Hello Everyone,
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 Heart of Malaysia’s
Cold Chain
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.
The Fight Against Food
Waste
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.
