NorgesGruppen ASA has won the NACS European Convenience Retail Sustainability Award for its SPAR Snarøya store in Norway. The award, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, was presented today during the virtual NACS Convenience Summit Europe.
“The Coca-Cola Company is proud to honor NorgesGruppen, which shares our passion for making a lasting, positive difference in the communities we serve,” said Krista Schulte, vice president, industry affairs at The Coca-Cola Company. “Sustainability isn’t just essential for our planet, it is essential for our communities, and as we—and the world—look to renew ourselves, we must continue to work together and strive to make the world a better place for every person, everywhere. Congratulations to NorgesGruppen on winning the 2021 NACS European Convenience Retail Sustainability Award!”
NorgesGruppen operates the KIWI, MENY and Spar grocery chains in Norway. A Spar licensee, the company also owns and operates convenience retail concepts MIX, Jafs and Deli de Luca, which has been celebrated by its retail peers at previous NACS Convenience Summit Europe events.
NorgesGruppen’s sustainability strategy focuses on a healthier, eco-friendly, diverse and thriving Norway, and a sustainable value chain. Its SPAR Snarøya store, located in an Oslo suburb, is an example of international best practices in innovative, eco-friendly retail solutions.
Since opening in August 2018, SPAR Snarøya has reduced its CO2 emissions by almost 60%. The modern store was built with solid timber and the floors, and foundations were poured with a low-carbon concrete. Inside the store, energy-efficient overhead lighting is complemented by shelving displays that are backlit by LED lights. The lighting package has both reduced energy costs and brightened the store, increasing sales. Excess heat from the refrigerators and freezers heat the store, and windows are triple-glazed to reduce the CO2 footprint and to maintain an ambient in-store temperature.
The store’s exterior is lined with 90 square meters of solar panels that power all the LED lighting inside the store. The rooftop is a “living roof” covered in grass to capture CO2, and the environmentally friendly asphalt parking lot includes space for 55 vehicles and four charging points for both electric cars and electric bicycles.
Since 2015, NorgesGruppen has made significant reductions in food waste (24%) and is more than halfway to achieve its goal of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2025. To further advance this goal, NorgesGruppen’s NGFLYT tool for automatic orders and operations support helps stores place the right orders and reduce food waste. The tool, which is in use at SPAR Snarøya, alerts stores when a product is approaching its expiration date, so retailers can reduce the price or take it off the shelves.
NorgesGruppen is the first company in Norway to invest in Tesla electric trucks and is investing in hydrogen trucks for city-center deliveries. The company aims to have its all its truck fleet either electric or hydrogen by 2026, and hydrogen trucks will be deployed in areas that lack the infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The NACS Convenience Retail Sustainability Award recognizes a retail company that has pursued a significant and compelling sustainability initiative that creates positive social outcomes and produces lasting value for customers, employees and the convenience and fuel retailing industry.
“Look no further than the European market for convenience retail excellence and growth strategies that focus on sustainability and driving the business forward,” said NACS President and CEO Henry Armour. “The team at NorgesGruppen is a world-class example of how long-term sustainability strategies enhance the company and the SPAR community.”
The NACS Convenience Summit Europe (convenience.org/CSE) is where global retailers gather each year to gain and share knowledge on strategic industry issues, while taking a deep dive into how these core, retail-centric themes will impact the industry today and in the future. This year’s event took place virtually June 1-3; next year the event is taking place in Berlin, Germany from May 31 to 2 June 2, 2022.
