Penny supermarket chain adopts timber construction for new stores

The retail chain Penny is shifting its construction strategy toward wooden structures, specifically utilizing Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. Following successful pilot projects, the company plans to add approximately 150 new stores, opting for timber construction for standalone locations to improve sustainability and respond to rising costs of traditional building materials.

Penny aims for its stores to become energy self-sufficient. This includes integrating photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and heat pump technology that utilizes waste heat from cooling systems. A recent reconstruction of a store in Český Brod serves as a model for this approach, featuring a 20% larger sales area and modernized energy systems.

Václav Šíma, head of Penny’s construction department, noted that the use of CLT panels, supported by manufacturer Stora Enso, has proven simple to design and implement. The company intends to use wood not only for new builds but also for the reconstruction of existing facilities, such as replacing roofs with timber panels.