Shoppers at the Grand Square Ikeja outlet might
not have noticed the solar panels sitting above the entire roof of the store,
as the retailer has powered this facility using solar-energy since October 2021.
The leading specialty wholesaler and retailer, as well as multi-category
supermarket, makes this announcement as it celebrates 35 years of business
operations in Nigeria.
Arguably one of the firsts to do this in
Nigeria, the Ikeja store, located along Mobolaji Johnson avenue, is Grand
Square’s testing ground for the company’s vision on a more sustainable approach
to powering retail service delivery in Nigeria.
According to the management of Grand Square,
the decision to pivot to a renewable energy source is in line with the global
response to reduce carbon emissions and conduct business with a certain
consciousness of carbon footprint and environmental impact.
“We prioritize the wellbeing of our customers
and environmental sustainability is one of the ways we can truly express our
commitment. This solar energy installation in our Ikeja store is but the first
of many moves and initiatives we will be deploying to ensure we reduce our
carbon emission, as well as do all we can to conserve our environment,” they
said.
The solar installation at the store, which was
done by Daystar Power Energy Solutions, is able to generate over 600KwH of
power, which is sufficient to power the entire facility. The unstable power
supply in Nigeria forces businesses to rely on diesel powered generators to power
their entire operations, but this releases so much carbon emission that is not
sustainable and harmful to the environment. With this move, Grand Square is
able to continuously lower their carbon emissions in an environmentally
friendly way.
Grand Square’s Ikeja store, with retail floor
space of around 6,500 m2, started this transition last year, and its main priority
was to achieve a lasting reduction in the building’s energy consumption and CO2
emissions. In future, the store hopes to be able to achieve this for its other
locations, as well as pursue other carbon emission reduction endeavours across
its business operations.
This move also puts Grand Square way ahead of
its peers and industry practice, and while there may not be any current
legislation in Nigeria addressing carbon emissions for non-industrial business
organizations, Grand Square is spearheading a move that is essential and
beneficial.
“We personally believe that all retailers
should already be mapping out their path to cutting back on their carbon
emissions. Surely, some companies are better placed to make the transition than
others, like e-Commerce businesses or online stores, but physical locations
like ours also have to put in the work to deploy sustainable patterns for
effectively serving our customers.”
The management of Grand Square have also
revealed plans of working with relevant bodies and agencies to incorporate
recycling into its efforts to reduce carbon emission for the store.
While the process can be costly and requires
specific technical competencies, there is a growing switch towards more
environmentally friendly retail operations and stores. Reports already show
that customers and consumers are more inclined to align with businesses that
show commitment to improve the environmental performance of their stores.
