The Co-op is testing the use of reduced lighting in stores as a way of keeping its energy bills down.
The convenience retailer, which operates more than 2,500 stores across the UK, says the measures could reduce its electricity bills for a single store by up to £4,000 a year.
Across all stores nationally, the Co-op could potentially reduce its energy costs by up to £10m through maintaining dimmed lighting.
The retailer said in its interim results in September that energy and wage inflation increased costs in the first half of 2022 by around £50m, while grocery sales grew driven by an increase in shopping frequency.
Co-op is not the only retailer to be looking at reducing the use of lighting in stores, with some larger retailers like Tesco and Asda are understood to be dimming lights in some bigger superstores.
“We are trialling an energy-smart lighting initiative in a small number of our stores and are also reviewing how we can become a more energy-efficient business, without compromising safety and still achieving a positive store environment and shopping experience for our customers,” said a Co-op spokesman.
