Warehouse Group, New Zealand’s biggest listed retailer, has firmed up plans to improve its workforce with better training and longer service rewarded with higher pay. 
Starting in August, the group will introduce a “career retailer wage” for staff who have completed full training and worked 5000 hours or more, equivalent to just over two years’ full-time work, the Auckland-based company said in a statement.
The first stage of the plan will cost about $NZ3 million ($A2.61 million), up from an estimate in May of $NZ2m to $NZ2.5m, the company said.
Warehouse, which employs about 7000 staff at its general discount red shed barns, blue box stationery stores and Noel Leeming appliance stores, wants to improve the public perception of retailing and attract more talented and productive staff that will stay with the company.
“As well as making retail a more attractive career, as a major employer, we’re pleased that this positively impacts the wider community,” CEO Mark Powell said.
From August 1, some 3800 Warehouse staff will get $NZ30 to $NZ65 more salary a week.
About 200 extra staff will qualify to move onto the new rate every quarter with about 60 per cent of all full-time staff earning the career retailer wage or higher by the end of this year, Powell said.
The second stage of the plan, starting in August 2014, will significantly increase the career retailer wage, Powell said, without providing details.
Warehouse has used the union-led New Zealand Living Wage campaign as a benchmark.
The campaign asserted the need for an increase in the country’s minimum wage to address a growing income gap between rich and poor.
In the first half of its financial year, Warehouse spent $NZ169.4m on employee expenses, or about 15 per cent of its $NZ1.1 billion revenue.
BusinessDesk
