WHS - Warehouse Group

[Zaphod]

To be quite honest about it mate I have never gone into a Warehouse and expected even a moderate standard of helpful staff assistance. Cheap prices usually go hand in hand with pretty average customer service don't they ?

Yes the whole big box bulk retail sector is moving that way. Staff are relatively disposable and they run a very tight ship, however margins aren't necessarily low as suppliers are being squeezed until it hurts.

A general question for everyone: Is the intention to open up "The Market" to other companies and independent traders following the Amazon model? At the moment, it appears to be solely focused on Warehouse Group companies.

[artemis]

My very recent 2 visits to a big box discount store - Chemist Warehouse - was excellent. Each time asked for help, and it was delivered efficiently and correctly. So it can be done.

[BlackPeter]

My very recent 2 visits to a big box discount store - Chemist Warehouse - was excellent. Each time asked for help, and it was delivered efficiently and correctly. So it can be done.

Absolutely. I remember over the years quite positive and useful staff support in big boxes like "Mitre 10", Bunnings and Placemakers. Must however agree with Beagle, I can't really remember any time at the Warehouse where staff was able to help with any but absolutely basic questions, though they are normally good in accepting and refunding returns :

Maybe just cranking up the salary ("living wage") is not the way to go in order to make staff customer focused and helpful? Maybe it even increases their sense of entitlement (thinking back at my recent warehouse customer support issue as documented in this thread).

[Zaphod]

My very recent 2 visits to a big box discount store - Chemist Warehouse - was excellent. Each time asked for help, and it was delivered efficiently and correctly. So it can be done.

For regulated businesses such as the Chemist Warehouse, I would definitely hope so. Yes it can be done, but it does rely upon both the management and employee's willingness to do it. The living wage might encourage longer term employment, however as more entities adopt the living wage, this advantage could erode.

[artemis]

For regulated businesses such as the Chemist Warehouse, I would definitely hope so. Yes it can be done, but it does rely upon both the management and employee's willingness to do it. The living wage might encourage longer term employment, however as more entities adopt the living wage, this advantage could erode.

The Chemist Warehouse I went to had a tiny pharmacy only section, same as Unichem etc, with a pharmacist behind the counter. Assume that is the only part that is regulated. Big difference from other standard pharmacies as CW is much much bigger.

And on that living wage. Leaving aside the dodgy calculations, The Treasury reported some time back that there were two main sectors that benefit - young single workers and the government (more tax fewer transfers).

[Zaphod]

The Chemist Warehouse I went to had a tiny pharmacy only section, same as Unichem etc, with a pharmacist behind the counter. Assume that is the only part that is regulated. Big difference from other standard pharmacies as CW is much much bigger.

And on that living wage. Leaving aside the dodgy calculations, The Treasury reported some time back that there were two main sectors that benefit - young single workers and the government (more tax fewer transfers).

Yes the pharmacy dispenser portion is very highly regulated, however there are regulations covering advice provided for general treatments so staff need to be highly trained and very careful about what advice they dispense.

That's an interesting comment re living wage. Thanks for that.

[artemis]

Yes the pharmacy dispenser portion is very highly regulated, however there are regulations covering advice provided for general treatments so staff need to be highly trained and very careful about what advice they dispense.

That's an interesting comment re living wage. Thanks for that.

I didn't walk the aisles in the CW, not having a half day to spare LOL, but generally the items on the open shelves were much the same as the supermarket or even, to stay slightly on topic, WHS. Just a bigger range.

[bottomfeeder]

Hope the market reacts favourably to all this good news

Greater profits ...higher share price

Well maybe, but I would suggest closing stores will lessen the foot traffic and turnover of the group. The necessity to close the stores in itself, shows the group is suffering because of covid and competition. As far as a bigger online prsence goes, just hype. There are so many online discount stores operating to compete with that I cant see real growth in that area. The market, I dont se as being revolutionary. Competition on price is a profitable venture only where you have a particular buying power where you can buy a product cheaper, or getting rid of overstocked items. Otherwise you are reducing the profitability. I cant see WHS as a growth stock, just a lot of work to maintain market share. I am holding 5k, but will not be increasing my holding unless the SP goes very low.

[tga_trader]

Well maybe, but I would suggest closing stores will lessen the foot traffic and turnover of the group.

That's my opinion as well. The only time I would shop at The Warehouse, or any of The Warehouse Group for that matter, was because I could physically go and pick it up instantly when I wanted it. If I'm shopping online there are so many other options, and WHS would not be near the top of places I would order from.
In addition to that, the whole point in big box stores is that you walk in, the most common items are at the back of the store, and you grab a whole bunch of other stuff as you walk past. Particularly with the type of junk they sell, and the demographic they market to.

A general question for everyone: Is the intention to open up "The Market" to other companies and independent traders following the Amazon model? At the moment, it appears to be solely focused on Warehouse Group companies.

The Market has heaps of other companies on it. I'm not sure whether WHS takes a cut of each sale or not. I had heard that they don't, and that they rely on people picking up their orders in store and buying more while they're there....which rely' on having physical stores, as per my comments above.

[Beagle]

Its hard to pull the dog sled when you're underwater https://www.bing.com/images/search?v...x=4&ajaxhist=0

Maybe there's a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow...somewhere...or just a cheap yellow tennis ball from the Warehouse as the bobby prize ?