Store manager Gareth Michelle has been with the group for 19 years - 15 of those in Timaru, two in Oamaru and two in Dunedin.
He had started off as a ''check-out boy'' and moved up through the ranks. During his time with the company, he had seen a high staff turnover and believed some of that would be stopped by the new wage scale which would pay qualifying team members between $18.50 and $20 an hour.
''They say pay is not the key in people leaving but I think it plays a part. This is good recognition of people committed to the company. It offers a career path and shows it is not a Sunday job or a part-time job. It will encourage people to stay and it's not too bad pay, either,'' Mr Michelle said.
Team member Sharon Giggins will have been with the company for 18 years in August, the month the new pay scale comes in. She worked first at the Maclaggan St store and now at South Dunedin.
She welcomed the expected pay increase, as it would help pay her household costs. Ms Giggins worked in the toy and giftware departments but regarded herself as a ''jack of all trades''.
''I love the job. It's great to do different things.''
The new pay scale was a reward for long-serving team members, she said.
Sales team leader Adrian Gardiner, who has been with The Warehouse for 15 years, also welcomed the news.
The Warehouse chief executive Mark Powell announced yesterday that qualifying team members would earn between $18.50 and $20 an hour, dependent on the role, giving qualifying full-time team members an extra $50 to $100 a week, on average.
Trade unions and Opposition politicians welcomed the news and called on other retailers to match The Warehouse's announcement.
