UAE supermarket brand Spinneys has opened its first sustainable concept store in Dubai’s Layan community, next to Sustainability City.
As part of its corporate programme ‘Let’s Do Better Together’, the new branch aims to offer customers a convenient way to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and to shop more sustainably.
Spinneys said in a statement that the store has been carefully stocked to highlight health benefits across all of its ranges including organic, vegan, plant-based, high-protein, free-range options.
A key sustainability feature of the store is its Refill Stop, a new concept embedded across a range of departments encouraging customers to reuse and replenish their own containers.
Customers receive a discount at the deli counter for bringing their own container and dispensers are provided throughout the store encouraging refillable shopping across multiple household categories such as coffee, spices, honey, pasta, pulses, snacks and event detergent.
The store also offers a refillable water station with complimentary room temperature water for customers to top their bottles up with as well as chilled, sparkling and naturally infused botanical essence waters such as lemon balm and peppermint for AED5-10 per refill.
Fruit and vegetables are also primarily sourced from home-grown sources to support local farmers, the statement added.
The store is also home to honey bees who are living in hives on the roof to support the pollination of local flora and fauna.
Sunil Kumar, CEO, Spinneys, said: “At Spinneys, we are making sustainable choices for the future. We know that we have a lot of work to do to become a truly sustainable organisation, but we are proud of the positive steps we are making – and the new concept store is a testament to that. Sustainable innovation is part of who we are, and we will continue to drive such forward-thinking in the region.”
As part of its bid to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the Layan supermarket and car park have also been fitted with 650 solar panels.
Removing unnecessary plastic is also a key focus and there is a ‘no plastic bags’ policy at the check-outs.
Sophie Corcut, sustainability manager at Spinneys, said: “As a local supermarket we have a responsibility to contribute to creating a more sustainable way of living for our community. We hope this new store concept, which we plan to roll out across the UAE, will help play a part in supporting the government’s sustainability goals.”
Follow us on
