January 11, 2022
Geissler’s Supermarket is proud to announce that it has achieved Ratio Institute’s Sustainable Food Retail Certification. Our chain of seven “hometown” grocery stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts achieved Advocate tier certification, demonstrating our commitment to improving sustainability in our operations.
The Sustainable Food Retail Certification program helps food retailers achieve operational excellence and meet sustainability goals by benchmarking performance, reducing costs, and increasing margins. The program does this by assessing a retailer’s practices across its operations, verifying them, and awarding certification on the basis of points earned and compliance with requirements. As part of the certification, food retailers also receive the additional benefit of insights into cost savings from operational sustainability efforts; revenue-generating sustainability opportunities; employee-engagement opportunities; and metrics on waste, water, energy, and other efficiency measures.
“Geissler’s Supermarket is excited to be participating in a program that allows us to communicate to our customers and employees how we are moving towards being more sustainable,” says Robert Rybick, president of Geissler’s. “We have a lot of initiatives in place to reduce our impact, and being systematic about how we manage for sustainability benefits our communities both locally and globally.”
Through the certification, Ratio Institute was able to estimate that Geissler’s is already saving more than 5,745,845 kWh of electricity per year through its energy efficiency efforts. That equates to 4,072 metric tons of CO2e not being released into the atmosphere, the equivalent of 886 passenger vehicles driven for one year. Those savings are valued at $624,842, an average of $89,263 per store.
Additionally, through the certification, Ratio Institute identified opportunities for the chain to save an additional 2,330,470 kWh per year, or $252,623 more per year through further efficiency measures. That’s 1,652 metric tons more of CO2e, the equivalent of 359 passenger vehicles driven for a year.
“By becoming a certified sustainable retailer, Geissler’s Supermarkets has established its commitment to more sustainable operations. We are looking forward to working with Geissler’s as the company continues to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and reduce impact.”
About Ratio Institute
Ratio Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating measurable sustainability and viability in food retail through expert collaboration, industry resources, and practical tools. We have worked with over 1,000 grocery stores and 20 grocery chains to create store-level and enterprise sustainability solutions that reduce costs, shift internal cultures, and improve overall performance.
About Geissler’s Supermarkets
Geissler’s is a 99-year-old, IGA-affiliated supermarket chain operating seven stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. Geissler’s is excited to be leading a Local = Fresh transformation by utilizing various technology platforms—such as e-commerce, digital ads, and social media—as well as in-store initiatives. The stores are focused on supporting local producers and farmers in order to offer the freshest products for shoppers and enhancing the sustainability of communities both locally and globally.
To learn more about Geissler’s Supermarket, please contact:
Robert Rybick
860-623-0176 x2015
rrybick@geisslers.com
To learn more about the Sustainable Food Retail Certification, please contact:
Peter Cooke Director, Programs
207-409-6732
peter.cooke@ratioinstitute.org