Huge strides for Kiwi tech star Vend as it looks to take US by storm

Vend is looking to recruit 125 staff globally and 54 in Auckland, as the Kiwi retail management software company enjoys huge growth trajectory.

The recruitment drive is in response to demands of increasing numbers of independent retailers globally, who are looking to adopt retail technology to stay competitive in the face of changing consumer shopping behaviour, the company says.

"Vend is on the cutting edge of retail technology, with an innovative best-in-class software platform and an intuitive user experience, leading to tremendous global growth across our key markets of APAC, UK and in particular North America, where growth is exponential," explains Vend CEO, Alex Fala.

Fala says the sheer size of the North American independent retailer market, and the opportunity to reach them through Vend's partner-led approach to technology, is massive.

"Vend has identified a previously untapped channel to market in North America, via payment processors and resellers, giving us access to tens of thousands of additional on-the-ground sales people across the continent who are selling Vend's retail software to merchant services as part of their tech stack," he says.

"We've tested the US market and we're confident that our best-in-class point-of-sale software, combined with our open ecosystem, sets us apart from the competition - giving independent retailers the opportunity to choose their software to best suit their business and their customers."

In the US, one of the primary ways in which retailers purchase credit card processing facilities is through a reseller. "By tapping into this channel and offering resellers a new revenue stream and a best-of-breed POS product that integrates with retailers' existing tech stack, Vend has found a unique and strong position in comparison to competitors in North America." Fala adds.

Vend has launched strategic partnerships with ten of the largest payment processors in North America, including WorldPay, CardConnect, Evo and North American Bancard, which together account for over NZ$1.2 trillion in card processing volume annually.

Shirvani Mudaly, chief people officer at Vend, says Vend is 'bucking the trend' in the context of a slowing global and New Zealand economy.

"We have plans to add nearly 50% to our workforce of over 300 people across five global offices.

'Growth like this brings challenges of course, including how we retain our amazing culture and diversity that Vend is renowned for, and ensuring we keep the bar really high when it comes to recruiting top talent," she explains. "It's a great position to be in and an incredibly exciting time for us at Vend. I feel privileged to be part of it."