Case study
Partnering for Large-Scale, Customized Solutions
How Loeb brightened up the largest retailer in the world.
Executive Summary
Walmart provides their customers with “everyday low prices,” and they strive to do this sustainably, with a key focus on energy savings. As part of their green initiative, Walmart needed to upgrade from fluorescent to LED lighting throughout their stores. This called for a customized lighting retrofit plan built with and entrusted to Loeb Electric, including audits, technology enablement, product development, inventory logistics, and project management.
Loeb Project Summary*
LED upgrades managed:
- Stores: 4,646
- Sq. footage: 744M (approx.)—equivalent to almost 13,000 football fields!
LED lamps sold: 11.5M+
Energy savings: $374M (approx.)
*Stats from 2017-2020
“We could never do a project of this magnitude without the customer service and support Loeb provides. We’re so big, it’s difficult to keep track of all the moving parts. I couldn’t do what I do without Loeb.”
BOB STONE
Sr. Manager, Renewable Power & Energy Efficiency, Walmart
The Challenges
With more than 4,700 stores across the U.S. in varying layouts, and with an average of approximately 160,000 square feet per store, Walmart’s green initiative needed to be executed at a massive scale. They needed a national partner that could not only handle such a complex job—including design, installation, audits, rebate capture, and warranty management—but who could tailor a solution to their specific needs; they needed a partner they could trust.
The Solution
With a relationship spanning more than a decade and covering everything from material supply to project management to maintenance services, Walmart chose Loeb Electric to customize, manage, and execute a solution built specifically to achieve this massive commercial LED lighting upgrade project.
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“We are unique among wholesalers because we really are so much more. Loeb not only sells products, but we customize a plan, invest in tech and people to make it possible, and then manage the entire project from beginning to end.” DOUG BEH Executive Vice President, Loeb Electric |
Assessment & Auditing
To get started, Loeb Electric completed an assessment of the different store layouts, providing a customized retrofit lighting solution that worked best for Walmart’s design aesthetic, as well as their budget. After selecting materials, store audits were completed, allowing the Loeb team to forecast, procure, and optimize the supply chain to meet the program’s needs.
Investment in Technology
Knowing from the start that communication would be a significant piece of what drove the productivity numbers and objective achievements of this massive program, Loeb Electric invested in and developed RightLight PM, a proprietary project management software. There were a lot of moving parts, with over 400 variables to consider at any given store, and the dashboards and reports provided real-time updates on every project and were available on-demand 24/7. With investment in technology, people, and processes to manage all necessary data points, Walmart was able to rely on Loeb’s preparedness to manage the program.
Product Development & Consultation
During the assessments, Loeb Electric recognized that to truly meet Walmart’s lighting needs, a customized retrofit kit would need developed. Partnering with Universal Lighting Technologies (ULT), Loeb created these kits, which met Walmart’s objective of driving great efficiency at scale.
“As a value-added service, we can help legitimize, clarify, and eliminate the confusion,” said Andrew Kellerman, Executive Director of National Accounts at Loeb Electric. “Our primary interest is our customer; we care about our customer getting the best product for the best price, regardless of manufacturer.”
Product Management & Inventory Logistics
With a massive investment in inventory held at Loeb Electric’s warehouse, an agile and fluid delivery system was created to keep the program running smoothly from start to finish. The warehouse team kitted customized bills of material that were then delivered to each Walmart location on time and in full to meet the project schedule. Installation was sourced and managed through Loeb Electric’s national partnerships, with work done during low volume times to not impact Walmart customers’ experiences.
This isn’t a product-vendor relationship. Loeb is focused on being a comprehensive solutions provider who works with our customers as a trusted partner, fully managing projects from start to finish and ultimately achieving their objectives.
The best materials for the job.
This massive project would not have been possible without our top-notch manufacturers.
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