Central to the new format is the location of the checkouts, which, rather than being in the centre of the store as they normally are, are next to the exit.<\/p>\n
Kmart Group general manager of property Ben Smith says the business plans to roll out the Plan C+ format to more stores in future. Photo \/ Alyse Wright <\/p>\n
Kmart Group general manager of property Ben Smith said the format was designed to be more intuitive for customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to create a store that our customers want to love and enjoy, and one of the things that we knew was key was to expand our womenswear department, expand our beauty department, and make it a real destination experience,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we do all of those things for our customers, what we need to do is make sure that the final moment is as painless as possible, so bringing the checkouts to the front makes a lot of sense from a store layout perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
With repositioned checkouts, the store also offers Kmart more opportunity to expand other ranges, and the company has introduced new technology to complement it.<\/p>\n
Kmart in New Zealand and Australia have already adopted new technologies, including an automated, radio-frequency identification (RFID) robot called Tory.<\/p>\n
Tory scans RFID signatures associated with each product in a store to identify where stock is needed. <\/p>\n
It currently operates in Kmart\u2019s fashion and bedding departments, but the company was exploring how it could expand its use for general merchandise.<\/p>\n
The Westgate store also introduces new kiosks for larger items, such as outdoor equipment and nursery products.<\/p>\n
Kmart’s robot inventory assistant Tory. Photo \/ Alyse Wright<\/p>\n
Instead of taking up large amounts of space on the shop floor, customers will now browse those larger items through kiosks, and once they\u2019ve decided on an item, they\u2019ll receive a ticket to collect it from a collection zone.<\/p>\n
With about 40,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) in store, Smith said prioritising smaller merchandise and other departments allowed more items on shelves.<\/p>\n
The Westgate store also introduces a dedicated service desk separate from the checkouts, giving customers a direct channel for click and collect orders, returns and warranties.<\/p>\n
A key addition to Kmart’s new Westgate store is kiosks for larger items, such as outdoor equipment and nursery products, which mean more room on the floor for smaller merchandise.<\/p>\n
Kmart New Zealand country manager Craig Baxter said the business had delivered a good financial result over the past year, driven by a focus on value for customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good results come from the offer that we provide our families around New Zealand. I think in these times the price points that we\u2019re hitting, the great product that our buyers are buying, it\u2019s a credit to the whole team,\u201d Baxter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe focus on value for our customers, and so in these tough times being able to come to Kmart and buy something that\u2019s really cool looking, that\u2019s got extra flair to it and is on trend and at the right price, that\u2019s the part we play in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kmart New Zealand country manager Craig Baxter says the business’ results are connected to its offering to customers. Photo \/ Alyse Wright<\/p>\n
The opening of the Westgate store takes Kmart\u2019s New Zealand store network to 28 stores.<\/p>\n
Smith has been with the company for more than 20 years, and has seen its New Zealand store count more than double in that time.<\/p>\n
While he was confident future stores would be constructed around the Plan C+ format, and some potentially refurbished, he could not commit to how many stores were in the pipeline, nor their locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWestgate\u2019s been a key gap for us from a network perspective for quite some time, and customers have been having to drive some distance down to Henderson or up to Albany. This is a huge growth area in the northwest of Auckland, and I think this will be really well placed to serve the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think New Zealand\u2019s a fantastic place for Kmart and we\u2019d love to open plenty more stores. We\u2019ve got a lot of network gaps both in the North and South Island. We haven\u2019t announced any new stores yet, but we do have a few more in the pipeline which we look forward to announcing very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n