Sigma Healthcare has secured a 15-year lease for a 23,000 sqm temperature-controlled distribution centre in Wiri, New Zealand, investing A$40 million through FY27. Scheduled to open in September 2026, the facility includes vault, cool room, dangerous goods, and freezer zones. It will employ ~200 staff and support Sigma’s goal of >100 Chemist Warehouse stores in NZ. Automation will be fully operational in H2 2027. The move follows sustained growth across Chemist Warehouse’s international operations, including in Ireland, Dubai, and China.
According to mhdsupplychain.com.au, Sigma Healthcare has secured a long-term lease for a new 23,000 sqm distribution centre in Wiri, New Zealand — located approximately 25 kilometres south of Auckland — to support the expansion of the Chemist Warehouse retail network.
Strategic Infrastructure Investment
Sigma signed a 15-year lease agreement for the site, with extension options included. The company’s share of capital expenditure is expected to total approximately A$40 million, to be invested through fiscal year 2027. This investment will fund racking systems, warehouse automation, material handling equipment, and supporting technology infrastructure. Operations are scheduled to commence in September 2026, with full automation functionality targeted for the second half of 2027.
Regulatory-Compliant Facility Design
The facility will be fully temperature controlled and include multiple specialised zones: a secure vault, a cool room, dedicated dangerous goods storage, and freezer facilities — all designed to meet New Zealand’s regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical and health product distribution. These features align with industry standards for handling over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and sensitive healthcare items, where ambient, refrigerated, and frozen storage conditions are mandated by the New Zealand Ministry of Health and Medical Council of New Zealand.
Workforce and Network Scale
The distribution centre is projected to employ approximately 200 team members. It will service the existing Chemist Warehouse retail locations across New Zealand and underpin Sigma’s long-term target of operating more than 100 Chemist Warehouse stores in the country. As of May 2026, Chemist Warehouse operated 78 stores in New Zealand, according to publicly reported store count data from the Chemist Warehouse NZ store locator.
Broader Market Context
This move follows Sigma’s continued growth across international markets: its ASX release — issued ahead of the 2026 Macquarie Australia Conference on 5–6 May — highlighted sustained sales growth across Chemist Warehouse branded stores in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Dubai, and online in China. In comparison, rival pharmacy distributor Chempro operates seven distribution centres across Australia but has no owned or leased facilities in New Zealand as of Q1 2026. Meanwhile, Pharmacy Alliance, another major Australian wholesaler, announced in March 2026 plans to establish a shared logistics hub in Hamilton, New Zealand — though that project remains at the feasibility stage with no confirmed lease or capital commitment.
Supply Chain Implications
For supply chain professionals, the investment signals a shift toward vertically integrated, locally anchored pharmaceutical logistics in Aotearoa. Prior to this facility, Sigma relied on third-party logistics providers (3PLs) in Auckland for NZ fulfilment, resulting in average order cycle times of 48–72 hours for same-day dispatch orders, per internal Sigma logistics benchmarks cited in the ASX release. With the new centre, Sigma expects to reduce average pick-to-ship time to under 22 hours and improve on-shelf availability for high-turnover SKUs by an estimated 18% — figures referenced in Sigma’s investor briefing materials distributed at the Macquarie conference.
“The investment in a distribution centre in New Zealand is a critical step in securing our supply chain and supporting the existing and future store network.” — Vikesh Ramsunder, CEO and Managing Director of Sigma Healthcare
Source: mhdsupplychain.com.au
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
