Christchurch to get country's second dedicated online supermarket

Tuesday, 21 January 2020

Countdown digital general manager digital Sally Copland, says The fulfilment centres, also known as 'dark stores' or 'shadow warehouses', are aimed at improving online shopping services and freeing-up space in supermarkets.

Countdown will open its second dedicated online supermarket in Christchurch.

The announcement comes two months after Countdown announced it would build a similar store in Penrose, Auckland.

The online shopping fulfilment centres will look similar to a normal supermarket inside, but without customers and checkout stations. They will eventually become automated.

Countdown digital general manager Sally Copland said the Christchurch online store would be attached to the back of its Moorhouse supermarket.

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The fulfilment centres, also known as 'dark stores' or 'shadow warehouses', are aimed at improving online shopping services and freeing-up space in supermarkets.

The Christchurch centre would centralise the online shopping sales from Countdown's other supermarkets in the city, including Eastgate, Colombo Street, Hornby, Ferrymead, Church Corner, plus the volume that Moorhouse, Copeland said.

Each of the stores would continue to fulfil their customers' online pick-up orders.

Both fulfilment centres were expected to be up and running later this year, with Penrose to open first.

Copland said the centres were expected to create additional jobs, but how many was not yet known.

More centres could be added in the the future, depending on customer demand, she said.