Co-op Attleborough has opened with a focus on showcasing sustainability features designed to reduce environmental impact and improve energy efficiency, as the retailer continues to test and demonstrate new ideas across its store estate.
The new store in London Road, Attleborough, Norfolk, opened on Friday 18 September, with pupils from nearby Rosecroft Primary School helping the store team cut the ribbon. The pupils also designed sustainability-themed bunting for the launch.
Described as a ‘sustainability showcase store’, Co-op Attleborough has been designed to highlight initiatives that can often go unnoticed behind the scenes, helping members and customers understand the impact of everyday store operations.
Features include motion-activated fridge lights and water-efficient fixtures, while the site will also operate as a ‘test, learn and adopt’ environment for new sustainability technologies and approaches.
Among the services available are coffee pod and soft plastic recycling, giving local residents an opportunity to recycle materials that are not widely accepted through household kerbside collections.
The store also has electric vehicle charging points, allowing customers to charge while they shop, alongside an InPost parcel locker. Co-op says the locker can help reduce last-mile logistics mileage by consolidating multiple deliveries into a single stop and reducing repeat journeys associated with missed deliveries.
Nature-positive features have also been incorporated into the site, including a wildflower meadow and bird-nesting bricks intended to support local biodiversity and species including sparrows and swifts.
Alex Ball, Co-op’s area operations manager, said the retailer was “proud” to launch its latest sustainability showcase location and described the new store as more than a shop, with a role in supporting local life.
The store has created ten local jobs and offers Co-op’s range of fresh and chilled products, alongside an in-store bakery, hot food, Costa Coffee Express and food-to-go options.
Co-op Attleborough is the latest location through which the retailer is looking to demonstrate sustainability measures in practice, with successful technologies and solutions potentially scaled across its wider estate.
In pictures: Co-op Food unveils sustainability concept store
Co-op said it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations by 65% since 2016. It has a longer-term target to reach net zero across its own operations by 2035 and across its value chain by 2040.
With more than 2,300 food stores, Co-op says its sustainability showcase approach forms part of its wider commitment to responsible retailing and its ongoing work to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.
[image credits: Joel Chant @UNP for Co-op]
