Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Coles Regional Manager Daniel Clegg talks us through the NT's supermarket stock shortages - is there help on the way?

Transcript

Coles Regional Manager Daniel Clegg talks us through the NT's supermarket stock shortages - is there help on the way? · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is Daniel Clegg,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: who is the regional manager for Coals here in the
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory. Good morning to you, Daniel, Hello, how are
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: you very well? Thanks mate? How are you guys going
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: at Cole's at the moment with you know, with the
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: difficulty that we're seeing with those roads blocked and plenty
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: of those trucks unable to get in.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Well, it's certainly been a challenge, but I would say
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: it's never it's not boring, I'll give you that much.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: There's been a lot going on and you know it's
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: the first time for us that we've had to go
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: deal through this. It's a good challenge but certainly interesting
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: times and you know we're all working very hard together
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: and having to deal with something we haven't done before.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: So maybe it's an exciting times if if we can
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: take that out of it.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it would be, you know, a very challenging
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: environment at the moment. But how are things like are
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: we expecting some of those some of those trucks to
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: arrive and how are things going at the moment?
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely, Look, as you can appreciate the flooding impacted us.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: We already had trucks on the road, had to turn
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: them around to South Australia, our distribution center in Edinburgh
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Parks there, so a lot of work was done as
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: an emergency measures. And now we've had to I suppose
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: come to terms with moving distribution centers over to Queensland
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: and New South Wales from where we source our stocks.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: So we have that in place. Now. We've had today
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty five palettes into the Darwin stores,
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: so the seven stores we have in the Darwin region.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: You know, there's dairy freezers coming in, one hundred of
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: pallettes there, over fifty produce again for yesterday's and over
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: one hundred pallets of grocery so two hundred and fifty
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: five palettes today and we'd be building up to five
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: hundred day. But the good news is that we have
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: our transport routes organized, we have our new distribution center,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: websourcing from in Coinsland and in New South Wales, so
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: the truck routes are open. It is taking a bit longer,
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: but it is building up.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Daniel. That is good to hear, and I know that
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: a lot of people listening this morning will be really
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: pleased to hear that, So can we expect that over
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: the coming days we're going to see more stock on
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: those supermarket shelves, but particularly the meat and vegetables.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: You can, we're getting need and veg every day, I
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: think as people our customers come in and replenish you know,
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: their colors and replenish their fridges. Of course, we need
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: to build our stock reserves, so our systematic ordering is
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: turning back on and has today produced and will very
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: shortly for meat. So that means that stock will flow
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: very very quickly back into stores. So yeah, you can,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: I suppose appreciate the challenge that we have with our
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: customers buying what they need to replenish their hond and
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: see the families of course, and then us getting on
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: top of that. So you know, i'd be lying ups
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: that it was a couple of days. It's certainly a
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: few weeks to get on top of this and get
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: right back to where we were. But it is going
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: to build every day. Ye get better and you will
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: have more choice every day.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: Well, that is good to hear, and as I said,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: a lot of people will be pleased to hear that.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: But like you've said, it's going to take a little
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: bit of time to really get on top of things, Daniel,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Have there been any stores in particular that have been
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: sort of most hard hit. I know that you do
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: look after Central Australia as well, don't you.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look Howie Springs is, Yeah, certainly. I mean you've
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: got a few choices. They're the two majors, and you
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: know that that's been hit pretty hard. But I think
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: at one point we also really got to the same
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: level and the chat just been reasonably consistent. The good
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: thing for our Springs is it is quicker to replenish
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: that store, so they're actually seeing full loads right now. Good,
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: so they're a little bit faster than the Darwin given
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: our proximity to our distribution centers.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well that is good to hear. Now, mate, Have
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: people been quite respectful towards each other inside the shopping centers?
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: Have you seen much panic buying?
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: I'm very very pleased. Actually, territories have been fantastic in
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: stores and everyone has been respectful and patient and probably
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: better than I thought or assumed that we would get to.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: So I'm really pleased with the behavior of our customers
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: and it's great to see everyone sort of just coming
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: in and being patient and kind and being a bit
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: flexible as well, because you know, you might not be
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: able to buy mince meat for the tacos, but maybe
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: we'll try chicking, or we'll try something else as that
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: comes in. And I think everyone sort of working together
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: at this point and being really good.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: Now. I know that over the weekend there were some
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: restrictions placed on shoppers. You know, I e. I think
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: you could buy two packets of rice. Correct me if
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: I'm wrong, and a few things like that. Are those
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: restrictions still in place all they begin to be lifted
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: over the next coming days.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: No, they're still in place, and yeah, we definitely have
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: some feedback around. They're not being stopped there, and the
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: restriction is still there. But we have to understand that
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: re restriction is there not just for today, but also
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: for to help and aid in the replenishment of those categories.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: So they will stay until we are confident those categories
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: are back and can hold demand.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Okay, well, and I think that that's fair enough. You know,
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: you don't want people ducking in there and buying ten
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: packets of something and hoarding it. We've all got to
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: make sure that we respect each other we're all territories
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: and all in it together. So I guess just finally,
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: Daniel this morning, you know, what is your message for
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: those out they're listening who are a little bit worried
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: about whether they're going to be able to, you know,
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: to get their hands on their groceries this week, particularly
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: for those parents with school gone back yesterday.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. And you know, I'm a dad as well
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: as a couple of boys, so I understand what that's like.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: And we're in the same boat and so to speak,
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: as everybody. So look, don't overbuy. Understand that stuff will
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: come every day, and it is building every day, so
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: it's not we're just getting it every day. We're actually
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: getting more and more and more every day, and that
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: is getting more consistent as the roads open up and
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: we get obviously that systematic ordering back in place. So
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: don't panic, please be patient, just be kind and flexible
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: like you have already. It's been wonderful in stores considering
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: the circumstances we're in, but it is coming. Don't worry
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: and just be patient. We've got this and we'll have
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: it back in store and we'll have things back together
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: as soon as.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: We possibly get well, Daniel Clegg, the regional manager for Coles,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: I really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: very much for having a chat with
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Us, no problem, thank you, thank you.