When a supermarket has already suffered a major flood, future protection cannot be treated as an afterthought. At Mount Albert New World in Auckland, Special Solutions Trade supplied two complementary systems: removable FloodSheild Aluminium Barriers for the rear of the property and a modular FloodBloc Wall around the front.
Project location: Mount Albert, Auckland
Systems supplied: FloodShield aluminium barriers and FloodBloc modular barriers
Site support: On-site assessment and practical adjustments
Project timing: October 2024
The flood that changed the site
Mount Albert New World sits at one of the lower points of the surrounding area. During the Auckland Anniversary flooding on 27 January 2023, the supermarket suffered severe water damage and was forced to close.
Foodstuffs reported that the store remained closed for about 20 months before reopening on 8 October 2024 following a $6 million rebuild. The rebuilt store incorporated several flood-resilience measures, including ready-to-deploy barriers and electrical wiring moved from floor level to the ceiling. New World’s original flooding update also recorded the Mount Albert store among those closed after the January 2023 event.
That history made the purpose of this project very real: the barriers were being supplied to help protect a working supermarket that had already experienced the disruption, damage and long recovery that serious flooding can cause.
Two systems for two different parts of the property
Special Solutions Trade was the flood-barrier supplier for the project. We supplied removable Floodsheild Aluminium Barriers for selected openings at the rear of the supermarket, helping protect those access points from floodwater entering the building.
Around the front, we supplied a FloodBloc Wall. The interlocking modular units can be arranged to follow changes in direction, making them useful where a long straight barrier would not suit the site.
Using both systems meant the protection could be matched to the actual layout. The aluminium barriers provided a removable solution across defined openings, while the FloodBloc wall could be configured through the more open and irregular front area.
The job did not finish when the barriers arrived
After the systems were delivered, I travelled to Auckland to inspect the site because several tight spaces, tricky angles and changes in direction needed to be worked through properly.
Rather than trying to resolve those details from photographs alone, I met the team on site, looked at the difficult areas and worked through how the FloodBloc units needed to be arranged. Some sections required practical adjustment so the wall could continue through the more challenging parts of the frontage.
That hands-on support mattered. Commercial sites are rarely a simple, perfectly straight opening. Loading areas, access routes, corners, fixed equipment and daily operations all influence what can be deployed quickly and safely when heavy rain is forecast.
More than supplying a product
This project captures what Special Solutions Trade is about: understanding what the customer needs to protect, matching the system to each part of the site, and being available when the real-world layout calls for practical problem-solving.
For Mount Albert New World, that meant aluminium protection at the rear, a modular FloodBloc wall around the front, and a personal visit to help finish the more complicated sections properly.
Allan McLean
Special Solutions Trade
Planning flood protection for a commercial property?
If you manage a supermarket, warehouse, council facility, marae or other commercial property, contact Special Solutions Trade with the location, photographs and basic site details. We can help compare the barrier options and identify the measurements and site information needed for the next step.
Flood-protection performance depends on site conditions, correct deployment, water conditions and the suitability of the selected system. No temporary flood barrier should be treated as a guarantee that water cannot enter a property.