FRENCH supermarkets have pledged to do away with the majority of open refrigerated cabinets by 2020 in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
The voluntary agreement by a number of major supermarkets to add doors to all cabinets could save an estimated 2.2TWh/year, or 20% of the energy consumption of stores.

In an agreement signed this week between the French government and France's Federation of Commercial and distribution (FCD), three-quarters of the 700km of French cabinets must be equipped with doors by 2020.

Eight major retailers (Auchan, Carrefour, Casino, Cora, Francap, Monoprix, Simply Market System and U) have signed up. Intermarche, with 1800 stores in France is expected to sign in the coming days and others will be invited to join the scheme.