SOUTH AFRICA – Shoprite, Africa’s largest retailer has inked an agreement which will see the group procure 434 000 MWh of renewable energy per year for the next seven years, a first of its kind in Africa by any retailer.

Further to that, the supermarket chain owner has made strides in reducing green-gas emissions by installing rooftop photovoltaic panels at 19 sites in South Africa and Namibia, generating 12 300 MWh of electricity – a year.

Its largest installation is at its Basson distribution centre in Brackenfell, South Africa, covering the surface area of an entire soccer field with panels measuring 7 706 m2, generating capacity of 1MW.

“At Shoprite we recognise that climate change poses direct and indirect risks to our business and the communities we serve. Therefore, we are taking measures to tread more lightly on our planet.”

Sanjeev Raghubirm – Sustainability Manager for the Shoprite Group

The Group has also fitted 649 solar panels to the roofs of its refrigerated trucks, which generate 760 MWh annually – enough power to run 1 040 refrigerators for a full year.

These allow drivers to switch off truck ignitions at delivery locations, reducing noise and exhaust pollution, while keeping the cold chain intact.

“At Shoprite we recognise that climate change poses direct and indirect risks to our business and the communities we serve. Therefore, we are taking measures to tread more lightly on our planet,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, Sustainability Manager for the Shoprite Group.

In a bid to find innovative ways to reduce electricity usage, the group has also replaced fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient LED lamps.

The process cost R98.3 million, and in the four years since its inception has saved 83.8 million kWh of energy.

Underlining the retailer’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Shoprite recently scored an A- for its climate change and water security disclosures on the globally recognised CDP platform.

The group recognises that climate change will directly and indirectly impact its business and the communities in which it operates, and therefore commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, continuously improve energy efficiency, and strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of its operations and that of the communities in which it operates.

Meanwhile, its operating unit Checkers has launched the Sixty60 on demand one-hour grocery delivery service in the Northern Cape for the first time.

Since first launching in late 2019 in a few neighborhoods in the Western Cape and Gauteng, Checkers has rapidly expanded Sixty60 throughout the country.

Customer response has been exceptional due to the service’s lightning-fast speed, ease of use and its innovative and safe solution to having groceries delivered at the touch of a button.

The service has so far more than 1 million app downloads, over 15 000 groceries to choose from on the Sixty60 app and delivery in as little as 60 minutes.

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