Page 50 - HW April 2022

then as now
Mitre 10 Hawera was the fourth pilot store to undergo the “Project Orange” treatment over 2011-2012. Going way beyond simply switching colours, the program effectively rejuvenated the co-op’s mid-tier stores.
No less than 11 MEGAs had been built over the last year and
a half but, explained Mitre 10 Chief Executive, John Hartmann: “We didn’t want to lose sight of the importance of reinvesting in our mid-tier.
“MEGA has been the most recent focus of the growth of the business [but] we have this wonderful Mitre 10 brand, 38 years old, strong and part of the Kiwi heritage.”
Learning from the MEGA stores’ successes, the aim of Project Orange was not only to refresh and renew the formerly blue Mitre 10 stores but also to align them with their larger cousins.
As a result, the changes to the upgraded Mitre 10 stores were far more than cosmetic with not only a change from blue to orange (like MEGA), but also a much-improved product range, better merchandising and in-store experience.
“It’s not just a paint job it’s a complete redo,” said the CEO, at the same time emphasising “they are not mini–MEGA stores!”
A four-store pilot programme proved the concept, with sales in the revamped stores in Whangaparaoa, Alexandra, Martinborough and Hawera rising by an average of no less than 30%.
However, having set high benchmarks for stores wanting to go from blue to orange in terms of layout and product range, foot traffic and size requirements, some stores could not or chose not to meet these elevated new metrics and associated costs.
As a result, a dozen or more current Mitre 10 stores would be rebranded as Hammer Hardware, which was good for the yellow brand.
Today, in 2022, it’s noteworthy that the first Project Orange pilot store, Whangaparaoa Mitre 10, is only now shifting to much larger premises, but still isn’t going MEGA.
John Hartmann was Mitre 10 NZ’s CEO from 2010 and would have another year with the cooperative before moving to True Value in the US. He is now Chief Operating Officer at Bed Bath & Beyond and President of buybuyBaby.
2012 – BUNNINGS GETS A PEOPLE PERSON
It was also 10 years ago that we first managed to catch up with Bunnings NZ’s new General Manager, career retailer Jacqui
Coombes, after some months’ in the role.
Having taken over from Rod Caust, Jacqui was the first woman
to lead the Kiwi arm of the Aussie corporate, and a Kiwi to boot. She would run Bunnings NZ for over six years, before becoming
Director Group HR & New Zealand in 2018, when Toby Lawrance took on the GM NZ role.
But back to 2012 when the hardware channel was awash with intrigue and opinion on issues like changing retailer-supplier relationships.
Did Jacqui Coombes see her style of leadership as any different from her predecessor?
“A business needs different things at different times, which is why Rod was here and why I am now in the role.
“I guess it’s about recognising when it’s a business’s time for the right person to be in the seat.”
What did she bring from her FMCG days to the Bunnings role?
“The individual SKUs are quite different, but it is about the team that has the right knowledge.”
That people focus informed much of Jacqui’s decade plus with Bunnings.
Ten years ago, we asked would there be more standalone Bunnings Trade stores?
Jacqui Coombes’ measured response was this: “We will be changing to meet whatever needs there are and trying to look forward all the time.
It’s 2012 and we see Bunnings NZ GM, Jacqui Coombes, outside the Mount Wellington store: “Seeing the team when it really fires, when we’re doing good things, that’s what does it for me.”
“It’s all about the right sites and having the right volume and all of those things coming together...”
In other words, Bunnings was looking to stay as light on its feet and future-focused as possible.
Fast forward to 2022 now and note that we have only just seen the eighth and ninth Bunnings Trade sites opening.
It was not for nothing that we called our interview with Jacqui Coombes “Will to win but here for the long haul”...
During Jacqui’s first five years as GM NZ, turnover doubled and profitability increased significantly.
Having ended her Director Group HR & New Zealand role just mid last year, these days Jacqui continues with Bunnings in a part- time coaching and advisory role, which also allows her to spend “more focused time in other chosen professional and personal areas.”
48 NZHJ | APRIL 2022
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