In profile: Colliers International Queensland director of retail investment services Stephen Kidd

Colliers International’s Stephen Kidd says as retailing is the largest single employer group in Australia at the moment, growing support of e-commerce may very well put a large number of jobs at risk.

Agent: Stephen Kidd

Position: Director, Retail Investment Services - Queensland

Company: Colliers International

Office location: Brisbane

How long have you been in the industry?

Since the late 80s – around  the 1987 stock market crash.

What’s happening in the area you specialise in?

With the onset of the internet, retailing is becoming very competitive, margins will continue to shrink and this will have an impact on everyone involved in the existing bricks and mortar food chain from warehouses to shops to property owners to retailers and their staff. Creating exclusivity in distribution channels will be one of the few successful ways to combat this e-war on bricks and mortar retailing survival. The major supermarkets are doing this already with their home brands and they are being closely followed by such things as exclusive fashion lines in department stores.  Many retailing formats are set to disappear as has already been evidenced by book stores, video stores, music stores etc. Many other retailing channels will change as manufacturers alter to become directly linked to their customers and have to establish their own company owned channels of distribution. The internet will have the greatest impact on those things which are easy to search on the net – cars, shoes, electronics, bikes – anything with a model number or a name. As retailing is the largest single employer group in Australia at the moment, growing support of e-commerce may very well put a large number of jobs at risk.

Describe the most interesting property you have sold:

The first property I ever sold was a shopping centre in Rockhampton. $13.75 million.  I will never forget the sale or the thrill of doing a deal where many others had failed.  I went on to sell that buyer many properties over the years until his recent death.

What are the ingredients to being successful in your job?

I think it is about persistence, optimism and never forgetting who you are being paid by.

What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?

The amazing variety of people you meet every day and the knowledge they are so readily prepared to impart.

Where would you invest a spare $750,000?

For me, there really are only two areas to invest – property or shares.

Which football team do you support?

None.

What’s your favourite app or techno gadget?

Emails, e-brochures and any other forms of quick communication.

How do you use social media?

As I'm told.