Factbox: Dim the lights: Europe's retailers scramble to cut energy use
25/11/2022 11:38
Nov 25 (Reuters) - Shutting early, switching off the
lights and lowering temperatures are among the measures being
taken by Europe's retailers and shopping malls to try and cut
energy use and contain a crisis stemming from Russia's invasion
of Ukraine.
The bloc is struggling to contain natural gas prices after
Russia slashed supplies.
Below is a summary of these efforts:
LIGHTING & DEVICES:
Some supermarkets, such as Belgian grocer Colruyt COLR.BR ,
France’s Carrefour CARR.PA , Leclerc and Auchan and three
branches of Commercianti Indipendenti Associati, part of Italian
chain Conad, have dimmed lights.
Shopping mall operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield URW.AS
and Italy's Coop Alleanza 3.0 lowered lighting by 30% during
opening hours.
France's Casino CASP.PA started switching off lights after
hours in stores of its brands Franprix, Casino and Cdiscount
from October, a measure Coop Switzerland's supermarkets and
brands are also implementing on a voluntary basis.
Luxury companies including LVMH LVMH.PA , Ermenegildo Zegna
ZGN.N and Italian fashion house Valentino have started
switching off lights in shops earlier at night, while French
luxury brand Kering PRTP.PA has switched off lights in
unoccupied areas.
Leclerc, French consumer electronics retailer FNAC Darty
FNAC.PA , Coop Alleanza 3.0 and shopping mall owner Klepierre
LOIM.PA , are turning off outdoor illuminated signs after
closing, while the Austrian branch of multinational retail chain
SPAR Group and French telecoms group Iliad reduced the hours of
outdoor lighting.
The French group also cut the time that advertising screens
and shop displays are switched on. Similarly, sportswear maker
Adidas ADSGn.DE has reduced the operation time of LED screens,
while fashion group OTB since the spring has turned off
window-display lighting at night, and has installed sensors to
turn lights on and off in staff rooms.
Spanish discount supermarket chain DIA DIDA.MC will
automate systems that were previously manual in around 1,000
stores in Spain, 30% of its shops in the country, by adjusting
lighting schedules according to sunlight.
In Germany, privately-held MediaMarktSaturn Group restricted
the operation of TV sets on sales floors. Stores can
additionally switch off escalators and reduce lighting levels.
Many companies, including British retailer Marks & Spencer
MKS.L and Germany's Schwarz group, owner of discount
supermarket Lidl and supermarket chain Kaufland, have also
converted lights to more efficient LEDs.
HEATING:
Many retailers across the food and fashion industry have
reduced heating at their sites by 1-2 degrees Celsius
(33.8°F-35.6°F).
French consumer electronics retailer FNAC Darty expects to
save an estimated 1.4 Gigawatt (GWh) this winter by lowering
temperatures by two degrees in its stores and offices.
Klepierre LOIM.PA , which owns more than a hundred malls
across Europe, said it will turn on heating and air conditioning
systems one hour after opening and shut them off one hour before
closing.
Peer Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said it additionally shut air
curtains - artificially created streams of moving air - while
OTB, which owns brands such as Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison
Margiela, Marni and Viktor&Rolf, limited their use at shop
entrances to reduce heat dispersion.
OPENING HOURS:
Although Aldi Nord ALDIEI.UL planned to shorten opening
hours at numerous branches from November, Leclerc may consider
doing so in an emergency and MediaMarktSaturn Group said its
stores across Germany can implement the measure on a voluntary
basis.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS:
Swedish fashion retailer KappAhl said Christmas decorations
in its stores would be stripped down this year, favouring
graphics and props it can use again, over lights or gadgets with
high-energy consumption.
Coop Switzerland's stores can limit Christmas lighting to
indoors on a voluntary basis, the group said, while the three
branches of Commercianti Indipendenti Associati said they would
cancel festive lights.
FRIDGES/OVENS:
Some retailers, such as Auchan, Marks & Spencer MKS.L and
Schwarz group, were looking at cutting the energy consumption of
its refrigerators by adjusting temperatures or putting doors on
some chillers to avoid cold loss.
Auchan also said it would halve the use of ovens for its
in-store bakeries and catering in an emergency.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Energy crisis dims festive sparkle in Europe's shops
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N326AW6
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Compiled by Elena Vardon, Linda Pasquini, Alessandro Parodi,
Matteo Allievi and Diana Mandiá; editing by Josephine Mason and
Louise Heavens)
((gdansk.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ; +48 587 696 600))