OKay opens brand-new sustainable local supermarket in Drongen
On Friday 21 January, OKay will open its 141st store in Drongen. The practical local supermarket is 600 m² in size and located at Mariakerksesteenweg 56. Customers can find everything there to do their daily grocery shopping in a fast, cheap and easy manner. The store was built sustainably and does not make use of fossil fuels. Store manager Karolien and her team of 10 are happy to invite their local residents to come and discover their new local supermarket.
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Fresh and modern design
OKay Drongen is the 141st OKay store in Belgium and the 23rd in East Flanders. "My team and I are very proud to run this store and are looking forward to the reactions of our customers."
The local supermarket is part of Colruyt Group's new generation of OKay stores and has a fresh and modern design. Karolien: "In the freshmart, the wide aisles ensure a pleasant shopping experience. Our extensive assortment of day-fresh fruit and vegetables really stands out." The fresh product supply is one of OKay's assets: fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat, cold cuts, fish and ready-to-eat meals. "Outside the freshmart, we also placed a tapas stand with a wide range of meat, fish and veggie snacks to spend a nice aperitif evening with friends."
Fresh bread is delivered every day and the co-workers bake off high-quality rolls and pastries several times a day. All these delicious products are presented in a handy bread rack. Karolien: “Our bread corner has a highly ergonomic design and is very user-friendly for both the co-workers and the customers." The frozen products department has chest-type freezers with glass lids. That way, customers can find their favourite products fast and easily.
Easily reachable
The new OKay store is located at the roundabout that connects the Mariakerksesteenweg with the Deinsesteenweg. "Our store is close to the inner ring of Ghent, the industrial estate and the entrance ramp to the highway. That way, we are a convenient pit-stop for commuters", Karolien says. Three spacious flats were built above the shop, providing additional living space in this up-and-coming neighbourhood.
The car park has room for 30 cars and is equipped with a charging post for electric cars. Customers who come by bicycle can use the spacious bicycle shed, which also has room for cargo bicycles.
Minimal environmental impact
Like the other Colruyt Group store formats, it is very important for OKay to build sustainably and with a minimal ecological footprint. “We do not use fossil fuels at OKay Drongen", Karolien explains. "The refrigeration system works on propane, a natural coolant that is much more environment-friendly than its synthetic alternatives. This reduces CO2 emissions by 90% compared to conventional refrigeration systems. Moreover, the heat released by the refrigeration system is recovered to heat the store, thus drastically reducing greenhouse emissions".
A lot of attention was also paid to the sustainability of the store's exterior. The green roof purifies the air and contributes to biodiversity. The facade was treated with a special paint that breaks down toxic substances in the air under the influence of sunlight.