Why Appliances Online founder John Winning is offering Dick Smith employees a helping hand

Another business has stepped forward and encouraged Dick Smith employees to join its ranks after all the collapsed electronic chain’s stores close down.

Dick Smith is currently holding a fire sale, with stores expected to shut their doors for the final time in the next few weeks.

Read more: Dick Smith employees to receive government assistance as frustration over store closure deadline grows

John Winning, chief executive of the Winning Group, told SmartCompany he hopes some Dick Smith staff will be able to find jobs with his business.

“Being a fourth generation family retail business, it’s upsetting when Australian household brands change ownership or worse go into receivership, resulting in devastating flow-on effects for Australian jobs and families,” Winning says.

“Although there is no silver bullet for the problem, we want Dick Smith staff to know that we are always on the hunt for great staff.”

Winning says the appliance retailing groups is currently looking for administrative, sales, customer experience and warehouse and logistics positions.

The roles are available in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Winning Group has around 500 employees and one of its largest brands, Appliances Online, turns over around $200 million – up from around $150 million in 2013.

Winning says he believes Dick Smith staff will make excellent employees because they are used to selling similar products to Appliances Online, one of the brands under the Winning Group umbrella.

“Dick Smith was one of our largest consumer electronics stores and over the years their sale staff have helped a large proportion of Australians with their consumer electronics purchases,” Winning says.

“That experience, paired with our training and induction, and an understanding of how the customer journey has evolved over the last decade, makes for a good employee.”

Last month Flight Centre offered Dick Smith employees a lifeline by encouraging them to make the switch to the travel industry.

However, non-casual staff at Dick Smith will have to remain working for the electronics brand until their store closes to ensure receive their full entitlements.

The controlled closure process began four weeks ago, and is expected to take around four more.