After a 17-month build, Kmart's facilities officially opened in early September 2023, hosting 400 guests including Heeni Katipa who represented her brother Kiingi Tuheitia and then Minister of Finance Grant Robertson.
Kmart's National Project Manager Matt Booth saw the project as a "bold undertaking" from the outset. This included implementing a brand new workforce, new automation technology and new location occurring in the middle of peak supply chain operations for the Christmas period. Added to this was the logistics of transitioning their North Island operations from their previous centre in Wiri to the Ruakura Superhub.
"While new projects often present with new challenges, the brand new facilities at the Ruakura Superhub meant that our team didn’t have to compromise on productivity, allowing them to simultaneously deliver products to stores whilst also transitioning out of their old site," says Booth.
Over 100 employees were on the ground to keep boxes moving to Kmart’s popular stores throughout the North Island from operating day one in late September - with not a missed delivery for customers over the entire three-to-four-month lead period into Christmas.
"It was a partnership of success for Kmart and TGH to maintain smooth operations the way we did, and a true testament to the hard work and planning that went into Kmart operations before and after opening. Despite being a big and bold undertaking, we had exceptional results, and the Kmart team are now fully operational and settling in well."