Colruyt : First OKay with in-store Collect&Go pick-up point opens its doors in Heusden

OKay is opening its 129th store on Wednesday 18 July, in Heusden. The practical convenience store has everything that customers need to do their daily shopping quickly, cheaply and easily. The store covers 650 m², employs 14 people and is the first OKay branch with an in-store Collect&Go pick-up point. Okay is pleased to invite local residents to a reception on Tuesday 17 July between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. where they can have a look around and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat.

First OKay with Collect&Go pick-up point

This brand-new store also has an in-store Collect&Go pick-up point as an additional
service for customers. 'It is the very first OKay to trial this kind of pick-up point', says
Fabrice Gobbato, General Manager of OKay. 'Customers can use it to collect Colruyt
products that they have reserved via Collect&Go. OKay staff have received training and
are very enthusiastic about starting the trial.' The OKay stores meet both the
requirements for a Collect&Go pick-up point: they are located on approach roads close to
neighbourhood centres and they have plenty of space for parking. After the trial is over,
OKay and Collect&Go will assess whether they want to continue the project and
potentially roll it out to other stores.

Fresh and modern design

OKay Heusden is one of the new-generation Okay stores with a fresh, modern design.
Wide aisles in the freshmart and large glass walls make shopping a pleasant experience
and highlight the wide range of fruit and vegetables. Fresh bread is delivered every day
and staff bake high-quality cakes and rolls in the oven. The range of fresh products is
one of OKay's assets: fresh fruit and vegetables every day, dairy products, meat, cooked
meats, fish and ready meals. OKay offers a broad mix of national brands, their own
brand Boni Selection and discount brand Everyday. The convenience store also has a
handy 'Easy Cooking' counter, with all the ingredients to prepare delicious seasonal
dishes. This means that customers who want a quick meal no longer have to walk around
the entire store.

Minimising environmental impact

'Energy-efficient construction that minimises environmental impact is very important to
OKay, so we use sustainable techniques and materials wherever possible in our Okay
stores', adds Fabrice Gobbato. To give an example, the LED lighting in the Heusden store
reduces energy consumption by 30% and rainwater is reused for the toilets. The building
is also extremely well insulated, and the ventilation system recovers 75% of the warmth
in the air. Using propane - a natural coolant that is much more environmentally friendly
than chemical refrigerant gases -to power the cooling system has reduced CO2 emissions
from cooling by 90%.

Opening reception

Store manager Marijke Viellefont and her team will welcome their customers to the new
OKay in Heusden from Wednesday 18 July. The store will be officially opened the evening
before, on Tuesday 17 July, during a reception between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and all local
residents and future customers are welcome to attend. OKay Heusden is located at
Laarnebaan 75, on the main road between Heusden and Laarne, just a ten-minute walk
from the centre. Previously, residents of Heusden have been served by OKay Oostakker,
the Spar in Wetteren and Colruyt Ledeberg or Lochristi.
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About OKay

OKay is Colruyt Group's convenience store, with everything that customers need for their daily shopping. OKay stores are located as close as possible to village or town centres and guarantee the lowest prices in the neighbourhood.

The very first OKay store opened its doors on 14 January 1998 in Ertvelde. Since then, OKay has opened an average of 7 stores every year and intends to maintain this pace in the next few years. OKay currently has 105 stores in Flanders, 21 in Wallonia and 3 in Brussels. In the longer term, OKay sees the potential for 180 stores in Belgium. Since November 2015, the chain has also had its own distribution centre on the industrial estate in Lot (Beersel) in Flemish Brabant. OKay now employs more than 2,000 people.

Contact person:

Silja Decock, Corporate Communication Officer at Colruyt Group
Tel.: +32 (0)473 92 45 10 or +32 (0)2 363 55 45
Email: press@colruytgroup.com

Practical information:

OKay Heusden
Laarnebaan 75
9070 Heusden
Tel.: +32 (0)92 53 05 55
www.okayheusden.be

OKay Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday from 8.30 - 19.30