Italian supermarket chain Esselunga has announced that more than 70% of its stores have switched to electricity from renewable resources.
This will help the retailer to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 113 million tonnes in 2022 – the equivalent of emissions absorbed by approximately four million trees in a year.
The company started purchasing electricity from renewable resources at the beginning of last year.
In September, the supermarket chain reported €4.33 billion in sales in the first half of its financial year – up by 6.7%, year on year.
EBITDA grew by 9.9%, amounting to €427.1 million, and EBIT went up by 5.6%, to €241.8 million, positively affected by the closing of the five-year Fìdaty loyalty programme.
Energy Efficiency
One of the pillars of Esselunga’s sustainability strategy focuses on the management of the environmental impact of its operations.
Over the years, the company has implemented numerous projects aimed at achieving energy efficiency.
These include the installation of LED lighting in 72% of its stores and 65 photovoltaic systems, generating 8,600 kWp of power in total.
The company has also installed two trigeneration systems at its facilities in Parma and Biandrate.
Esselunga has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability at a time when energy efficiency and the transition to renewable sources are considered fundamental elements in the strategies of every company.
Retailers Esselunga and Aldi are among the retailers scoring highest for consumer satisfaction in Italy, according to a survey by Italian consumer association Altroconsumo, which polled more than 9,700 people in June 2021.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
