In May, Longo’s became the first retailer in North America to commit to carrying only Fairtrade bananas, supplied by Montreal-based Equifruit.
A significant area where Longo Brothers Fruit Market Inc. BB #:154544 Vaughan, ON, has been out in front is sustainability.
“As with most opportunities that Longo’s takes on, it doesn’t just pay lip service to environmentally friendly practices,” says Carol Spieckerman, president of Spieckerman Retail in Bentonville, AR.
“The chain has set aggressive sustainability goals and methodically moved toward achieving them across the enterprise.”
Longo’s distribution center in Vaughan is LEED-certified for its 44,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels, a bioswale filtration system in place of sprinklers, and other components.
Several Longo’s stores integrate ecofriendly features such as solar panels, LED lighting, carbon dioxide refrigeration systems (installed in 13 stores to date), and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The 40,000-square-foot Stouffville store is working toward net-zero energy use, utilizing 35 percent less energy than the average store of its size, producing 65 percent of its own energy, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,500 to 2,000 metric tons per year.
In addition to the technology used in its store and warehouse design, Longo’s has an eye on sustainability in its produce selection as well.
In 2020, the company implemented a fair-trade banana program in all stores—expanding from a five-location pilot—in partnership with Equifruit.
The grocer also started carrying organic apples from Stemilt Growers, LLC, treated with Apeel Sciences’ plant-based edible coating, which lengthens shelf life and reduces waste.
In both cases, point-of-sale materials and social media posts educated shoppers about the initiatives and their environmental benefits.
This is an excerpt from the Toronto & Ontario supplement to the May/June 2021 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
A significant area where Longo Brothers Fruit Market Inc. BB #:154544 Vaughan, ON, has been out in front is sustainability.
“As with most opportunities that Longo’s takes on, it doesn’t just pay lip service to environmentally friendly practices,” says Carol Spieckerman, president of Spieckerman Retail in Bentonville, AR.
“The chain has set aggressive sustainability goals and methodically moved toward achieving them across the enterprise.”
Longo’s distribution center in Vaughan is LEED-certified for its 44,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels, a bioswale filtration system in place of sprinklers, and other components.
Several Longo’s stores integrate ecofriendly features such as solar panels, LED lighting, carbon dioxide refrigeration systems (installed in 13 stores to date), and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The 40,000-square-foot Stouffville store is working toward net-zero energy use, utilizing 35 percent less energy than the average store of its size, producing 65 percent of its own energy, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,500 to 2,000 metric tons per year.
In addition to the technology used in its store and warehouse design, Longo’s has an eye on sustainability in its produce selection as well.
In 2020, the company implemented a fair-trade banana program in all stores—expanding from a five-location pilot—in partnership with Equifruit.
The grocer also started carrying organic apples from Stemilt Growers, LLC, treated with Apeel Sciences’ plant-based edible coating, which lengthens shelf life and reduces waste.
In both cases, point-of-sale materials and social media posts educated shoppers about the initiatives and their environmental benefits.
This is an excerpt from the Toronto & Ontario supplement to the May/June 2021 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
