Zara opens new green store in New York City
Inditex Group's fashion retailer Zara has opened a new store in New York City, US.
The three-storey store, encompassing over 3,000 square metres, is the retailer's largest outlet in the US. It comprises five display windows and a facade covering an area of over 23 metres. The three levels of the building has been arranged around a pair of long corridors or catwalks. These lead to the boutique-like cubes on each side with each area displaying a different collection. The wooden furniture pieces fitted in the building don a finish in neutral shades and textures which replicate fabrics like linen or silk.
The facility also imbibes a host of green elements. It includes installation of high-performance heating and air conditioning units, and automatic-adjustable thermostats for heating and air-conditioning. The store has also been equipped with motion detector-controlled lighting fixtures in the storerooms and less-transited spaces. The detectors dim lights in the storeroom by 80% when not occupied. The lighting dims to 66% of normal during janitorial and merchandise loading and unloading shifts.
The property features electronically-regulated air curtains at its entryways. The curtains restrict influx of hot or cold outside air. The store also consists of energy-intensive systems which are turned on in a sequential pattern to avoid demand spikes. The wood incorporated in the building's store fittings and furnishings, as well as the shopping bags used in the building is PEFC-certified. Its plastic bags are biodegradable. Installation of speed-controlled mechanical escalators, and automatically opening double entrance doors add to the sustainability.
Use of various green features reaps energy savings of 30% and water savings of 70% per year over a traditional shop while reducing its carbon emission rate by over 150 tonnes annually.
