British retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced plans to open 10 new food stores this year, all of which will use natural refrigerant-based technologies in an effort to boost energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with its Plan A sustainability commitments.
These efforts also support the retailer’s work to “phase out harmful refrigerants” under its climate and energy policy. The company aims to phase out HFCs from its operations by 2030. In 2022/23, the company reported emissions of 5.6 million metric tons of CO2e, of which 28,000 metric tons of CO2e – 0.5% – were related to refrigerant leaks from its fleet and property portfolio.
M&S, which has a 3.6% share in the U.K. food retail market, will also be opening two “full line” stores – shops that include clothing, home and beauty departments as well as food – and investing in updating a “number” of its existing stores as part of its extensive renewal program.
Upgrading its existing stores with the latest in energy efficient technologies, including natural refrigerants and LED lighting, will reduce facility emissions by 60%, according to the company. M&S is one of many U.K. food retailers transitioning to natural refrigerant-based technologies, including ALDI UK and Tesco. NaturalRefrigerants.com has contacted M&S for more information about its use of natural refrigerants.
London market
In London, where the retailer has a 4.5% market share with its more than 100 stores, M&S will be investing £90 million (€107 million/$122 million) to improve and expand 11 of its existing food stores and open six new sites in 2025 and 2026.
In late April, the company reopened the first of its 11 London stores slated for an upgrade. The site in Clapham South has seen its fresh and frozen produce sections double in size and been fitted out with new refrigeration equipment.
Refrigerant transition
Historically, M&S had opted for refrigeration technologies using R404A, but, in an effort to rapidly reduce its carbon footprint, the company converted its existing chiller and freezer units to use R407A. More recently, the retailer opted for two-stage refrigeration systems that use HFCs as the primary fluid and natural refrigerants – namely CO2 (R744) or hydrocarbons – as secondary liquids. This approach minimizes HFC charges and reduces the leakage of high-GWP refrigerants, M&S said.
As of 2013, M&S had 80 of its 540 food halls using CO2, largely in cascade with either R134a or hydrocarbons. In 2015, the company installed its first HFC-free refrigeration systems using transcritical CO2. M&S has also previously installed CO2 condensing units in its stores.
