Page 26 - HW FEBRUARY 2022

sales & merchandising agents
TONY PUPPYN –
“I think there are a couple of
things that are guaranteed: significant price inflation is here to stay, and local and international supply chain challenges are not going away anytime soon”
Strikeforce’s Jon Barrell underlines that staff retention and recruitment are “top of mind, at just about every business level. And it’s not getting a lot easier, is it, with the borders closed, less students in the workforce etc?
“So, no question, it’s a very tough market,” he says, “You’ve got to look at what the business and the role offers beyond the purely monetary rewards. It is much more about the team and learning and support and recognition.”
“The challenges of finding good people to deliver for our clients will remain,” Jon continues, “And the expectations of our customers and clients will only increase, which is good, and that can only improve standards and the level of execution.”
Tony Puppyn is more extreme in his view of recruitment: “The real challenge facing the industry right now is an almost complete lack of available talent at all levels.”
This situation is not made easier either with all channels, retailers and manufacturers all trying to find resources within the existing talent pool.
As a result, “There’s a lot of head hunting going on,” says Tony.
In terms of retention, he says, “We’re working really hard on delivering a great team culture as well as recruiting and developing great talent, so we retain our IP.
“When manufacturers are looking at a service provider, they’re looking at your experience and the value you will add so we need to make sure that we have the best and most experienced people available.
“We know that if we do the right thing by our people, they’ll do a great job for our clients and that will allow us to grow our business.
“But it all starts with making sure that the Storelink business is as efficient and sustainable as we can possibly make it, starting with investment in our people.”
BUILDING BOOMS UNABATED
Looking further out, although not dismissing the fact of the ongoing challenges facing the industry, Jon Barrell says: “I think the outlook is very positive when you consider that foreign travel will continue to be reduced and remain limited for some time.
“And even if it is available, I think people’s habits have changed and it will take time for them to go back to how they were, if ever they do.
“So, I think the outlook for the industry is positive in terms of spend, and I think the importance of improving and investing in your home has never been stronger.”
In terms of Strikeforce, Jon says: “We are very positive on growth and on providing a wider service, offering more insight and value to our clients.
“And I think that’s what we need to do, and not just in the day to day, but also when it comes to product range and position and promotion, I think we can continue to add a lot of value to discussions with customers.”
Storelink’s Tony Puppyn is equally clear that the building boom is going to be with us for quite some time, as well as honest enough to admit that the sheer volumes involved will also continue to put pressure on the local supply chain.
“I think there are a couple of things that are guaranteed: significant price inflation is here to stay, and local and international supply chain challenges are not going away anytime soon.
“It’s incredibly challenging for the industry,” he says, especially with the spectre of Omicron hanging over New Zealand as I write this article.
THE SPECTRE OF OMICRON
Gathering views about the medium term, the very real possibility of the Omicron variant laying up as much as a third of the New Zealand workforce at any one time, is a real Sword of Damocles for any business, let alone businesses like sales agents which are designed to support others.
“The first lockdown saw a huge amount of panic buying and as retailers closed, consumer spending stalled. Outside of grocery we saw retail revenues decline in general,” says Tony Puppyn.
“The lockdown in 2021 was very different. I think the whole country knew how to handle this thing. There was an
24 NZHJ | FEBRUARY 2022
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