Tates & Waynes open first Spar eco-store

The Tates & Waynes retail group has opened the doors to a pioneering energy efficient Spar store in Kidderminster.

The West Midlands Spar shop represents the first eco-store across the Tates & Waynes estate, which is made up of 326 Spar stores in England and Wales.

A wide-range of environmental features have been introduced to the store including LED lighting and energy-saving doors fitted to all chillers and hot food cabinets. Electronic timers have also been introduced to refrigerated units to minimise unnecessary energy usage.

The energy saving message will be reinforced across the store via a range of promotional material that will explain the initiatives and the environmental impact that they are having.

It is estimated that the new store will use at least 30 per cent less energy than a standard convenience outlet and will provide a benchmark for all Spar stores in the future.

Spar Marlpool Lane opened on earlier this month on the site of a former pub. The store employs 15 people and is managed by Neil Norton, who has previously managed the company’s Wordsley store.

Group energy manager Ben Rouncefield-Swales said: “A number of the environmental initiatives witnessed at Spar Marlpool Lane have already been piloted across the Waynes estate.

“However, this is the first time that all these have been brought together in one store, as part of a comprehensive energy saving strategy.

He added: “While this is our first eco-store, we also regard it as a learning store and will hope to roll out a number of these environmental initiatives to other stores over the coming months.”