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Tesco is one of the UK’s most prominent retail chains, widely recognised for its focus on customer service, site safety, and environmental responsibility. The Stratford-upon-Avon store operates long hours, so night safety and security are paramount.
In line with Tesco’s nationwide sustainability objectives, the company sought to modernise its metal halide outdoor lighting system by upgrading to LED lighting, enhancing safety, improving energy efficiency, and reducing long-term maintenance costs.
THE CHALLENGE
The lighting at Tesco Stratford was the original metal halide technology. Once a standard solution, but can often be associated with inconsistent light levels, high energy use and ongoing maintenance challenges. Tesco required a reliable, energy-efficient LED lighting upgrade that could deliver improved visibility across the customer car park, service yard, and canopy areas, while also supporting their broader environmental commitments.
THE SOLUTION
Tesco selected IntoHeat to carry out the installation work and Abacus Lighting to design and implement a full upgrade of the Stratford site’s exterior lighting system. The installation consisted of a total of 13 new 10-metre root-mounted columns across the site. Twelve of these columns were fitted with our advanced 250W Orion Pro symmetrical LED luminaires – five in existing locations and seven in new positions to optimise coverage. The thirteenth 10 metre column, installed in an existing location, was equipped with an asymmetrical Orion Pro fitting to target specific lighting needs within the customer drop off area of the store.
Abacus provided additional lighting in pedestrian and transitional spaces, we installed two new 8 metre columns with post top fitted EOS 34W LED lanterns, in newly designated areas. Two existing columns were also re-headed with EOS fittings to maintain a consistent lighting standard across the site. Under the car park canopy, we installed fourteen round bulkhead lights in existing positions. These fittings provided crisp, uniform lighting in the covered walkways and entrance areas, significantly improving visibility and safety for shoppers during evening hours and poor weather conditions. Once the first phase of the installation was finished, Tesco commissioned further work to improve the lighting levels across the site. This involved adding eight additional 250W Orion Pro LED luminaires to the existing setup, ensuring consistent and complete illumination in both customer and operational areas. Abacus tested the lighting levels after completing each section of the project to confirm that all lighting standards were met.
ORION PRO & EOS LED LANTERN – THE BENEFITS
Transitioning from metal halide to LED lighting has brought immediate advantages to the site. The new LED system significantly reduces energy consumption, thereby cutting operational costs and aligning with Tesco’s sustainability targets.
The Orion Pro LED is a market leader regarding the spacing between columns, which means that fewer lights and columns are required. This results in quicker installation and maintenance, and the key benefit is that having fewer lights leads to substantial reductions in power consumption costs from day one.
The quality of the lighting has improved dramatically, featuring enhanced colour rendering and instant-on functionality that eliminates the warm-up times associated with older lamp systems. Additionally, the long lifespan of the Orion Pro and EOS luminaires means much less maintenance will be necessary in the future, reducing disruption to daily operations.
Tesco Stratford now enjoys a modern, energy-efficient lighting system that enhances safety, reduces environmental impact, and supports long-term cost savings. The upgraded system has improved the customer experience, made the site safer for both pedestrians and drivers, and future-proofed the store’s external lighting with the latest high-quality, low-maintenance LED technology.
By collaborating Abacus Lighting, Tesco has successfully transitioned to modern LED lighting, benefiting from the reliability and performance expected from a King’s Award-winning UK manufacturer.
