Southern Co-op has opened a new store in Basingstoke, which is powered entirely by renewable energy.
Based in the new Merton Rise estate, the store’s eco-friendly offerings include new EcoBlade technology developed by motor racing engineers in its fridges to improve refrigeration efficiency and reduce cold air being lost into the aisles.
The store also boasts LED lighting throughout and electronic shelf edge labels which will reduce paper wastage by replacing traditional paper-based shelf edge pricing and promotion labels, in favour of digital screen technology.
It does not stop there. There will be a soft plastics recycling bin in store and the single use carrier bags will be compostable. Bags for life, which were fast becoming the new single-use carrier, will also be replaced by longer lasting fold away bags and large shoppers.
“Within Southern Co-op there is a huge drive towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions from our business by 2030 so I’m pleased to showcase the part our store is playing in achieving these goals,” Store Manager Andy Thompson said.
Photo: Southern Co-op
Thompson added that the store will be announcing a local funding partner shortly and also install a a food bank collection point as part of its efforts to support the surrounding community.
“There is a particularly exciting project in the planning which we will be supporting shortly to help reduce local food waste. We can’t wait to tell people more as well as welcoming new faces through our doors,” he said.
The store, which opened last week in Wallingford Road, Basingstoke, has also created 16 new jobs in the local community. It will be open from 7am to 10pm daily and will include Amazon lockers and an ATM.
Products on offer include COOK ready meals, a selection of 100% plant-based GRO meals and snacks, hot food to takeaway, Dunkin Donuts, coffee to go, Rollover hot dogs and Slush machines.
