Despar/Aspiag Service has opened its first Interspar superstore in Bologna, located in the San Donato neighbourhood.
The new store has a sales area of 2,500 square metres and is served by 12 traditional check-out tills and four self-checkout tills.
It features an assortment of about 30,000 references - with particular attention to fresh products. Although there are self-service departments, staff are on hand in the gastronomy, fishmongers, butchers and bread departments.
Sustainable Thinking
The new store has a particular focus on sustainability, as the retailer has sought in-store solutions that ensure energy-saving and lower environmental impact.
The building is certified in class A3 for energy consumption; and energy is partly provided by a photovoltaic plant on the roof of the building, which also has a green cover to prevent dispersion or excessive heat buildup at the point of sale. The remaining electricity required for point-of-sale activities is green certified.
All refrigeration systems are CO2 efficient and eco-friendly, and the heat they generate is recovered and used for the production of hot water for sanitary use, thus limiting the use of electricity and avoiding the installation of methane boilers. The lighting is all LED, while the frozen food counters have special covers that avoid heat dispersion. Also, there are 13 charging points for electric vehicles in the outdoor car park.
All the goods from the store that are no longer marketable but still perfectly usable will be donated to three local NGOs, in a community driven initiative.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
