EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When consumers walk into their neighborhood Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (Nasdaq:WAG) store, they may notice a difference as they walk down the aisles. Nail polish on cosmetic shelves may appear more vibrant and magazine covers may be easier to read. GE Lighting (NYSE:GE) helped Walgreens recently upgrade its general lighting across 80 percent of its nationwide locations. The change is subtle, but noticeable to customers and to Walgreens' energy budget.
"Creating the very best shopping experience for our customers is our top priority, and lighting helps us achieve that goal," said Tim Schmid, divisional vice president of facilities management, energy and sustainability with Walgreens. "With our new lighting upgrade, colors appear more vibrant and more like they would in daylight, so customers don't need to second guess themselves in the cosmetics aisle. Plus, the change is saving us money and energy at the same time."
Walgreens new lighting initiative meant installing lamps with a higher color temperature and color rendering index (CRI), causing tones to appear more vivid and vibrant. Because different types of light produce different color temperatures, lighting can affect how shoppers perceive the colors of different products. Color accuracy at a store widely known for its cosmetics selection is critical.
By Walgreens changing their lights to the new GE F25 T8 linear fluorescent tubes, thousands of dollars will be saved as it impacts more than 4.3 million lights at nearly 7,000 stores.
New linear fluorescent fixtures from GE Lighting will increase energy efficiency by nine percent and extend re-lamp cycles by 10 percent. Walgreens achieved greater energy efficiency by switching from 28-watt to new 25-watt GE F25 T8 linear fluorescent tubes. Though the difference in wattage is only three watts per light, the change means thousands of dollars saved as it impacts more than 4.3 million lights at nearly 7,000 stores.
Walgreens was recently recognized with GE's annual 'Retailer of the Year' award in 2011 for demonstrating how energy-efficient lighting can improve the visual aesthetics of a store. The nation's largest drugstore chain is also GE's largest employer of F25 technology.
For more information on the GE Lighting products used by Walgreens, visit www.gelightingsolutions.com.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,907 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens' scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
About GE Lighting
GE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs over 17,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Evolve ™, GTx, Immersion ™, Infusion ™, Lumination™ and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric (NYSE:GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.