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Grocery Retail
The Challenge: Rising Costs and Outdated Lighting
A grocery industry leader serving customers through a network of over 2000 owned, franchised and affiliated stores across thecountry, faced significant energy consumption challenges common to supermarket operations. The company’s extensive network of stores struggled with outdated lighting systems thatwere driving up operational costs and creating suboptimal shopping environments.
With grocery stores consuming approximately $4 per square foot annually in electricity costs and traditional lighting accounting for up to 35% of that energy usage, leadership recognized the urgent need for a comprehensive lighting solution. The retailer sought to address multiple challenges simultaneously:
- Converting all corporate owned stores to modern LED lighting
- Minimizing maintenance expenses from frequent lamp replacements and service calls
- Improving store aesthetics and product presentation
- Implementing upgrades with minimal disruption to 24/7 store operations
To tackle these challenges, the retailer partnered with Energy Management Collaborative (EMC), a turnkey lighting and controls solutions provider with expertise in large-scale retail implementations.
The Solution: Custom LED Implementation
EMC conducted comprehensive energy audits across the company’s diverse store formats to develop tailored LED lighting solutions for each location’s specific needs and operational requirements. This strategic approach ensured optimal energy efficiency while enhancing the visual merchandising aspects critical to grocery retail success.
The implementation included:
Advanced LED Technology Deployment
- Installation of Tier 1 LED products throughout multiple store zones including sales floors, stockrooms, offices, restrooms, prep areas and refrigerated display cases
- Selection of appropriate color temperatures to enhance product appearance, with specialized lighting for meat, produce and bakery departments to increase product appeal and boost sales
Minimally Disruptive Installation Process
- Development of a phased implementation schedule that accommodated 24/7 store operations without compromising customer experience or employee productivity
- Coordination between EMC project managers and store leadership to ensure installations occured during optimal time windows for each department
This comprehensive approach positioned their stores for long-term operational efficiency and enhanced shopping environments that highlight product freshness and quality.
The Savings: Energy Reduction with Rapid Financial Returns
The strategic LED lighting upgrade delivered multiple measurable benefits that significantly improved the retailer's operational efficiency and bottom line:
Immediate Financial Impact
- Average annual energy savings of $35,000 per store location
- Rapid return on investment with project payback periods under 1.5 years for most locations, creating positive cash flow almost immediately
- Elimination of frequent maintenance calls and lamp replacements, with new LED fixtures offering 50,000+ hour lifespans (3-5 times longer than traditional lighting)
This comprehensive LED lighting upgrade project shows that strategic energy investments in grocery retail environments can deliver rapid returns while simulataneously improving the shopping experience.
