In the past 12 months the company developed a dedicated team to servicing customers such as schools, childcare groups, aged care organisations, insurance companies, and facilities management providers, and signing them up as trade customers through its Powerpass program. The program lets tradies scan each item they need with the Bunnings PowerPass app and then finalise the purchase in the Bunnings app.

As well as giving them trade prices and access to dedicated instore staff, the program allows Bunnings to target them with offers and services to encourage repeat buying.

As one example, Bunnings has recently built a relationship with Clubs NSW, which its trickling down to trade sales to that organisation's membership base of RSLs and sports clubs.

Businesses and organisations make up about 20 per cent of Bunnings' commercial sales, and Mr Caust said they were growing as fast as trade customers (which account for 40 per cent of turnover) and faster than builders.

Bunnings now has 700,000 members signed up to its Powerpass trade program which is growing at about 10 to 15 per cent a year.

Mr Caust said the housing market was still generally strong despite the slowing from recent peaks, but that Bunnings had to help trade customers find better value and differentiation through the downward cycle.

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At the same time, he said Bunnings, which is owned by the Wesfarmers conglomerate, had a business that was broad enough not to be significantly affected by the slowdown.

“For us it's not just about selling building products to builders, it's about providing them other category and product solutions as well and... the ability to skill our team up to sell a wider offer," he said.

Mr Caust said he expected interest rate cuts would likely flow through to more work for Bunnings' builder customers.

"Interest rates play a part no doubt," he said. “It all starts with the consumer confidence, and the want and desire to either do a project in a home that requires trades, or step into a new home."