Co-op announces new growth-focused CEO

Thorsten Wichtendahl has today been appointed the new CEO of the Co-op, a national member-owned retailer specifically targeting the on-campus university market. Wichtendahl replaces Peter Knock, who is stepping down for family reasons after four years at the helm. “I look forward to leading the Co-op into its next growth phase, and continuing to deepen the relationships with our university partners and enhancing its relevance to our members while at uni and beyond,” Wichtendahl, who was previously the COO, said. The Co-op sells a wide array of books, stationary, technology products, clothing and homewares across its 65 bricks and mortar outlets and online store. All but a handful of Co-op stores are located on or close to university campuses. “Thorsten has worked tirelessly as the COO over the last four years," said Co-op chairman Joe Merhi. "His depth of experience in retail and strategy sees him placed well to steer our Co-op going forward.” Soon after this announcement Wichtendahl participated in a Q&A session with Campus Review over email: CR: At which higher education facilities does the Co-op currently have outlets? TW: The Co-op currently has 65 stores across Australia, with a presence on universities in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia. We currently have a presence in 22 universities, with another two joining our network soon. We also design and procure the university-branded clothing and memorabilia for 16 universities. Can universities expect any changes as a result of this? Absolutely not! Despite a change of leadership, our strategic goals and direction remain unchanged. We are committed to making university life more affordable and stress-free for students, and are dedicated to enhancing the Co-op’s relevance to all of its Members, both at university and into their professional lives. Are there any plans to open new Co-ops anywhere? The store network will continue to grow and remain our foundation for growth. We are always looking to grow the Co-op store network. Expanding our physical footprint means greater accessibility and convenience for our student members. We are about to open another two new stores in Adelaide next month. What challenges does the Co-op face being a bricks and mortar retailer largely focused on millennials and post-millennials? We don’t really think of our customers in those terms. We work hard to enhance the value proposition to all our members, both current university students and beyond. Our focus is on aligning the physical and online shopping experience – they need to complement and support each other. They cannot be independent of one another. The focus needs to be on choice, convenience, efficiency, and digital innovation. That continues to be one of the Co-op’s main focuses. How is it tackling these challenges? Our growing multichannel capabilities will continue to unify the Co-op’s over the counter and online parts of our business. Our online portal, together with online market places, drop ship capabilities, mobile functionalities, improved Click & Collect and integration of more third party solutions will ensure we remain at the forefront of technological innovation and provide the choice and convenience our customers want and need.