Industry: Retail
Project Type: New Racking Design and Installation
Location: Drury, Auckland, New Zealand
Completion Date: Feb-May 2026

   Who Are Briscoe Group

Client Overview

Briscoe Group is one of the largest retailers in New Zealand, operating around 90 stores under the Briscoes Homeware and Rebel Sport brands. The NZX-listed group supplies homeware, kitchenware, furniture, sporting goods and apparel to customers nationwide, and its distribution network sits behind every one of those stores.

In early 2026 the group opened a new National Distribution Centre in Drury, south of Auckland. The 25,000 square metre facility is the largest capital investment in the history of the group, reported at more than $100 million, and it consolidates distribution into a single purpose-built site. The building pairs an automated storage and retrieval system supplied by KNAPP with a large conventional bulk storage zone that feeds it.

Briscoe Group appointed Storepro to design, supply and install the racking and shelving for that bulk storage zone. Storepro delivered the work end to end under its own project management, alongside supply chain consultancy Argon & Co, on a greenfield site that was still under construction. The project sits within the retail distribution work Storepro has delivered across New Zealand for nearly three decades.

Project Challenges

A greenfield distribution centre of this scale compresses several difficult problems into a single programme. Five stood out.

1. Maximising storage capacity within a fixed footprint

The bulk storage zone had to hold a very large volume of stock inside a footprint already set by the building design. Every additional pallet position had to come from vertical height rather than floor area, which pushed the racking to 14 metres and made frame engineering, aisle width and forklift access interdependent decisions.

2. Working on an active construction site

The building was still going up while racking design and staging were underway. Site conditions changed week to week, access routes moved, and design requirements evolved as the build progressed. The racking programme had to flex around all of it without losing its own delivery dates.

3. Delays to the principal building structure

Construction of the principal building structure ran late. Racking had already been manufactured and was arriving on site, which created a genuine risk of stock being delivered to a site that could not receive it.

4. Consent and compliance at 14 metres

Racking at 14 metres carries a full building consent obligation and must meet AS/NZS 4084, the Australian and New Zealand standard for steel storage racking. The consent package required engineering documentation, layout drawings and council sign-off. Any delay there would have stopped installation regardless of how ready the site was.

5. Integration with warehouse systems from day one

The racking had to be fully mapped in the warehouse management system and correctly labelled before the first pallet went in. Retrofitting location mapping after go-live would have slowed the ramp-up of the entire facility.

How Storepro overcame the challenges

Storepro acted as a single point of accountability across design, consent, logistics and installation. The team engineered the racking to reach 14 metres within the available footprint, carried the council consent process from documentation through to approval, and used its own logistics network to hold and stage incoming product when the building ran late. On site, Storepro coordinated directly with sprinkler contractors and other trades to protect sequencing, and worked with the warehouse management system and barcode labelling providers so the racking was live and mapped at handover.

    OUR SOLUTION

The Storepro Solution

Storepro designed a bulk storage system built around vertical capacity, safe operation and readiness for automation.

High-bay pallet racking at 14 metres. Storepro engineered and installed pallet racking throughout the bulk storage zone at 14 metres, reaching storage capacity of more than 16,000 pallet positions across 3,400mm aisles. Aisle width was set to balance density against safe forklift movement at height.

Integrated part-picking shelving. Specialised shelving configurations were built in alongside the pallet racking to support part-picking workflows, so full-pallet and split-case activity operate in the same footprint without competing for space.

Impact protection throughout. Heavy-duty frame end and post protectors were installed across the racking system. At 14 metres a single unaddressed forklift strike carries far greater consequences, so protection was designed in rather than added later.

Consent and systems integration managed in-house. Storepro prepared and submitted the full council building consent package to AS/NZS 4084, and coordinated directly with the warehouse management system and barcode labelling providers so the racking was mapped and operational at go-live.

    SOLUTION & OUTCOME

Work Carried Out

Storepro delivered the full scope from design through to compliant handover, installing in agreed stages that matched the construction sequence. Installation ran from February to May 2026.

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  1. Design and engineering. Storepro engineered a 14-metre racking layout sized to the available footprint, setting bay configuration, beam levels and 3,400mm aisle widths to reach more than 16,000 pallet positions while maintaining safe forklift access at height. Layouts were revised as construction conditions and client requirements developed. The warehouse design work ran in parallel with the build rather than after it.
  2. Building consent management. Storepro managed the full council building consent process, preparing and submitting all required documentation to AS/NZS 4084. Handling compliance in-house removed a common source of delay and kept approval aligned with the installation programme.
  3. Logistics staging during construction delays. When the principal building structure ran late, Storepro used its logistics network to hold and stage incoming product until the site was ready to receive it. This avoided supply chain disruption and protected the wider programme.
  4. Staged installation and trade coordination. Installation ran in agreed stages across an active site over roughly 13 weeks. Storepro coordinated directly with sprinkler contractors and other trades to maintain sequencing and avoid access conflicts, with project management handled by Storepro throughout.
  5. Systems integration and handover. Storepro worked with the warehouse management system and barcode labelling providers so every location was mapped and labelled correctly. The racking was fully operational from day one, and handover was completed with compliant documentation in line with the project programme.

The Outcome

Storepro delivered a compliant, high-density bulk storage system on schedule inside one of the most complex retail construction programmes in New Zealand.

  • More than 16,000 pallet positions were achieved within the available footprint, using 14-metre racking to convert height into capacity rather than expanding floor area.
  • Delivery stayed on schedule, completing in May 2026 despite delays to the principal building structure, because Storepro held and staged product until the site was ready.
  • Consent was secured and racking certified to AS/NZS 4084, with compliant documentation handed over in line with the project programme.
  • The racking was operational from day one, fully labelled and fully mapped in the warehouse management system and correctly labelled before the first pallet arrived.
  • Asset life is protected by heavy-duty frame end and post protectors installed throughout the bulk storage zone.
  • Installation caused no trade conflicts, with sequencing coordinated directly alongside sprinkler contractors and other on-site trades.

Briscoe Group now operates a bulk storage system that supports the automation at the heart of its new distribution centre, built to New Zealand compliance requirements and sized for the next phase of growth.

We selected Storepro for our project based on their strong local and in-house expertise, quality product offering, competitive pricing, and proactive engagement throughout the design process. Storepro delivered the racking on schedule, and the project was completed in agreed stages, with clear communication throughout, resulting in the successful handover of compliant racking in line with the project programme.

 

Darren Porteous
General Manager Supply Chain, Briscoe Group

    STORAGE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

Why choose Storepro?

Tens of thousands of customers can’t be wrong. As the largest 100% NZ owned and operated business in our industry, at Storepro we bring a deep understanding of your warehousing needs, wants and goals.

We design, engineer and build all of our solutions right here in NZ. But we don’t just build warehouse racking – we build relationships too. We listen to your needs, develop bespoke solutions, and support you all the way.

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