On July 14, 2009, one of the nation’s largest grocery store chains opened its first LEED certified store. The Food Lion store is located in Columbia, South Carolina. Now grocery stores like Safeway & Whole Foods, have been going green for some time now, so this is not necessarily a news event. With natural food stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats, we would EXPECT them to be as green as possible and are not surprised when we see the plaque or information wall explaining just how they are helping the environment.
So here is what makes Food Lion’s foray in to the world of green so news-worthy: They let the public in on the ground floor! Food Lion decided to post information on their website that would allow customers to watch the building construction process from the ground up. As each decision was made, they explained how the green process worked, giving the public full access to information that is usually printed up on some board in the store and typically disregarded.
Let’s face it, the average customer likes to know a store is helping the environment, but won’t know anything about how efficient LED lighting is, or how a low-flow water fixture works. An in-store plaque can say “we save water by utilizing low-flow fixtures in our—-” and the customer has already tuned out. Food Lion decided early on to include customers in their efforts, explaining each detail in near real-time as it was installed or built.
Their website not only extolls the virtues of the company (as all marketing is self-serving), it also informs and educates. There are videos showing how things work, and even a quiz for you to take!
Check it out at: www.foodlion.com/greenstore
