Redevco's new benchmark shows perfume retailers are biggest energy consumers

Perfume retailers have emerged as the biggest consumers of energy compared to other retail sectors in a ground-breaking sustainability benchmark developed by pan-European retail specialist Redevco.

Unlike other sustainability benchmarks, the Redevco system measures energy and water consumption by retail sector specialty rather than property type. This is the critical factor in assessing sustainability, according to Derk Welling, Redevco’s head of corporate responsibility.

'The key to understanding the main energy and water consumption trends in the retail world is to realise that these are primarily determined by the business of the user and then the nature of the building - which was the main basis of all previous studies. Now that we can measure the trends in individual retail sectors for the first time, Redevco will also be able to identify the best ways to conserve these vital resources at the property level and use this information to advise our tenants on how to cut costs.'

The Redevco system tracks energy and water consumption at more than 500 of the company's retail properties in Europe and includes major retailers such as C&A, Carrefour, Starbucks, GAP, Primark and H&M. As the largest share of Redevco’s portfolio (50%) consists of high street properties, the company claims the sample is an effective pan-European proxy for measuring future trends in these key sustainability indicators across each retail sector speciality. In addition, the sample covers fairly small and difficult to monitor stores, as well as supermarkets and units within shopping centres.

The data in the Corporate Responsibility report shows that perfume retailers stand out as the most intense users of energy at on average 801 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per square metre of floor space each year. They are also by far the most concentrated users of water, at 2.51 cubic metres per square metre of floor space annually. This is significantly more than for leases of mixed ready-to-wear fashion retailers, the largest sample in the study, which registered an average of 206 kWh/m2 in energy use a year and 0.23 m3 in average annual water consumption per square metre of space.

In total, Redevco’s 2013 Corporate Responsibility Report outlines the results of energy and water consumption reports provided by 1,271 of the company's retail tenants. This is equal to 75% of the total lettable area of Redevco's portfolio which is valued at €6.5 bn.

The built environment is one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, noted Judith Dröge, Redevco’s board member for human resources & corporate responsibility. 'But if you can’t measure it, then you can’t plan effectively to transform the situation. Redevco is a firm believer that companies have the power to make a difference and really change things when it comes to sustainability. This goes beyond the moral obligation to act and has been given greater urgency by the recent publication of the latest UN report on global climate change.'

See also link below for a webcast interview with Derk Welling