What's New
Container Loading Guidelines
The correct loading of a container is the key to shipping product safely, and to prevent damage, but also to ensure efficient unloading when it reaches our DC, and to keep our teams safe. These general guidelines outline our container loading requirements need to be followed, unless you have received specific container loading requirements from TWG, or a company with authorisation from TWG ( eg PacD).
Photography Style Guide - Supplier Images
We have issued a new photography style guide for suppliers. If you are a supplier, please contact us for a copy of our photography guidelines.
Apparel – New Requirement
Further to our new requirement for garments on hangers we have updated out website with our Apparel Packing Standards document. This document clearly defines 'Apparel Packing Standards' for suppliers involved in the manufacturing and supplying of apparel, and involved in hanging at source for The Warehouse Group Ltd. Please click here to view.
Dangerous Goods - Request for Data
Keeping our teams and customers safe at all times is a core part of our values. As part of this we have recently begun to audit the data we have on file, in order to ensure we have everything we need regarding dangerous goods. Each product that is identified as a dangerous good must have a comprehensive set of data and an active Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on file in our stores and DC's in order to be compliant with WorkSafe NZ. In order to better streamline the process for our team members we have set up an email address just for handling dangerous goods information [email protected]. An email went out recently to those suppliers identified as having products flagged for dangerous goods (DG) handling that had incomplete data on file, and we asked those suppliers to validate the data and respond.
Garments on Hangers - New Requirement
We are in the process of testing a number of opportunities to improve our Apparel Supply Chain so that we improve our Apparel offering to our New Zealand customers. To enable these opportunities to become a reality, it is our intention that all garments for AW17 (from Mailer 25 – January 2017) will be Hung at Source but we will be working with the suppliers of Ba$ics to start Hanging at Source earlier than this. If you are an Apparel supplier, please respond to the email that you will have received recently and ensure that the contents are communicated to your teams and factories that supply TWL. We will be indicating on our PO’s when we want you to hang our Garments and which Hangers we want you to use. Do not hang our garments if our PO does not instruct you to do so.
By doing this TWL are simply introducing an international way of working that is already a standard part of your operating procedures with other customers. We thank you in advance for your support with this initiative and look forward to together delivering a better Apparel offering to our Customers.
Palm Oil Sourcing Policy
At The Warehouse we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of the products that we sell. One part of reducing this impact is ensuring that the natural materials/ingredients in the products we sell come from sustainable sources, and do not contribute to environmental problems, like deforestation. We are requiring suppliers to disclose if their products contain any palm oil or palm oil derivative ingredients. A letter is being emailed out to suppliers with a form to complete.
You can find more information about our Palm Oil Policy here.
If you have any questions about your requirements, please contact [email protected]
Ethical Sourcing Update 2016
We have just published our first public Ethical Sourcing Report for some time. Our policies, and a description of our due diligence and remediation processes are published here on our Supplier website. The full copy of our Ethical Sourcing Report 2016 can be seen here on our Supplier website under Ethical Sourcing or by clicking here.
Changes to the Electrical Products Compliance Regime
Under the Electricity Safety Regulations, on March 17 2016 two Gazette Notices were issued which altered the lists of Declared Medium Risk and Declared High Risk Articles. Some new products were added to the Medium Risk list, and some Medium Risk items were elevated to High Risk. The reason for the amendments was to more closely align the New Zealand requirements for products with those in Australia, and to address some issues that had become apparent with some types of products.
Suppliers and retailers will need to review and alter the documentation requirements for demonstrating safety for some products.
Deadlines for updated documentation: May 4th 2016 for Medium Risk items; January 1st 2017 for High Risk items. While no lead-in period or “grandfathering” is mentioned in the Notices, we have been given to understand that the normal practice of allowing existing stock and product under contract but not yet arrived to be sold will be followed, unless there is specific reason for Worksafe to enforce the rule.
The two Gazette Notices, 2016-au1470 and 2016-au1471, can be found here: https://gazette.govt.nz/home/NoticeSearch?issueNumber=24&year=2016¬iceType=au
We will be seeking your assistance over the next 8-9 months to bring our existing products into line with the new requirements, and also to ensure that all new products being sourced comply from here onwards. If you have questions on the effects of these changes on products currently being supplied to The Warehouse Group, and on requirements for new products, please contact your test lab, or The Warehouse QA Team - General Merchandise [email protected] or [email protected]
Pre-pricing Labels - Reminder
Last year we reviewed where we were at with Pre-pricing, and found a wide variety of sizes, colours and fonts being used across the business. There were unclear guidelines, it was difficult for stores, and sending a confusing message to our customers. In June 2015 we confirmed which categories were to be pre-priced or shelf-edge labelled (SEL), and launched a new design of pre-price labels.
If your Category Manager requests for products to be pre-priced, then products ordered should arrive pre-priced into our business using labels from Checkpoint Systems.
We have a Pre-pricing Label Guidelines document available to Suppliers on our Supplier web page, which outlines the label types available for use and guidelines on how to use them. Please contact your Category Manager if you have any questions. All the label types, guidelines and contacts can be found on our supplier website under Packaging & Labelling, or by clicking here.
Golf day update – thank you to everyone involved
We had a massive fundraiser at our Golf Day on 17 March raising $61,000 for CanTeen. This was from a combination of ticket sales, live auction, raffle and donations. The Warehouse Group pays for the event management so all proceeds raised from the day go directly to our wonderful community partner, CanTeen.
A big thank you to you our generous suppliers and business partners who provided all the soft drinks, sunscreen, goody bag items, auction lots, raffle and team prizes. Without you, this event would not be the great day that it is.
FOB Suppliers - SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Global Law Change Regarding Container Weights
From 1st July 2016, all shippers of packed containers will be required to provide and verify a container’s Gross Verified Container Weight to the Ocean Carrier and Port Terminal representative at origin prior to it being loaded onto a ship. A Verified Container Weight will become a global legal condition for loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export.
The Vessel and Terminal Operators are required to use Verified Container Weights for the purpose of vessel stowage plans, and are prohibited from loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export, if the container does not have a Gross Verified Container Weight lodged. In terms of Imports into New Zealand, the legal obligation lies with your overseas suppliers who are subject to the laws of the country that your container(s) originate from.
Any questions please contact your local Kuehne+Nagel office. Click here for details.