Afternoon:
8°c
It's an open and shut case
Alex Stephens, Evening Standard3 Dec 2007
Shops in London are wasting huge amounts of energy by leaving their doors open to entice customers.
An Evening Standard survey of retailers in Oxford Street found most operate an "open-door" policy.
Environmental experts estimate each such store loses about 500kg of carbon dioxide every day - the equivalent emissions of a return flight to Malaga.
Among the shops we found with their doors open were Dorothy Perkins, Burton, H&M, Russell & Bromley and HMV.
Only a handful of larger shops - Selfridges, John Lewis and Debenhams - had their doors closed.
Today environmentalists called for an end to the practice.
Sian Berry, Green candidate for Mayor of London, said: "Shops use almost three times as much electricity per square metre as commercial offices. The open-door policy and high-powered doorway fan heaters are a big contributor to that.
"It's sad to see resources wasted on something nobody wants. It does not make anyone's life easier or more comfortable to have shops heating the air over London, but rising fuel prices and climate change do cause real hardship. Customers would really appreciate it if stores could do something as simple and sensible as keeping their doors closed, and I'm sure shareholders, who ultimately pay the electricity bills, wouldn't complain either."
Anthony Field of environmental charity WWF said: "Doors are kept open to entice people into shops but it's a waste of energy - you are just heating up the outdoors. What we would like to see is shops coming together and working towards a unified solution of a closed-door policy."
John Buckley, managing director of environmental advice company Carbon Footprint, said open doors were just part of the problem.
"The other issue is shops having their heating set too high in the winter, probably to keep their shop assistants warm," he said.
"At the same time, virtually all the shoppers have their jumpers and coats on. Turning down their heating by just one degree would save about 10 per cent of the heating bill and hence the emissions." An HMV spokesman said: "Our Oxford Street superstores were designed to have shutters across their entrance areas rather than doors.
"This was primarily to help accommodate the massive number of shoppers, including disabled customers, who expect ease of access."
Lesley Lloyd, a floor manager at the Oxford Street branch of adidas, said: "We always keep the doors open because we find it's easier for people to walk straight in. It looks much more inviting.
"We don't really think about the wasted energy. If I had to pay the bills I would think about it, but I don't."
The Carbon Trust suggested shops could install automatic or revolving doors to help to maintain the inside temperature while ensuring easy access for shoppers.
Reader views (7)
This is not just about London shops, and its not just winter, and not just about the deperation of recession hit retailers. This is an on-going and widespread problem. The carbon cost of this is huge. As customers we all have a responsibility to object to this practice. If we don't retailers will simply insist they need to leave the doors open to entice people in. We ALL need to make the point and at every opportunity. I have already started in my local town.
- Jane Bryan, Cardiff, 15/12/2008 12:38
Report abuse
Shop rents on Oxford Street are well known as being the most expensive in the world. If an 'open door' policy increases footfall by even just 1% for these retailers, it would more than cancel out the extra overhead costs for heating. Honestly, in the scheme of energy use there's a million other decisions made every day that'll impact global warming to a greater extent - only they're not as visible to the self righteous crowd.
- D Painter, London, 03/01/2008 19:03
Report abuse
The idea that leaving shop doors open brings in more customers must be faulty. If an entrance is inviting enough and it's obvious the shop is open, I'm fairly certain it would make no difference (though I doubt if any research has actually been done on this...). As a thinking customer, I'd be more likely to go into a shop that had the door shut, particularly if a sign explained why it was shut. Wake up shop owners, we all need to act responsibly, even you!
- Clive Quick, St Ives UK, 13/12/2007 19:31
Report abuse
I find it amazing that so many shops leave their doors open in winter (and in summer for that matter with the air conditioning on). It is such a waste and must be costing the companies a fortune! I have small grandchildren and do all I can to cut down on energy use, then I see it all undone by these kinds of selfish, shortsighted, ignorant activities. So my grandchildren will suffer because of the mindlessness of so much business practice today.
- Caroline, UK, 13/12/2007 17:04
Report abuse
I agree fully with the comments on the benefits of automatic doors, when combined with air curtains, not overhead heaters, they provide a complete entrance solution that benefits the customers, owners and the environment. Automatic doors are much more widely used today than they were even just a few years ago, yet the high street seems to be the one area where there is a reluctance to fit these doors. Some stores do have an open door policy but many do not, this often results in people struggling to gain access through a heavy door regardless of whether they are disabled or not. Add in shopping bags, kids, pushchairs and a husband and the situation can be made even worse. My husband works for a company who manufacture, install and service such entrances perhaps you should contact him for more comment? Let me know.
- Vikki Gill, Stamford Bridge, UK, 04/12/2007 08:35
Report abuse
I was a retail energy manager for years and constantly fought for this practice to be stopped. Unfortunately the merchandisers always won. And the temperatures are high for the workers - what's wrong with giving them jumpers?
- John Dee, London, 03/12/2007 22:32
Report abuse
I find that the atmosphere in many large stores is too hot and 'stuffy'. It would be great if the temperatures were reduced by a few degrees!
- David Payne, London E6, 03/12/2007 15:53
Report abuse
