Zumtobel and Thorn deliver flexible lighting programme for Co-op Stores

With more than 2,300 food stores nationwide and a strong emphasis on ethical, community-led retail, Co-op continues to refresh and expand its estate. As an approved joint lighting supplier, Zumtobel and Thorn have supported Co-op’s upgrade programme for years, delivering a scalable, repeatable lighting approach that protects brand consistency while flexing to individual sites. To date, around 400 stores have been completed across England, Scotland, and the Highlands and Islands, with further sites to be confirmed where there will also be lighting requirements for funeral care centres, Funeralcare branches and all areas of the Co-op estate.

Programme overview

Co-op’s roll-out spans multiple store formats and conversions, often older buildings (including former pubs and existing retail units) with unique constraints. The model store concept provides a robust baseline using Zumtobel TECTON across the sales floor, then adapts per site to maintain visual quality, efficiency and ease of maintenance. Designs are produced and coordinated predominantly via Teams to meet short programmes, frequent on-site revisions, and challenging logistics.

Chris Batchelor, UK Retail Division Manager, Zumtobel & Thorn, describes, “The brief is both simple yet demanding: a consistent customer experience, high efficiency and quick, clean installs, delivered at pace, nationwide. TECTON gives us a dependable backbone for the sales floor, while Thorn’s portfolio covers staff areas and external zones. The result is a kit of parts that’s fast to deploy and easy to support, without compromising Co-op’s standards.”

Lighting solution

At the heart of the sales floor, Zumtobel’s TECTON continuous row system forms an adaptable backbone utilising TECTON C luminaires to deliver consistent presentation lighting across fresh aisles, ambient gondolas and perimeter runs. Multiple mounting options provide versatility, allowing the system to be installed easily regardless of ceiling types. ln staff and back-of-house areas, Thorn provides robust, easy-to-service illumination via PopPack, Omega Pro 2, Aquaforce Pro and Katona Square, ensuring dependable performance in stores’ operational spaces. Externally, a coordinated set of Thorn luminaires – Katona Round, Piazza, Aquaforce Pro 2, and ForceLED – covers façades, canopies and walkways; R2L2 and Areaflood Pro illuminate the car parks and the wider site, giving store teams a coherent solution end-to-end. Emergency lighting is unified across the estate with Thorn’s Voyager family (Voyager Solid, Voyager Twin Spot, Voyager Star and Voyager One) and Zumtobel’s RESCLITE PRO (Anti-panic and Spot). The specification supports dimming control to reduce consumption while maintaining the right ambience for retail environments.

Spotlight store: Telford Street, Inverness

Among the largest sites delivered so far, Telford Street demonstrates the full package in one location: sales floor, back-of-house and a complete car park, implemented to the standard rollout specification, with DALI-addressable luminaires ready for integration by Co-op’s controls partner.

Challenges and delivery

Rolling out a single standard across multiple store sizes and formats was the core challenge. Building on a model store approach provides the necessary consistency while allowing local tuning of optics, rows and mounting to suit ceiling grids and merchandising layouts

Many conversions carry legacy constraints (structure, ceiling heights, asbestos finds) that demand rapid design revisions. The TECTON platform and wide-ranging Thorn luminaires allow quick re-spec without compromising the visual standard. Short lead times are routine; the standardised toolkit and clear application rules streamline submittals and approvals. Remote and island locations require tight coordination, early design freeze and consolidated shipments help mitigate risk, digital-first workflows keep distributed teams aligned.

John Bradshaw, Head of Engineering & Standards, Co-op Property comments: “Our lighting upgrade gives us a consistent standard across formats, while letting us adapt to the specifics of each site. Building the sales floor around TECTON and pairing it with Thorn solutions for staff areas and exteriors delivers energy efficiency, improved store connectivity and simpler maintenance in one package. It’s a scalable approach that supports colleagues and elevates how we present our stores to members and customers.”

Results and benefits

The programme delivers a consistent in-store experience with a recognisable Co-op look and feel, underpinned by energy-efficient LED platforms and addressable control readiness. A proven product family reduces maintenance burden and simplifies spares, while the TECTON architecture helps future-proof stores for later adaptation.

John Bradshaw, Head of Engineering & Standards, Co-op Property “Our estate is diverse, our programmes are fast, and our standards are non-negotiable. With Zumtobel and Thorn we have a dependable solution, TECTON on the shop floor, complementary Thorn solutions behind the scenes and outside, so we can roll out at pace without compromising quality. The partnership supports a consistent customer experience, efficient operation, remote connectivity and long-term maintainability. Feedback across the estate has been very positive.”

Photography accreditation: Niall Hastie.