Greggs Plc becomes the first European Retailer to light it’s retail space with LED Technology

Greggs Plc, the UK’s leading bakery retailer, is believed to be the first retailer in Europe to light the sales area of its store entirely with LED light sources, designed and supplied by Philips Lighting at its new concept store in Bromley, Kent. Compared to stores using conventional lighting, the new installation is expected to achieve a 50% saving in lighting energy consumption, with a reduction in carbon emissions of 2 tonnes per annum. The low heat output of these LED fittings will also reduce air conditioning requirements to enable further energy savings during the summer months.

The ground-breaking project is one of a range of energy-saving measures being rolled out across Greggs’ portfolio, which comprises over 1400 stores nationwide. “We had been following the progress of LED lighting for some time, waiting for it to offer both the levels of performance and the cost-effectiveness we required,” explained Greggs’ Shop Premises Manager Garry Graham. “We are very pleased with the results at Bromley and will be evaluating the performance of the lighting with a view to including it in other stores in the future,” he added.The store uses a combination of ceiling-recessed ambient and spot-lighting, supplemented by under-shelf lighting. All of the fittings are LED alternatives to the fluorescent and CDM lamps that would usually be used in a Greggs store, achieving a comparative reduction in installed electrical load of over 1.5kW.The interior of the store was designed by design consultancy Inspire, which was initially sceptical about using solely LEDs. “We have used LEDs for spot lighting and under-shelf lighting in retail before but only in leisure for anear-total scheme – so we were dubious about the idea and challenged Philips to prove that their ambient LED fitting would work,” recalled Inspire’s Amanda George.

“They certainly did that and we believe this could be the way forward for High Street retailers in the future,” she continued.Ambient lighting is provided by LuxSpace 19W fixed, recessed downlighters with a colour temperature of 3000K, with accent and graphic lighting from 11W fixed and adjustable spotlight with a 20deg beam (2700K). The higher lighting levels required for work surfaces are achieved by additional eW Profile 3000K under-shelf lighting, using 4.5W, 10W and 20W fittings to suit the needs of each location.In addition to the immediate energy savings, Greggs will also benefit from a reduction in maintenance costs as the long life of the LED sources means that no re-lamping should be required through the life of the store. A further benefit is that there will be no discharge lamps to dispose of in line with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive.“We are very pleased that Greggs took the decision to implement the Philips LED lighting system in the store and hope that other retailers take the lead set by Greggs,” commented Ian Russell, Philips UK Retail Business Development Manager.