Behind the scenes of our “Shop of the Future” Eco-Shops

1 year ago
2 min read

The doors are now open at our first Eco-Shop as we commit to trialling sustainable in-store initiatives in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of our operations as much as possible

As a committed zero-waste and carbon neutral business, we have pledged to be net zero by 2040 – a whole decade earlier than the government’s plan to end the UK’s contribution to man-made climate change. As part of this commitment, we have developed the Greggs eco-initiatives shop. Designed to operate as sustainably as possible, we hope our eco-shop format will form the basis of the ‘shops of the future’.

First launched in July 2022, we currently have one Eco-Shop in situ at Great Billing in Northampton, which is testing out multiple sustainability methods to help us discover effective and successful ways to reduce our environmental impact. 

The solutions which are being trialled focus on waste management and water and energy reduction. We have so far implemented recyclable flooring, cistern-less and air assisted toilets, eco-ovens, heat pump air curtains and solar control glass. The ideas and technologies which are successful will then be rolled out across our broader shop estate.

The launch of these eco initiatives are all part of the Greggs Pledge, which sets out our ten commitments to help make the world a better place by 2025.

In line with our sixth Pledge, ‘building the shops of the future’, we hope to have 250 of our estate shops feature elements from the first Eco-Shop format by the end of 2022. With the doors now open in Northampton, we are well on our way to achieving our goal. 

Our Eco-Shops are a clear indicator of commitment to becoming a greener Greggs. As a responsible business, we have a duty to our customers and to our planet to change the world for the better. Starting with making changes to our shops seemed like the obvious first step.

Tony Rowson, Property Director at Greggs

Want to know more about our Eco-Shop and our in-store sustainable initiatives? You can find out more about the Greggs Pledge and our ten commitments here.