Founded in 1869, Sainsbury’s is one of the UK’s most successful retailers operating over 1,200 supermarkets and convenience stores and employing around 120,000 people.

Working alongside our client Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, we are proud to play an important role in helping to constantly expand, refresh and refurbish its store network in order to meet the company’s needs as well as the high expectations of shoppers.

Challenge
Supermarkets rely on complex M&E engineering to deliver the lighting, heating and cooling qualities necessary for an efficient, cost-effective environment while also ensuring that the store provides a contemporary, pleasant and comfortable experience for shoppers. Many stores incorporate additional facilities such as staff rooms and restaurants or coffee lounges, and these create further challenges for the M&E team.

Sainsbury’s new build projects are completed to a fast-track timetable, demanding commitment and extremely timely service, while refurbishments and extensions present the added challenge of maintaining a live and fully operational site for customers. This requires the works to be phased to ensure minimum disruption and that the retail business remains viable throughout the project.

Solution
Our work for Sainsbury’s is hugely varied, ranging from energy efficient display, cross shop and emergency lighting, cold aisle retrieval, solar thermal, rainwater harvesting and Centralized CHP, Biomass and GSHP plant and now the implementation of heat reclaim from refrigeration plant in order to assist with working towards the target of Net Zero Carbon by 2040. Sainsbury’s are also committed to the installation of intelligent and complex control and metering systems in a bid to continually reduce their carbon footprint and with the overall goal of obtaining carbon neutrality.

However, on all projects, Sainsbury’s benefit from a dedicated SVM BSD retail team that offers a proven track record, engineering expertise and extensive understanding of the key factors that contribute to a successful retail project.

The Outcome
To date, we have delivered M&E services to over 100 different Sainsbury’s outlets, from 15,000 sq ft convenience stores to 82,000 sq ft superstores – and the number continues to grow, as the relationship between SVM BSD, Sainsbury’s continues to strengthen.

Current Live Projects:  
 > Aylesbury New Build Superstore
 > Colwick New Build Superstore
 > Alsager New Build Store
 > Brackley New Build Store