Tesco’s low‑carbon concept store was the winner of our Store of the Month award in February. Designed as a blueprint for the retailer’s future build strategy, the Harrogate site combines bold material choices, community‑led design, and a suite of impressive sustainability features. It represents Tesco’s most ambitious attempt to balance commercial performance with meaningful carbon reduction.

We caught up with Rob Brimley, Tesco’s property development manager, to explore the decisions behind the project, from community insight and low‑carbon construction to the technologies shaping Tesco’s next wave of stores.

Were there markets or retailers you looked to for inspiration when building an eco-focused store?

Yes, we did take a look at some of our competitors' recent Eco stores, for example, Sainsbury’s, Hook, which was impressive. We also looked back at Eco stores we had built in the past, with timber frames, etc., for example, our store in Ramsey.

Tell us about how local community engagement and feedback helped to shape the store design, particularly in terms of the inclusion of features uncommon for a store of this size.

We always want to engage with our customers ahead of a new store opening to make sure that we are best meeting their needs locally. Listening sessions with customers in the early stages of planning for our Harrogate store helped inform the inclusion of a petrol station, coffee shop and clothing offer. 

Which features of the store are you most proud of, and why?

I’m most proud of the community garden that we’ve created, working with Horticap, a charity based in Harrogate. The garden is their design and build, and it won a gold award at last year’s Harrogate flower show. I’m looking forward to seeing it in the spring when the planting starts to come into bloom!

Were there any sustainability ideas that surprised you by being both environmentally and commercially beneficial?

A couple that spring to mind. Firstly, the inclusion of solar PV (photovoltaic) – whilst an incremental cost to install, its inclusion has been a big factor in helping to reduce ongoing energy running costs for the store. And secondly, the inclusion of terrazzo that included UK-sourced aggregates (from a Derbyshire-based quarry) vs. an imported product from Italy or Turkey. It’s not always more expensive to buy British.

What were the biggest challenges in using wood as the primary construction material?

The biggest challenge was cost, with timber being the more expensive option. However, moving to the timber frame was the single biggest carbon reduction change, so well worth the investment.

What energy‑saving features (e.g. CO₂ refrigeration, heat recovery, sensor‑activated chillers) have delivered the biggest savings or made the biggest difference day‑to‑day?

All energy-related savings are to be reviewed post 6 months of opening, so too early to comment on this one.

How have you looked to spotlight the store's environmental benefits to shoppers?

We’ve included messaging both in-store and around the car park to talk to customers about the changes that they’ll see and benefit from.

How have shoppers reacted to the store? Are there specific parts they have told you they like?

We’ve been delighted by how customers have reacted to the store. They’ve remarked on how light and airy the store feels, and very much like the look and feel of the timber frame in particular.

How do you expect shopper behaviour or perceptions to change in a store built and operated so differently?

I’d like to think that our customers will recognise the positive environmental impact that the changes that we’ve included will bring, both in upfront carbon reduction and in ongoing running costs. 

How will the off-site monitoring and predictive maintenance system help you run the store more efficiently and support availability and waste reduction?

A great example of this would be how the off-site monitoring can more quickly and accurately direct an engineer to a specific fridge case that may be running outside of expected parameters. This will enable proactive checks ahead of any potential breakdowns in the future to support increased availability.

How much do you think Tesco has learned from this build?

Lots! And we’ll continue to learn over time, too. We’ve learnt loads from the assessment of all the material choices that we made.

How will the learnings from Harrogate inform Tesco’s future store‑build strategy, especially with the UK’s upcoming Net Zero building standards?

We’ll take lots of learnings from Harrogate and how we build it into our future programmes, whether that’s in the building of another large store or on a smaller, but more repeatable scale through our Express new store programme. When we fully review the performance of Harrogate and its build materials etc., after 12 months of operation, we’ll be looking to see which elements could be used.

How will Tesco measure the carbon impact of Harrogate vs. a traditional store build, such as the Preston store opened in 2023?

We’ve employed Aecom as our carbon consultant for Harrogate to use their experience and expertise.

If another retailer asked for one piece of advice on building a lower‑carbon store, what would you tell them?

Plan more time than you think is required in the earliest stages of the project to make design choices. The upfront work and investigation will pay dividends across the course of the project!

Looking for more inspiration about sustainable store formats?

Subscribers to Retail Analysis can access the links covering recent sustainable store innovation from across Europe:

• Aldi Süd trials sustainable wooden store in Germany

• Penny Czechia’s sustainability-focused store concept

• Netto Marken Discount, in Germany, tests modular wooden construction