Renovated OKay Lontzen reopens as sustainable local supermarket
On Friday 27 November, OKay Lontzen opens its doors again after elaborate renovation work. The store is larger and has the style of the newest generation OKay supermarkets. This means that customers can enjoy even more services: a new bread corner, a revamped freshmart and new freezers with glass lids. Thanks to this transformation, OKay Lontzen can also reduce its ecological footprint. Store manager Cédric Falise and his 12-headed team are happy to welcome their customers with respect for the current corona measures.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Fresh and modern design
The OKay store in Lontzen closed its doors five weeks for renovation work, but it took one week longer than expected due to the coronavirus. The store now has a surface of 650 m² and a fresh and modern look. "We can serve our customers and play our trump cards even better now", store manager Cédric Falise explains. They have extra cooling cabinets outside the revamped freshmart. "Our broad range of daily fresh fruit and vegetables will stand out well in there."
The bread corner is larger, new and user-friendlier. "Fresh bread is delivered every day and store co-workers bake high-quality pastries, rolls and buns." The frozen products department now has freezers with glass lids, which makes it easier for customers to see the products.
Child of the region
The customers remain loyal to OKay Lontzen and are devoted to the broad range of products, the friendly co-workers and the lowest prices in the neighbourhood. Cédric Falise: "My 12 co-workers, all living in the area, and I want to continue on this line in our renovated store.”
The store is close to a main road (N67) and at about 2 km from the Eupen/Welkenraedt exit (E40). The car park has 79 places for cars and a bicycle shed for 12 bicycles.
To welcome their customers safely as from 27 November, the co-workers took the necessary measures against the coronavirus.
Sustainable construction
The OKay store of Lontzen was renovated with much attention for sustainable insulation, ventilation, lighting, cooling and heating. From now on, the store no longer uses any fossil fuels. "We have thought a lot about how to make our store as sustainable as possible", says Cédric. "In each phase of the renovation process, we chose the most sustainable solution. The cooling installation works on propane for instance. This reduces CO2 emission by 90% compared to a classic cooling system. And we recover the heat released." But that is not the only improvement. The LED lighting results in 30% less energy consumption and the building has extra insulation. The ventilation system recovers 75% of the warmth from the air.
The paint used for the store's front breaks down harmful substances from the air. Under the influence of sunlight, this paint converts nitrogen oxides, ozone and harmful organic substances into nitrate and oxygen. The rain dissolves and washes away the nitrates.