The Warehouse shifts focus to online marketplace, 40 jobs affected

Twelve employees at a South Dunedin "fulfilment centre" will lose their jobs. Photo / Dexter Murray

The Warehouse Group has "realigned" its online shopping division and 40 staffers will be affected by the change.

The retailer hopes that most of the employees will be re-deployed into other roles.

Warehouse chief executive Pejman Okhovat told the Otago Daily Times that the retailer was making changes to its business to"remain relevant to our customers as their shopping behaviours change".

Okhovat did not answer when asked if the online centralisation of jobs, understood to be to Christchurch and Auckland, was connected to Amazon's proposed entry to New Zealand and Australia.

The US online shopping giant's pending incursion into Australia and New Zealand already has retailers concerned about loss of market share.

For its half year report, released in March, The Warehouse said online sales were $106.2 million, up 25.1 per cent compared with the same time a year ago.

The entire group's retail sales were up 3.3 per cent to $1.61 billion for the period. Its full year report is expected on September 22.

- additional reporting the Otago Daily Times