Challenge
Well known retailer, The Reject Shop, opened a state of the art, new distribution centre in Ipswich in Queensland in mid-2010.
The Reject Shop is committed to improvement in every aspect of satisfying customers’ everyday merchandise needs. It promises good quality and availability in an appropriate assortment and quantity in its stores. The three distribution centres that order, receive, store and dispatch the entire stock are the backbone of the company, and have a big role to play in customer satisfaction.
The Reject Shop wanted to trial a new approach to hiring staff in its new Queensland distribution centre. It wanted to outsource the bulk of the recruitment and day to day ongoing people management to an expert; leaving The Reject Shop to focus on improvement and its core business: retail, and all the complexities than come with it.
The Reject Shop needed a team in the distribution centre that could match its seasonal demands. Periods in the lead up to Easter, Christmas and back to school are very busy in the stores and respectively in the warehouse so a flexible workforce to meet these demands was a ‘must have’ for The Reject Shop.
The cohesiveness and attitude of the team was vitally important to the business. It was ambitious to get the right people to ensure the state of the art facility and lynch pin of its northern State’s operation ran in a way that was safe, streamlined and efficient.
Solution
The Reject Shop appointed Staff Australia to recruit the entire mix of staff to run the distribution centre operation. We put a consultant onsite to oversee the day-to-day scheduling, training, safety and management of the team.
Today’s workforce effortlessly fluctuates between 100 – 140 people to meet the demands of the business. This flexibility means that people are occupied and fulfilled when they are at work. There is no boredom and idleness in off peak times so the vibe of the centre is busy and productive.
Only months after the operation opened, devastating floods across Queensland left the distribution centre ten feet underwater. In the wake of the floods Staff Australia quickly assembled the clean-up team while managing the distribution team. We managed to get the team members work elsewhere and then put them back into The Reject Shop once the operation had recovered. This is an example of how Staff Australia’s network and expertise can help overcome unforeseen events that might impact the business.
Results
The Queensland distribution centre has grown to become The Reject Shop’s major national distribution centre and services most of its stores, surpassing the other two in Victoria.
Phil Beckett, General Manager Logistics, The Reject Shop states:
“Outsourcing the recruitment and management of people at our Queensland distribution centre to Staff Australia was one of the best things we’ve ever done. The quality of the people and the cohesiveness of the team and the flexibility it offers us have saved us a considerable amount of time, energy and money. We’ve been nothing but impressed with the commitment, loyalty and values of that staff community. Issues get resolved quickly and easily and the productivity in this operation is better than in other parts of the business.”
