’s top retailers known for razor-sharp pricing and great tech, they wanted a travel program that worked just as hard behind the scenes - cutting costs, saving time, and delivering real results.

And with Corporate Traveller by their side, that’s exactly what they got.

Meet JB Hi-Fi NZ

Industry: Retail
Customer since: 2020
Travellers: 250
Stores in NZ: 21

JB Hi-Fi has built its reputation on delivering the best brands at the best prices, from laptops to loudspeakers. Since landing in New Zealand in 2007, they’ve grown to become a household name, powered by a commitment to low overheads and high-value customer experiences. That mindset shapes everything they do — including how they manage travel.

The Challenge: A Smarter Way to Travel

In true JB Hi-Fi fashion, the goal was clear: cut travel costs without compromising on support or speed. But the solution wasn’t as simple as trimming budgets. They needed to change behaviour, too.

The strategy?

Drive adoption of a self-service online booking tool to lower transaction fees, boost control, and empower employees. But old habits die hard — and not every team member was ready to switch.

“At JB Hi-Fi, we’re all about being a low-cost retailer. The way we keep those costs down for customers is by tweaking business costs in the back end.”
— Christine Gallagher, National Manager Support & Fulfilment, JB Hi-Fi

The Solution: Technology Meets Teamwork

Corporate Traveller stepped in with a three-part game plan to help JB Hi-Fi reach their goals and build a future-fit travel program.

Smarter Bookings with Savi

We introduced Savi, a powerful yet user-friendly online booking tool that consolidated travel into one intuitive platform.
Staff could now manage their own bookings — quickly, easily, and with built-in policy compliance — reducing the need for offline help and driving up adoption.

Real-Time Insights with Power BI

With Power BI dashboards in play, JB Hi-Fi gained clear visibility over travel spend and booking behaviours. They could now track trends, spot inefficiencies, and make data-led decisions that unlocked savings.

Personalised Service and Strategic Reviews

Our Customer Success Manager worked closely with JB Hi-Fi to refine their approach through quarterly performance reviews, delivering tailored insights to fine-tune booking habits and boost cost efficiency.

The Results: Big Wins by Doing Travel Differently

By taking a top-down approach, JB Hi-Fi’s leadership made it easy for the team to get on board with the new way of booking travel — and the results followed fast:

Online bookings soared from just 26% in June 2023 to 85% by August 2024

Transaction fee savings hit $5,520 annually — a 21% reduction

Booking lead times doubled from 7 to 14 days, slashing last-minute travel costs and unlocking lower fares

“The cost of doing business is what we've got control over, so using the tools that Corporate Traveller provides is where we can make sure we're benefitting from them all.”
— Christine Gallagher, National Manager Support & Fulfilment, JB Hi-Fi

What’s Next

JB Hi-Fi’s journey proves that a well-designed travel program is more than admin — it’s a business lever. With the right tools, reporting, and partnership with Corporate Traveller, they’ve reshaped their approach and delivered real savings. And as their travel needs evolve, Corporate Traveller will be there to keep driving value at every step.

“I love working with JB and I see ours as a true partnership. In customer success, I want to work through the data and provide insight and opportunities for my customers that are relevant to their business goals. It is then on the customer to make any changes and really drive results. At JB you can see the strength in how we work together, with a great outcome for their business.”

Matt Niederer – Head of Customer Success NZ