Bio-Planet Sint-Denijs-Westrem featuring the new store concept opens on Wednesday

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Bio-Planet is opening a brand-new store in Sint-Denijs-Westrem on Wednesday 28 September. Customers will not only find 6,000 organic and ecological products but will also be able to experience Bio-Planet's new store concept, which sets the sustainability bar high. More products in bulk, a separate greenhouse for fruit and vegetables, recycled shopping baskets, circular construction material, etc.

Sustainable store concept

When designing the store, Bio-Planet went for maximum sustainability. “We are very proud of the brand-new greenhouse for fresh fruit and vegetables”, store manager Peter Geirnaert explains. “The greenhouse is connected to the refrigerated freshmarket with the dairy products, cold cuts and cheese and benefits from the cold flowing from it. Without using extra energy, we reach a temperature of 9 °C and a humidity of 75 % in the greenhouse. These are optimum storage conditions, allowing us to counter food waste.”

Furthermore, Bio-Planet is using vegetable panels of the Belgian start-up Circular Matters for the store's interior. The strong, 100 % recyclable panels are made of fibre and a binding agent from residual flows generated by agriculture and the food industry. Some of the furniture is finished with circular panels of recycled wood, made by Belgian Unilin. The metal racks are also perfectly recyclable and the checkouts are recovered from Colruyt stores.

Finally, the store in Sint-Denijs-Westrem implements many of the sustainable elements Bio-Planet already applied. Just think of the 30 % more economical LED lighting, the glass chest-type freezers and the propane refrigeration. During its entire life, this installation emits about 90 % less greenhouse gasses than regular refrigeration systems.

Own bakery and extensive service counter

Bio-Planet Sint-Denis-Westrem has its own bakery. Store manager Peter Geirnaert: "We bake off about ten organic products from our loyal supplier Atelier du pain: bread, baguettes and pastries. As we take pride in our work, baking is done out in the open, so customers can follow the whole process through a transparent wall.” In the bread corner, they can now also find traditional pastries, from fruit cakes to crumble and brownies to take away in handy, biodegradable boxes.

The service counter offers a choice of over 350 kinds of meat, cheese, cold cuts and veggie products. It also contains a fine range of prepacked products of meat, cheese, veggie and fish, which have their Nutri_Score, price, allergens and nutritional values indicated on the packaging. Peter Geirnaert: "This combination allows us to offer self-service on the one hand, for people who want to shop fast or keep their products a little longer at home, and an excellent personal service, expert advice and portioning on demand on the other."

Furthermore, Bio-Planet offers an impressive range of organic, biodynamic and natural wines and customers can sample a deliciously fresh glass of wine while shopping.

Finally: if you want to pamper a loved one, you will always find plenty of inspiration at Bio-Planet, but Sint-Denijs-Westrem even has flowers, original gift baskets or handy gift packaging to put together your own gift pack.

Packaging-free shopping

"In Sint-Denijs-Westrem, we promote packaging-free shopping by offering customers the possibility to fill their own containers with bulk products”, store manager Peter Geirnaert says. “They can choose from some 25 different kinds of nuts, cereals and dried fruit. On top of that, we offer three varieties of coffee beans, original coffees from Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Colombia.” Own containers can also be used for a large part of the products in the service counter. ​

Collect&Go pick-up point

Nearly all products in the range can also be found on the Bio-Planet webshop on collectandgo.be. Customers can reserve their organic groceries online and pick them up at the Bio-Planet store in Sint-Denijs-Westrem or at any other Collect&Go pickup point of their choice, at a time that suits them best.

Recycle, inform, inspire

Bio-Planet takes its leadership in sustainable entrepreneurship and wants to inform and inspire its customers to consume more consciously. "In this respect, we have taken some significant steps in the new store", manager Jan Van Holsbeke says. There is a recycling hub at the store's entrance, where customers can drop off their used batteries, Brita filters and the plastic foil from their groceries. The stylish, ergonomic shopping baskets are made of recycled ocean plastics such as used fishing nets.

Transparent communication to its customers is key to Bio-Planet. That is why the most important sustainability initiatives are highlighted on information panels. Digital screens at the checkout and the service counter draw customers' attention to product information, promotions and recipes. The price labels clearly indicate the Nutri-Score and whether the products are gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan. A lot of products have in the meantime been given an Eco-score allowing customers to make even more conscious choices. You can use the Xtra app's scan feature to easily consult the Eco score, just like on the website www.bioplanet.be.

Pratical information
​Kortrijksesteenweg 1082
​9051 Sint-Denijs-Westrem
​+32 9 245 20 78
​Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 8h30 to 19h30

Bio-Planet Sint-Denijs-Westrem
​10 employees
​Surface of 659 m²
​58 car park spaces, 1 charging post with 2 connection points and 80 bicycle spaces

Contactinformation
​Silja Decock, Colruyt Group press office
​+32 (0)473 92 45 10 of +32 (0)2 363 55 45
​press@colruytgroup.com

About Bio-Planet
​Bio-Planet is the 100 % sustainable supermarket of Colruyt Group. The chain offers about 6,000 organic, ecological and eco-friendly products: fruit, vegetables, bread and meat fresh daily, pasta and drinks, cleaning products, books and personal hygiene products. These products are selected with the greatest care in terms of organic farming, health and ecological impact. Only what is made with respect for people and environment ends up on the shelves.

In 2001, Bio-Planet opened its first store in Kortrijk. Today, there are about 30 stores across Belgium and you can shop online via Collect&Go, Colruyt Group's online shopping service. Bio-Planet wants to make 'conscious consumption' accessible to everyone. Each store is also built with sustainable techniques and material. Bio-Planet employs over 500 people.