Knowledge · Influence · Whole-of-market · Inspiration · Success
Community-owned. Technology-enabled. Grounded in People, Planet, and Profit. We are building the infrastructure for a food system that works for everyone — producers, communities, and the land.
"Food that heals people, restores the planet, and builds prosperity for every Kiwi."
The Problem
New Zealand produces extraordinary food — regenerative, local, world-class — yet most Kiwis access it through a retail system designed to extract value rather than distribute it.
Food prices benchmarked to global export markets, not local incomes. Diet-related disease is a leading driver of health system cost. Regional communities are underserved by centralised distribution models that prioritise urban density.
Packaging waste, inefficient supply chains, and long-distance logistics add carbon at every step. Plastic packaging in the grocery channel is pervasive and largely unaddressed.
Small and regenerative producers cannot access supermarket shelf space without surrendering margin. The terms of trade favour incumbents. Regional producers sell locally — or not at all.
"New Zealand is the best place in the world to disrupt grocery retail — and the right distribution architecture is the key that unlocks it."
The Vision
The K.I.W.I.S. Project has four integrated components — a cooperative model that connects regenerative producers directly to consumers through a distributed physical and digital network.
Community retail hubs combining café, grocery, and local produce. Designed as gathering places that double as distribution endpoints. Co-governed by the communities they serve.
A community-powered food purchasing model. Members pre-commit to buying from local and regenerative producers, enabling producers to plan, reduce waste, and offer better prices. Demand aggregation before production, not after.
A proprietary logistics system that moves beyond the pallet to direct SKU-level control. Standardised, reusable, stackable containers replace outer and inner packaging. Pick and pack time under one minute per order. Zero single-use plastic in the distribution loop.
A community benefit society cooperative structure that distributes ownership and profit back to members — producers, consumers, and community stakeholders alike. Designed to restore prosperity rather than extract it.
Distribution Architecture
We have mapped and classified every physical location into a four-tier distribution architecture. Each tier has a distinct role, partner set, and operational requirement. Together they form a complete supply chain from national bulk intake to last-kilometre community delivery.
Regenerative producers deliver to Wiri (Auckland) or Rolleston (Christchurch). Product enters Gravitree's container system — outer packaging eliminated at point of intake.
Daily trunk routes feed 29 TWG meso candidates. NZ Post depots fill coverage gaps in Gisborne, Nelson, Whanganui, and Ashburton.
Regional meso stores replenish micro hubs via Gravitree vans, NZ Post route piggyback, or autonomous EV in pilot zones.
Customers collect from their nearest dairy, fuel station, or Rad Store — or via home delivery on existing NZ Post last-mile routes.
2 macro DCs (Wiri 42,300m² + Rolleston 50,000m²) · 29 meso DC candidates ≥4,000m² · 72 The Warehouse + 25 Noel Leeming + 24 Warehouse Stationery stores · existing loading docks, refrigeration & staff
Macro & MesoZ Energy (227) · Caltex (164) · Gull (126) · GAS (126) · NPD (109) · Waitomo (102) · 517 manned stations as hub candidates · unmanned sites for automated Gravitree lockers
Micro & Meso1,479 valid NZ locations · avg Google rating 4.27★ · 709 high-trust sites (≥4.0★ with ≥20 reviews) · already staffed, already trusted, already visited · densest community touchpoint network in NZ
Micro12 depots as driver hubs · 97 PostShops · 754 agency partners · 1,943 postboxes · daily nationwide routes · fills exact geographic gaps in the TWG warehouse network · piggyback model dramatically reduces marginal cost
DistributionTriple Bottom Line
Strategic Collaboration
No single organisation owns all the pieces of this puzzle. The K.I.W.I.S. architecture is specifically designed to be a collaborative network — each partner contributes infrastructure, reach, or capability that the others cannot replicate.
The fastest-growing segment in food retail globally, and the one most underserved by existing distribution models in New Zealand.
A data asset that took months to assemble and that no competitor has in this form — structured for direct import into operational planning tools.
NZ Post's existing routes combined with the K.I.W.I.S. node network create the density profile that makes Wayve.ai and similar AV platforms commercially viable in NZ first.
Commerce Commission grocery reform, government interest in regional development, and sustainability mandates all create tailwinds. Being visibly part of the solution positions partners well.
| Capability | Integration Opportunity |
|---|---|
| Demand forecasting | ML ordering integrated with CoShop pre-commitment data to eliminate food waste |
| Route optimisation | Dynamic routing across NZ Post, Gravitree fleet, and future AV pods — shared intelligence layer |
| Inventory management | SKU-level control via Gravitree containers — real-time visibility from macro DC to dairy shelf |
| Autonomous EV | Wayve.ai partnership for progressive AV deployment on NZ Post-mapped routes |
| Locker network | Automated pickup locker deployment at unmanned fuel sites and dairy locations |
| Sustainability tracking | Real-time Triple Bottom Line reporting — carbon, packaging, producer margin per SKU |
First Pilot
Hamilton is proposed as the location for a bounded first pilot — testing the full architecture from macro DC supply through meso break-bulk to micro delivery, with an autonomous vehicle component.
4,397 m² · meso DC candidate · existing loading dock · staffed
5,443 m² · secondary meso candidate · 4 Waikato candidates within 40 km
Gap region coverage for Whanganui corridor · piggyback route opportunity
Strong dairy, horticulture, and meat producers · close proximity to Hamilton
Suitable route density and road profile · Hamilton identified as first AV deployment candidate
"Can we move regenerative food from a regional producer to a corner dairy in Hamilton in under 24 hours at a cost that works for everyone in the chain?"
That is the pilot question. It delivers proof of the full architecture — macro DC supply from Wiri, meso break-bulk at The Warehouse Hamilton Central, micro delivery to 8–12 local dairies and a Rad Store pop-up.
Partnership Landscape
391 combined manned sites · single counterparty · MOU priority
29 meso DC candidates + 2 macro DCs · anchor meso partner · existing loading infrastructure
12 depot driver network · gap region coverage · route piggyback model
1,479 sites · community trust pre-built · Gravitree SKU model essential
Potential NZ exclusivity · Hamilton / Tauranga pilot zones identified
Healthy food development partnership · research collaboration · product innovation pipeline
NZ Post agency sites · rural producer community · meso-capable footprint in Nelson & Hamilton
Community benefit society · profit distributed to members · regional GDP multiplier
We are seeking partners with logistics depth and digital capability to help us activate a 5,875-node distribution network for regenerative food in Aotearoa. The dataset is built. The architecture is mapped. The pilot location is identified.