As energy prices soar due to the fallout from the Middle East war, retailers are rolling out energy-saving measures one after another. This comes as the government pushes an energy conservation policy.
According to the retail industry on the 25th, Lotte Group decided to implement a five-day rotation system limiting the operation of personal and company vehicles. It also decided to encourage the use of flexible work arrangements to disperse transportation demand. It will maintain appropriate office heating and cooling temperatures, cut standby power, and minimize business travel by promoting video conferencing.
Lotte Department Store (Lotte Shopping) plans to adjust in-store heating and cooling temperatures by 0.5°C depending on conditions, run air-handling units sequentially, and shorten lighting-on hours. It also shared internally that parking lots will turn on lights floor by floor in line with openings, and that back-of-house facilities such as offices and warehouses, as well as employee cafeterias, will be turned off immediately when not in use.
Shinsegae Group announced habits such as turning off office space lights and switching off electric appliances. Stores including E-MART will stop moving walkways or turn off some lights during off-peak weekday hours. Shinsegae Department Store is focusing more on medium- to long-term responses. A representative example is applying an "artificial intelligence (AI)-based energy management system" that analyzes and optimizes energy use in real time.
CJ Group also announced and immediately implemented the five-day vehicle rotation system across all group affiliates and business sites the same day. The rotation applies to all employees using personal cars. It also plans to encourage working from home or at hub offices depending on circumstances or job characteristics and to promote flexible work arrangements.