Canterbury has welcomed the country’s first newly built Woolworths with the opening of Woolworths Waimakariri Junction.
The 3,600 sqm supermarket was officially opened this morning by Hon Matt Doocey, MP for Waimakariri. Woolworths Waimakariri Junction has created around 84 jobs and is a $20 million investment by Woolworths New Zealand and developer Investore Property. It has been designed and built to achieve a five-star Green Star accreditation for sustainability.
Woolworths New Zealand’s Director of Property, Matt Grainger, said that Woolworths Waimakariri Junction represents the shopping experience the supermarket wants every customer to have.
“As we transform and become Woolworths New Zealand, we’re investing in our store network across Aotearoa better to meet the needs of our customers and team. Opening state-of-the-art stores like Woolworths Waimakariri Junction is a key example of that investment,” said Grainger.
When walking through the store, Grainger wants customers to notice how the whole space has been designed to feel modern and inviting, with their experience top of minds. For example, small things like having doors on fridges are a win for the environment and make browsing the yoghurt section a much less chilly expedition.
“We’re proud to be a part of the rapidly growing Kaiapoi and wider Waimakariri District community, and we hope that locals enjoy their fresh new grocery experience with us at Woolworths.”
The new supermarket focuses on customer convenience and includes a purpose-built facility with eight dedicated parks for Direct to Boot. This new grocery pickup service means customers can have their groceries loaded directly into their boots rather than getting out of the car to pick them up.
Woolworths Waimakariri Junction is the first Woolworths New Zealand supermarket in Canterbury to feature solar panels. Also, it includes other planet-friendly fixtures such as electronic shelf labels, glass doors on fridges and freezers, and dedicated electric vehicle parks.
The construction process was also focused on lowering environmental impacts, clearly emphasising reducing construction waste to landfills and carefully selecting the materials used in the store.
Woolworths New Zealand is working to achieve a 4 Green Star design, an as-built rating for its new property developments, and a 5 Green Star minimum standard by 2025.
Woolworths Waimakariri Junction is located at 6 Hakarau Road, Kaiapoi, 7691, and is open daily from 7 am - 9 pm.
