Rising waters mean supplying Qld stores is a nightmare.With anywhere between 20 to 30 of its Qld stores closed for business in both Brisbane and Ipswich, the retailer also faces another massive problem maintaining stock supplies.
This problem has not only affected the Woolworths-owned Dick Smith but also its Big W and enormous supermarket network, which could also hamper efforts to return to business as usual for the stores that they hope to re-open this weekend.
Trading activity has been brought to a total halt due to a combination of “flooding, shut down of the power-supply and staff shortages,” a Dick Smith spokesperson told Smarthouse.
Although store closures have been confined to the Queensland capital and Ipswich, no other regional stores have been closed but “stock delivery is a major issue” for those that remain open, he said.
Some of the affected company stores in the Ipswich area have been reopened although some are still underwater.
“Stores will re-open once power is restored and staff can return,” he said.
There are no clear estimates on how much the disaster will cost the company, although between loss of business and reconstruction is believed to be at a “significant cost.”
Whether existing inventories have suffered damage is also yet unknown although several vendors are now said to be looking to ship additional
stock into Australia to meet the heightened demand for “new gear” an OfficeWorks
spokesman said.
