23 February 2024: Woolworths Zealand has today opened its state-of-the-art Christchurch Fresh Distribution Centre (CFDC) in Rolleston, Christchurch. This significant milestone is a $99 million investment by Woolworths and represents its commitment to enhancing its supply chain infrastructure and delivering the freshest, highest quality produce to customers across Aotearoa.

The facility has been five years in the making and spans 11,000 square metres. Christchurch Fresh Distribution Centre will service all Woolworths stores across the South Island and will employ 65 Kiwis.

Speaking on what this development means for Woolworths customers and growers, Woolworths New Zealand Director, Fresh & Food Co, Pieter De Wet remarks;

“At Woolworths, we recognise our responsibility is to provide our customers with the highest quality fruit and vegetables. Our growers across Aotearoa work tirelessly to produce nutritious and delicious food for Kiwis, and we need to put the same care into its journey through our supply chain.”

With the development of this purpose-built facility, Woolworths New Zealand is making a substantial investment in cutting-edge technology and design that will transform its supply chain.

CFDC incorporates advanced technologies to maintain optimal temperatures throughout the supply chain process, including a temperature-controlled inbound tunnel, sealed vertical docks, and different temperature zones throughout the DC. The site is built with coolchain integrity in mind, meaning that we are able to keep our suppliers fresh fruit and veg at optimal temperature - keeping it fresher for longer. CFDC is all about maintaining the high quality level of freshness of the products that come from our growers.

This investment will enable us to deliver produce to our stores exactly as our growers intended, ensuring that Kiwis can enjoy the freshest and most nutritious food possible,” adds Pieter.

Local grower Andrew Malcolm commented that “our team works hard, hail, rain or shine to produce the best fruit for Kiwis. We take great pride in our work and it is a comfort to us to know that once the fresh foods leave our farm that they will arrive on consumers plates as fresh as the day they were picked. We are very pleased that Woolworths have made this investment into Christchurch and we appreciate the value and respect they have for our work.”

The new facility is also kinder to the planet with rainwater harvesting and low water and energy-use cooling towers and is the only building on the South Island to use this technology. The facility has been designed to meet Green Star standards in keeping with Woolworths sustainability commitment of all new developments receiving a 4 Green Star rating or higher, which will be raised to a 5 Green Star rating on all new builds by 2025.

Managing Director Spencer Sonn reflects on what Christchurch Fresh Distribution Centre means for Woolworths New Zealand;

"CFDC represents a significant milestone in our fresh distribution network. We understand that our customers across the South Island expect to see the freshest possible, highest quality fruit and veg in our stores every day, which is why we’re continuing to invest in and develop our fresh supply chain.”

A ceremony will take place today to celebrate this milestone in the path toward a better, fresher and more sustainable future for Woolworths.