What is it all about
Sustainability in layman language means using only environmental friendly raw materials and design elements for the structuring of a retail store. Well it goes beyond that. Linda Cahan, Retail Design Consultant, Visual Merchandising, Cahan & Company of Oregon states, “A sustainable store is one that commits to building their store using sustainable materials, maintaining their store using recyclable materials, doing everything in their power on a daily basis to conserve energy - including using LED lighting and skylights when possible. Lastly, sourcing and buying their merchandise for re-sale as locally as possible to cut down on transportation costs - both financial and environmental.”
Graeme Heyes, Academic Research Associate, CATE, Manchester Metropolitan University explains, “The question for retailers is, how can they achieve the growth and profitability that can deliver benefits, in a way that is of least impact to the environment? Thus, a truly sustainable store must have environmental responsibility rooted at the very centre of its core business objectives. This is not to say that it should seek environmental wins ahead of profit, but it should be in a position not to simply ask ‘how much money have we made’, but also ‘how have we made this money’. By putting sustainability at the centre of its operations a company can embed environmental initiatives at all stages of operations from its supply chain, to its waste disposal, to its in-store design and the way it approaches its customers. Beyond these quick wins forward thinking organisations may also start to think about issues that link directly to consumerism. For example by providing goods that will last rather than offering goods that will be disposed of in a short period of time.”
Why the need?
The world over, brands are now becoming more accountable for their environmental responsibilities with the trend being on an upswing. For taking up sustainability a brand may have varied reasons. Heyes tells, “Sustainability opens the doors to new avenues for competitive advantage. As individuals become more environmentally aware, they will seek out behaviours that are aligned to their values. By offering products that fit within such values, an organisation can attract customers away from the competition. By making their sustainable initiatives clear to see, an organisation can let its customer base know that it cares about the environment and is that it is trying to do the right thing. Such an approach is likely to attract both hardened environmentalists, and those who may be unaware of the wider environmental risks posed by climate change, but who gain a ‘warm glow’ feeling from doing what they perceive to be the right thing to do.”
| Sustainability @ Bharti Walmart A few initiatives which have been undertaken by Best Price T5 lamps are utilised for lighting in sales areas and CFLs in administration areas LED lighting is used in parking areas and frozen rooms Daylight harvesting to substantially reduce the electrical consumption in the store during daylight hours. CFC Free Refrigerant (R 404a), used in Refrigeration System, does not deplete ozone layer and thus making the system environmental friendly. Energy efficient compressor system, using two stage compressor systems, reduces energy consumption. Automated cold room lights Using paints with low Volatile Organic Compound values Water cooled chillers for air conditioning Insulated glass with frost free lamination is used to reduce thermal loss Marks & Spencer’s sustainability initiative Marks & Spencer (M&S) opened its first high street sustainable learning store in India in Delhi – as part of M&S’ drive to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. Trading over three floors, the new 20,000 sq ft store hosts a range of sustainable construction and design features to reduce energy usage and waste. The store is one of only a few retail outlets in India to apply for a Gold LEED rating – which recognises sustainable buildings, on: Heat transmitting glass helping to maintain in-store temperatures and cut UV ray penetration by 90%; Solar reflective tiles that keep the store cool; Use of Energy Star certified equipment; Energy meters to monitor the store’s energy performance; Rain water harvesting; Dedicated recycling bins The use of rapidly renewable raw materials, such as engineered wood; Excellent public transport links & reserved parking space for car pools Adidas Group One key finding of the store audits was that 30-50% of the overall energy consumption of their stores came from lighting concept on the sales floor, so developing a more energy efficient lighting plan was a priority. The new lighting concept for Core Stores was launched in 2010 with the updated Core Store concept and will reduce the energy used through lighting by 20-50% depending on the size of the store. This will save up to 25% of overall energy consumption. And using a more energy efficient lighting plan also results in reduced heat and so saves on the energy used for cooling. As a pilot project for this new lighting concept they have chosen the Palladium Core Store in Prague, Czech Republic. The investment costs for the new lighting concept were already even lower than the previous lighting plan so it proved to be a winning concept from every perspective. As a result, the new lighting concept will be rolled out to all new Core Stores. Through ongoing value engineering over the last year they have had some changes in several fixtures and fittings of different concepts for Adidas Sports Performance and Originals. These changes also had a positive effect on the environmental performance of their fixture concepts as they helped us to reduce the weight of materials used. Environmental aspects have now been included into the development and value engineering phase of store concepts which should lead to savings in the future. |
| Sustainability @ Bharti Walmart A few initiatives which have been undertaken by Best Price T5 lamps are utilised for lighting in sales areas and CFLs in administration areas LED lighting is used in parking areas and frozen rooms Daylight harvesting to substantially reduce the electrical consumption in the store during daylight hours. CFC Free Refrigerant (R 404a), used in Refrigeration System, does not deplete ozone layer and thus making the system environmental friendly. Energy efficient compressor system, using two stage compressor systems, reduces energy consumption. Automated cold room lights Using paints with low Volatile Organic Compound values Water cooled chillers for air conditioning Insulated glass with frost free lamination is used to reduce thermal loss Marks & Spencer’s sustainability initiative Marks & Spencer (M&S) opened its first high street sustainable learning store in India in Delhi – as part of M&S’ drive to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. Trading over three floors, the new 20,000 sq ft store hosts a range of sustainable construction and design features to reduce energy usage and waste. The store is one of only a few retail outlets in India to apply for a Gold LEED rating – which recognises sustainable buildings, on: Heat transmitting glass helping to maintain in-store temperatures and cut UV ray penetration by 90%; Solar reflective tiles that keep the store cool; Use of Energy Star certified equipment; Energy meters to monitor the store’s energy performance; Rain water harvesting; Dedicated recycling bins The use of rapidly renewable raw materials, such as engineered wood; Excellent public transport links & reserved parking space for car pools Adidas Group One key finding of the store audits was that 30-50% of the overall energy consumption of their stores came from lighting concept on the sales floor, so developing a more energy efficient lighting plan was a priority. The new lighting concept for Core Stores was launched in 2010 with the updated Core Store concept and will reduce the energy used through lighting by 20-50% depending on the size of the store. This will save up to 25% of overall energy consumption. And using a more energy efficient lighting plan also results in reduced heat and so saves on the energy used for cooling. As a pilot project for this new lighting concept they have chosen the Palladium Core Store in Prague, Czech Republic. The investment costs for the new lighting concept were already even lower than the previous lighting plan so it proved to be a winning concept from every perspective. As a result, the new lighting concept will be rolled out to all new Core Stores. Through ongoing value engineering over the last year they have had some changes in several fixtures and fittings of different concepts for Adidas Sports Performance and Originals. These changes also had a positive effect on the environmental performance of their fixture concepts as they helped us to reduce the weight of materials used. Environmental aspects have now been included into the development and value engineering phase of store concepts which should lead to savings in the future. |
Globally, brands are not just individually working towards a change but have also come together to make a difference. Adidas Group, C&A, H&M, Li Ning, NIKE, Inc. and Puma nnounced the release of a joint roadmap towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC) in the supply chain by 2020. Franz Koch, CEO, Puma says, “Establishing a sustainable PUMA store underlines our commitment to reduce CO2 emissions, energy, water and waste in Puma offices, stores, warehouses and direct supplier factories by 2015.”
Indian context
Marks & Spencer, Puma and Bharti Walmart are a few retailers who have been working around sustainability very well in India. They have initiatives at the store level as well as at the back end. While Puma and M&S have opened sustainable stores, Bharti Walmart also carries out waste management creates greener products and has in place a direct farm program. Rajiv Mehta, Managing Director, PUMA South Asia says, “The building is a true design marvel, and incorporates a host of innovative features to make it a one-of-a-kind store.”
Cost: A Concern
Pricing is what it zeroes down to when we talk of setting up a sustainable store. The money involved in the raw materials and other materials for a sustainable store is higher than that of a regular store. Cahan tells, “A sustainable store may cost up to 15 or 20 per cent more than a non-sustainable store.” So as a part of this initiative, a brand may not work towards opening all sustainable stores and limit it to just a small percentage.
| Puma’s first sustainable retail space Puma opened its first sustainable store in Bangalore early this year. The store is locally developed, sourced out of India, and incorporates a number of revolutionary design elements to ensure that it meets the highest criteria for sustainability. Conceived by Puma India in collaboration with the Puma EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa) Regional Office, the store is spread over a total of 5000 sq. ft and incorporates the elements of sustainability through innovative design, mechanical and electrical installations, and material selections. The closed and open surface layout of the building is designed for optimal daylight usage (so less artificial light is used) and heat insulation, and the recessed first and second floor volume generates a stack-effect for natural cooling. The highly insulated building shell, Earth Air Tunnel for pre-cooling of the fresh air supply and roof extractors optimise the stack-effect, thus allowing for AC free cooling. The store ensures customer comfort with no extra energy consumption. Solar PV cells have also been installed at the store, which provide 10,384 kwh units of energy a year to help power the store’s energy requirements. The store will retail a range of merchandise made from organic (pesticide-free) cotton as well as Puma’s Wilderness Collection – a range primarily sourced and produced in Africa using environmentally sustainable materials and certified by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF). The Sustainable store also introduces Puma’s global ‘Bring Me Back I:CO Program’ – an in-store recycling program for footwear, apparel and soft accessories. Timberland Case Study by Dalziel and Pow When Timberland approached us in 2010, with a brief to create an environment that communicated their authenticity, heritage, environmental and technical credentials, we understood that it was essential to respond to these key brand values with the right materials. Taking reference from their New England craftsmanship heritage, their requirement to create a visceral connection with the outdoors and their Earthkeepers range of products constructed from recycled and renewable materials, our material strategy was at the heart of the concept. Natural materials engineered A core palette of natural materials – timber, metal, stone and leather – established the emotional bond and to this we added an element of craft in the way they were applied, to reflect the technical aspect of the brand. Sustainability As awareness grows of issues like climate change, more people are looking for brands that share their values concerning environmental issues. We understood that Timberland has always had an unwavering dedication to protecting the environment. Their Earthkeepers range of products is at the heart of the business: boots made with recycled rubber in the outsoles and recycled soda bottles in the linings. Materials used in the build were researched and chosen to meet environmental accreditations: timber was FSC certified to ensure it was sourced only from renewable forests; ceramic floor finishes were LEED accredited; leather for upholstering furniture was from Timberland’s own silver-rated tannery. The result is an authentic environment built solidly on Timberland’s brand values. The concept was launched in Westfield Stratford City in late 2011 and was awarded a Grand Prize at the ARE Design Awards that year. Further openings followed in Asia and Europe. |
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