Co-op has re-opened its Soham store in East Cambridgeshire following a £1m refurbishment that turns the site into the retailer’s first “sustainability showcase” branch.

Photo: Co op Food Soham

The eight-week programme of works has transformed the convenience store with a new focus on demonstrating the often-hidden initiatives behind Co-op’s push to reach net zero.

Features include motion-activated fridge lights, solar panels on the roof, digital screens displaying real-time energy consumption, and measures to boost local biodiversity.

The store also features back-of-house areas which have been kitted out with new signage explaining sustainability upgrades for staff, from energy-saving fixtures to recycling initiatives.

Photo: the new store features a back-of-house biodiversity garden

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The convenience giant said the site is also designed as a “test, learn and adopt” environment, trialling new sustainability technologies and processes that could later be rolled out across Co-op’s wider estate.

Co-op group property and sustainability director Heather Thomas said: “Co-op’s sustainability agenda is driven heavily by our member-owners, it’s a topic that they are passionate about and one they use their voices for to ensure that we as a business are doing the right thing for the planet.

“Our showcase store demonstrates our sustainability efforts in action, through easy to digest in-store communications that inform our members and shoppers on the impactful changes we are making in our convenience stores to help us on the important journey to net-zero.”

Thomas added that the store would be a “real game-changer” in allowing the society to trial new initiatives, with the ambition to share insights with the wider retail industry.