Convenience sector could save £1.6 million with sustainable energy options

An ongoing project by Suntory Beverage & Food (SBF) GB&I has shown that convenience stores in the UK can save to the tune of £1.6 million if they implement just four sustainability-focused changes to their stores.

The project, which is being run in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, made these changes at Amit Patel’s 900 sq ft store in Derbyshire.

The team has replaced his old 800W oil-filled radiator behind the counter, installed a new door-closing mechanism for his front door, and updated the screen he uses to monitor and display CCTV footage. Following this, new lighting was installed throughout the store, replacing the ten-year old 30W tube lights with energy efficient LED panels.

An analysis of the impact of the first set of changes has shown that this could help Amit save more than £345 per year in energy costs. If the UK’s 46,388 convenience stores replicated these measures, the total savings across the channel could be up to £16M per year.

“We know that if this model were to be followed by other retailers, not only could the channel save an astonishing amount of money, but the impact on the UK’s CO₂ emissions would be significant. It’s great that we’ve had such an impact,” Andrew Tod, insight and analytics manager at Energy Saving Trust, commented.

Jemma Healy, category controller at SBF GB&I, added that the changes are just the first steps in their project at the Premier Town Street store in Sandiacre.

“We aim to show how easy and affordable it can be for convenience retailers to make changes – both large and small – that have a genuine impact on their store’s energy use,” she said.

For Amit, the change has been good for business, not only by saving money on the overheads, as the changes transformed the store into a more welcoming and inviting place for his local shoppers to visit.

“It’s an amazing start to the project, and I’m over the moon with the impact so far,” he said. “My customers have said they love the way the store looks already, and they love it when I tell them that not only does it make the shop look better, it helps the planet as well.”