PARIS (Reuters) -LVMH plans to turn off the lights at its stores earlier at night, starting in France in October, with plans to deploy the energy-saving measure in other parts of the world at a later stage, the luxury giant said on Thursday.
The measure follows a call from French President Emmanuel Macron for industry, households and municipal authorities to reduce power consumption by 10% in response to Russia's cut to gas supplies and spiralling energy prices.
Earlier this week, the city of Paris said it would switch off the Eiffel Tower's lights an hour earlier.
Stores that keep the lights on at night have drawn criticism in France in recent weeks, amid calls for businesses to do more to fight climate change.
LVMH (EPA:LVMH), the world's largest high end goods conglomerate, which operates 522 stores and 110 production sites in France, said it would turn off the lights at stores three hours earlier, leaving them off between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. while its offices would go dark at 9 p.m.
It will also lower temperature settings at industrial sites by 1 degree Celsius in winter and raise them by 1 degree in summer, it said.
The company said the two measures will allow it to cut its energy usage by 10%.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in late August urged companies to draft energy savings plans this month, warning they would be hit first if ever France was left with no choice but to ration supply of gas and electricity.