Sainsbury’s has announced the opening of a new flagship supermarket – in Hook, Hampshire – which is projected to use only half the energy of a similarly sized Sainsbury’s store and 25% less electricity than its other most energy-efficient supermarkets.
The British retail chain added that the new store combines innovations in construction and engineering throughout its 25,000-square-foot design.
Sainsbury’s has vowed to replicate and build on everything that works well in the Hook premises in the new supermarkets that it constructs, as well as retrofitting its existing estate with new technology, where possible.
A New Trial
The store is also part of a new trial that uses doors on chilled cabinets, keeping cold air in and reducing energy demands by up to 60%.
Further energy savings have been driven by adding doors to frozen-food display cabinets, which work in the same way.
Sainsbury’s has installed LED lighting throughout the store and sensors on the shop floor, to allow it to adapt in response to the level of natural light, preventing energy waste.
Sainsbury’s currently operates with 100% renewable electricity, and by the end of 2023, the retailer projects that up to 40% of its electricity will come from wind and solar power.
The improvements in the store’s energy-efficient design are part of Sainsbury’s wider commitment to becoming net zero in its own operations by 2035.
Patrick Dunne, property director, said, “Sainsbury’s Hook is the culmination of many years of innovation, hard work, and progress towards a more sustainable future for our business.”
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
