After announcing our further investment in New Zealand earlier this year, we have this week been able to share the exciting news that we have entered into a long-term lease agreement for a new 23,000 square metre distribution centre (DC) in the south of Auckland to service its pharmacy network and strengthen its supply chain.

The new state-of-the-art Distribution Centre, of which Sigma will contribute circa A$40 million, will employ around 200 team members and be capable of distributing around 500,000 units a day across New Zealand. The DC is expected to be fully operational in the second half of the 2027 calendar year.

“This is a major investment and reflects our confidence in the New Zealand market,” said Aaron Ford, Chief Supply Chain Officer. “The distribution centre will include high-level automation providing speed-to-market and will build on Sigma’s strengths and experience with such facilities, ensuring safe, secure and efficient movement of critical medicines and other pharmacy products to all parts of the country.

“We now embark on a recruitment drive to identify and build the team that will underpin the growth of Sigma and Chemist Warehouse’s Logistics operations in New Zealand,” said Aaron.

Azman Haroon, CEO and Managing Director of Chemist Warehouse New Zealand said, “The Chemist Warehouse model has performed strongly in New Zealand since launching in 2017, with further growth ahead as we aim for over 100 stores long term. With the benefits of scale and growth set to continue, this new distribution centre investment is a critical step in securing our supply chain and driving operational efficiencies.

“New Zealanders have embraced the Chemist Warehouse concept and all that it offers in professional service, great prices and incredible range, and we expect that to continue”.

The DC will be temperature controlled and feature a vault, cool room, dangerous goods and freezer facilities to meet regulatory requirements and service the future needs of our NZ network.

Back