Co-op Soham – Smart Store Retrofit
Bowman Riley delivered a smart retrofit of Co-op Soham supermarket in the town’s High Street, transforming an ageing 1970s retail unit into a more energy efficient, operationally effective and low-maintenance store. The project balanced capital investment, operational savings and carbon reduction through evidence-based, whole-life design decisions.
A key innovation was the development of a thermal model of the existing building, enabling heat loss analysis and payback assessment of proposed upgrades. This data-driven approach informed retrofit scope, ensuring investment targeted the highest energy and carbon benefits.
The roof was upgraded to current Part L standards and the single-glazed shopfront replaced with high-performance double glazing, improving thermal performance and reducing heat loss. Wall upgrade options were assessed but discounted where modelling showed limited payback, allowing resources to be focused on higher-impact interventions.
Energy efficiency was enhanced through roof-mounted photovoltaic panels and a refrigeration heat recovery system, which reused waste heat for space heating and reduced reliance on conventional systems. Together, these measures integrated fabric and services to minimise operational energy demand.
Sustainability was embedded through low-maintenance specifications, including loose-lay click-lock flooring allowing individual tiles to be replaced rather than full floor replacement to reduce waste and recycled bump rails and impact protection materials supporting circular economy principles.
The store layout was reconfigured to improve operational performance and reduce staff travel distances within the space. Key improvements included the relocation of the office directly adjacent to checkouts, improving staff responsiveness.
We optimised e-commerce and click-and-collect storage adjacent to service points, improving fulfilment efficiency and the introduction of a dedicated delivery hatch for Uber Eats and similar services, streamlining logistics and reducing congestion at front-of-house areas. These changes improved both staff efficiency and customer experience while supporting the store’s evolving retail model.
The project also addressed existing site constraints and environmental risks including a redundant and asbestos-containing shed at the rear of the site was safely removed, mitigating health and safety risk. The cleared area was repurposed into a small biodiversity and nature space, improving ecological value and enhancing the external environment for staff and the local community.
The Soham Co-op retrofit demonstrates how existing retail assets can be transformed through evidence-based design, energy modelling and targeted intervention strategies. By combining fabric upgrades, low-carbon technologies and operational redesign, the project delivered a more energy-efficient, lower-maintenance and future-ready store while carefully managing cost and disruption.
The Soham Co-op retrofit demonstrates how existing retail assets can be transformed through evidence-based design, energy modelling and targeted intervention strategies. By combining fabric upgrades, low-carbon technologies and operational redesign, the project delivered a more energy-efficient, lower-maintenance and future-ready store while carefully managing cost and disruption.
The Soham Co-op retrofit demonstrates how targeted, evidence-based design can successfully transform an ageing retail asset into a more energy-efficient, operationally effective and future-ready store. Through a combination of fabric improvements, low-carbon technologies, operational redesign and biodiversity enhancements, the project delivered measurable sustainability and performance benefits while carefully managing cost and disruption.
Reopening after an eight-week programme as Co-op’s first sustainability showcase branch, the £1.2 million refurbishment sets a strong benchmark for the retrofit of existing retail buildings.