Malaysia’s Largest Supermarket and Hypermarket Operator, GCH
Retail (M) Sdn Bhd, is raising the standard of Freshness in consumer food expectations with the official opening
of its RM116 million fresh distribution centre here today. GCH Retail operates
GIANT, COLD STORAGE, JASON’S FOOD HALL and MERCATO’S stores, the only one with
presence in every state in the country today.
“For
over 70 years we have been committed to bringing
innovative, value driven, fresh retail experiences to Malaysian consumers
across the country. Today, we take that to a new level. This state of the art
facility represents a part of our
continuing financial commitment, and support at an organisational level to the
idea of Freshness in everything
we do.” said GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn
Bhd Managing Director, Pierre-Olivier Deplanck. “From getting the very best local products from farm to
table; ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness at every point; and
bringing consumers value in every purchase - the new distribution centre is the
Gateway for Freshness for Malaysians.”
The largest fresh produce and packed goods processing, packaging and distribution centre of its kind in Malaysia, the fresh distribution centre is part of GCH Retail’s continuous commitment to ensuring that Malaysian consumers at GIANT, Cold Storage, Jason’s Food Hall, and Mercato’s have only the freshest products with the best value for their Ringgit. It focuses on energy efficient operations, rainwater harvesting, heat recovery technology, integrated and automated processes, temperature-controlled environments, and improved handling and logistics processes to improve how GCH Retail brings Malaysians the freshest food and fresh products in the country.
“We are also excited to be able to create more than 200 jobs directly in
the warehousing and food processing sectors at this facility. This includes
product experts and buyers, quality control professionals and a distribution
team, all with the shared focus of ensuring that we bring the best products
that we can, as fresh as we can, to customers. We also support more job opportunities indirectly through
partnerships with local suppliers, logistics partners and vendors, allowing to
actively enhance the economy of the surrounding areas almost immediately,”
added Deplanck.
Located in Kajang, the facility took
12 months to build and occupies 25,000 square metres of land, with a built-up
area of 10,950 square metres. Dedicated
to products which fall under the fresh category, the facility procures and
distributes items such as fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood to store
locations nationwide. The new
distribution centre is more than three times the size of the current GCH
operation in Balakong, making it the largest and most innovative fresh
distribution centre dedicated to a single retailer in Malaysia.
“I would like to commend GCH Retail
on their commitment to provide the nation greater selections for quality
products whilst still focusing on providing the best value to Malaysians. With
their newest facility, they are narrowing the gap between the field and stores,
reaching more local producers and ensuring the freshness of produce around the
country, all while providing more job opportunities to the local communities, “
said YB. Dato’ Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, Domestic Trade and Consumer
Affairs Minister.
The distribution centre (DC) is the result of GCH Retail’s insight into the process that brings fresh produce from across the country to Malaysians every day. This labour intensive, and time sensitive process includes picking, packing and handling of a large number of fruits, vegetables, and fresh meats - every step influencing the quality of the produce. Temperature controlled facilities ensure that the freshness of produce from over 200 vendors stored at the distribution centre are constantly maintained, while the digitally enabled infrastructure of the centre, ensures round the clock monitoring for optimum efficiency.
“We operate one of the largest real time, daily supply chain operations of fresh
produce in the country. This means we assume the responsibility when it comes
to preserving and enhancing the quality of food that we are offering millions
of Malaysians. This distribution centre is a key part of that solution as
it allows us to monitor, maintain and control the temperature our fresh produce
the moment it arrives at our DC and until it reaches our stores. With improved
distribution conditions and enhanced processes, we hope to offer the nation
even greater quality in freshness, “explained Deplanck.
Being the Gateway for Freshness is more than just about helping consumers eat
better - it’s also about ensuring as
little food as possible is wasted.
One of the biggest national concerns,
food surplus from inefficient supply chains is a challenge for supermarket and
hypermarket operators alike, with 45% of all solid waste in the country being
edible food waste. With up to 3,000 tonnes of food wasted each day, food
surplus is also affecting the country’s economy, amounting into millions of
Ringgit going into landfills and waste disposal charges - while denying
Malaysians in need of much needed food.
“We have been working on solutions to
this problem for several years now as it is something that concerns us deeply.
One of the early approaches we used was to work with The Lost Food Project through our stores in selected location. With
the launch of our newest facility, we are expanding this partnership - which
first began in 2016 exponentially in the hope that it is able to help even more
people while further reducing any wastage of food at our facilities,” said
Deplanck.
GCH Retail has established processes
to control the age, appearance and freshness of its in-store products. When
products are kept beyond this period, they are then shared with The Lost Food Project to be re-distributed to those in need.
These charities include homes for underprivileged children, soup kitchens for
the poor and homeless, as well as those with special needs.
The launch of the fresh distribution
centre (DC) is part of GCH Retail’s on-going commitment to providing
Malaysian’s retail experiences that work for them. This includes reviewing and
renewing the way supermarket and hypermarket shopping experiences are brought
into communities, and how these then support the Malaysians around them.
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