As the Good in the Hood fundraiser returns, SupermarketNews spoke to Keith Murray - the licensed retailer operating 14 Z Energy sites within Auckland. From Glenn Innes in the East, Hillsborough in the West, to the city’s waterfront, he knows convenience retail.
Murray grew up in Rotorua; his first job after school was driving the forklift and stacking freight for a road transport company. In his early twenties, he obtained his management cadetship before moving to Wellington and working as a Shareholder and director of various transport companies while completing his university education at night. A change of pace then meant moving into wholesale plumbing and the electrical industries. However, in 2006 an opportunity to join Foodstuffs arose. Murray took on multiple roles within the cooperative, including Gilmours Group Manager and Group Manager of Fresh Foods and Liquor, before moving into the health industry as the National Supply Chain Operations Manager.
After working in retail trade for around 18 years, Murray firmly understood the convenience and retail industry and became a Z Retailer in late 2014. At the time, he reviewed his investment strategy, and an opportunity with Z was too good to turn down. An application, various interviews and working onsite for suitability saw him successful.
“I enjoyed the pace and how things continue to evolve to better meet customer needs. Retaining a passion is easy as the industry is dynamic and continually evolving. That brings endless possibilities both personally and for the business,” said Murray.
No two days are the same at Z since the sites trade 24/7, meaning there is always something to be done. The role of a retailer is about understanding what customers need and giving support to site staff that can only occur at the coalface.
Good in the Hood is the community fundraiser Z has run since 2013. Each service station selects four different community groups to support and receive a portion of the $4,000 donation. Customers who shop in-store are given an orange token to vote for their selected charity, and the money is split based on the number of votes each group receives.
“Good in the Hood is a fantastic local community initiative. Sharing $1 million across all the Z service stations across the country, it gives us the chance to support the things that matter specifically to our community.”
Murray’s site staff are involved in selecting the local community groups or charities at the stations he operates. The charities vary from large national organisations such as Child Cancer and Victim Support to smaller localised groups such as the Hillsborough Foodbank and Te Waipuna Puawai.
The operator sets high standards for his stations to ensure consistency through layout, product offerings, customer service, pricing and cleanliness. His aim is to generate a feeling in customers that makes them say Z is “my first place of choice.”
Location and customer profile dictate the best-selling categories among Murray’s 14 stores. His Quay Street site is heavily orientated around port workers, while Sandringham is related to commuters travelling to and from the city. But overall, coffee, cold beverages, bakery food, snacks, ice creams and perishables such as milk and bread always sell.
Offering fuel makes it easy for customers to pick up a coffee, a bite to eat or some grocery essentials. The challenge is maintaining ease and simplicity for customers as their needs and behaviours change. A challenge to the sector would be the move to a low-carbon economy. For Z, this may mean having EV chargers on site, so customers can continue to have the convenience of accessing the retail store while recharging their cars. Murray is also acutely aware of the Smokefree Aotearoa policy that the industry is adapting to.
“I see our industry entering an exciting period of change. The rise of EVs and innovation with alternative fuels will reshape Z as a company and how service stations will look in the future. Technology will also play a greater part in how both customers interact during the shopping experience and how retailers will continue to enhance the customer experience. It’s going to be fun.”
