From forest to floor: the story behind Woolies' locally sourced wood fittings

TimesLIVE

6 days ago

Woolworths' commitment to sustainability extends far beyond the high-quality food and apparel on its shop floor shelves. It is deeply ingrained in the very materials and architectural principles used in the design and construction in its stores.
As part of its Good Business Journey, Woolies has embedded a philosophy of environmental stewardship and local empowerment into its shopfitting strategy, transforming not only spaces but also lives and landscapes in SA.
In 2016, the company made the decision to start sourcing wood locally for some of its in-store fittings. This decision was driven by two core principles: job creation and ensuring that the country's indigenous forests are protected and given an opportunity to thrive. Woolworths partnered with local timber merchants Rare Woods and premium wood manufacturers Crazy Crates, and made a deliberate decision to move away from imported materials where possible, instead focusing on what SA has to offer.
Central to this transformation has been the use of the invasive Australian blackwood, which has taken root in the country's forests over the past century. Originally planted by early woodcutters as a replacement for the indigenous trees that they had felled, Australian blackwood has now infiltrated forests across SA, including those managed by Geo Parkes & Sons in the Southern Cape, one of SA's oldest and most respected timber companies.
Geo Parkes & Sons, a fourth-generation, family-owned business based in Knysna, is a cornerstone in this sustainable supply chain. With a heritage and experience spanning over 130 years, the company manages about 3,500 hectares of indigenous forest and 1,900 hectares of pine plantations in the Southern Cape.
Their approach lies in striking a delicate balance between harvesting timber responsibly and indigenous forest conservation — ensuring that the Knysna native forest ecosystem remains vibrant and intact for generations to come.
To date, Woolworths has sourced an estimated 600m 3 of Australian blackwood, equivalent to about 850 trees, through its local supply chain. The wood is used across multiple display areas in its Food and WCellar stores, including fridges, dairy and bakery and queuing aisles. The company is particularly pleased that these orders have enabled Geo Parkes & Sons to create a dedicated blackwood harvesting team, further supporting employment in the region.
The harvesting process is tightly managed. Trees are selected carefully based on strict ecological criteria and are felled when required. High-quality timber is milled and dried locally, while lower-quality trees are left in place to support the natural ecosystem. Geo Parkes & Sons' sawmill waste doesn't go to landfill, but is instead repurposed. Wood offcuts are donated to a local black women-owned business that packages and sells it as firewood, employing unskilled workers in the process. Compost is also made from the sawmill's wood shavings, demonstrating a closed-loop system that benefits both people and planet.
From the Geo Parkes & Sons forests in Knysna, the timber is transported to timber merchants Rare Woods in Cape Town for additional planing and storage until Crazy Crates is ready to transform the wood into shopfittings for Woolies.
The collaboration between Woolworths, Rare Woods, Crazy Crates, and Geo Parkes & Sons is more than just a supply chain; it's a story of regeneration and purpose
Based in Durbanville, Cape Town, Crazy Crates is a proudly family-run business that has been supplying Woolworths with wooden retail display equipment for over 20 years. With a team of 46 employees, most of whom are women from the local community, the business not only supports livelihoods, but also provides valuable wood manufacturing skills.
Crazy Crates operates under a strict 'zero waste to landfill' philosophy. All offcuts and wood shavings are repurposed and donated for use as mulch or firewood, ensuring that no resource goes to waste. This commitment to sustainability, community upliftment, and craftsmanship has made Crazy Crates a respected name in local manufacturing.
This collaboration between Woolworths, Rare Woods, Crazy Crates, and Geo Parkes & Sons is more than just a supply chain; it's a story of regeneration and purpose. It's about removing invasive species, restoring balance to delicate ecosystems, creating jobs, empowering entrepreneurs, and giving customers an elevated shopping experience rooted in sustainability.