Staff will be granted access to a 'sophisticated' retail training programme
Up to 700 jobs will be up for grabs as British sportswear retail giant JD Sports said it plans to open more stores over the next two years. Around 400 to 700 jobs are expected to be generated in the company's expansion to New Zealand, according to a report from The Register, as the retail giant opened its first store in Auckland early this month. A second location has been identified and will open in the New Year, according to Hilton Seskin, JD Sports Australia and New Zealand chief executive, but the official has yet to disclose where it will be.
"From there we will look to open another eight stores relatively quickly," he said in a statement.
According to Seskin, the staff of the company will be given access to the JD Academy, the company's "sophisticated training programme that is designed to support the progression of future managers throughout the organisation."
Meanwhile, Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford welcomed the opening of the giant in New Zealand, saying it will boost the struggling retail sector.
"Retail generally has been struggling over the last few months, as a result of the enforced closure of most stores in Auckland and depressed demand throughout the rest of the country," Harford told Stuff.
According to the official, it’s unlikely for businesses to recover fully from the losses they incurred following the lockdowns in August. The Black Friday event spurred momentum that will extend until Christmas, he said, but it is going to be a "hard road ahead for many retailers."
Retailers in Auckland reopened in November after three months of shut down due to the pandemic. The recent implementation of the traffic light system in New Zealand employs the use of vaccination passes in select general retailers as well as close contact businesses.
