Bio-Planet Expands Its Organic Retail Network with a New Store in Herent
Bio-Planet continues to strengthen its presence in Belgium with the opening of a brand-new store in Herent, located in Flemish Brabant. On Wednesday 8 April 2026, the organic supermarket chain will officially welcome customers to its newest location, marking the opening of its 40th store. With this expansion, Bio-Planet reinforces its commitment to making healthy, organic, and sustainable living more accessible to a growing number of shoppers.
The new Bio-Planet store in Herent is designed to offer customers a complete shopping experience that reflects modern consumer preferences. From fresh food to personal care and household essentials, the store is stocked with approximately 4,000 products. Every item has been selected with a clear focus on supporting a conscious lifestyle, making it easier for customers to choose quality products that match their dietary needs and values.
This opening is another step in Bio-Planet’s broader mission: to provide a store environment where healthy choices are not limited to a niche market but are instead a realistic option for everyday shopping. By expanding into Herent, Bio-Planet ensures that more consumers can access a full range of natural and sustainable products close to home.
A New Life for a Familiar Retail Location
The Bio-Planet Herent store is located on Mechelsesteenweg, a strategic and easily accessible area for residents of the region. The store replaces the former Okay supermarket, meaning the building already has a retail history and is familiar to local shoppers. Instead of constructing an entirely new facility, Bio-Planet has repurposed the existing space and transformed it into a modern organic supermarket.
With a retail surface of 556 square meters, the new store offers enough room for a broad assortment and comfortable shopping. The layout has been designed to ensure smooth navigation across departments, allowing customers to explore the variety of products without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
By choosing to replace an existing supermarket location rather than expanding into an entirely new building, Bio-Planet also supports a more sustainable retail approach. Reusing a space instead of building from scratch reduces construction waste and limits the environmental impact that often comes with new developments.
This transformation reflects how Bio-Planet is evolving in response to the increasing demand for organic products. Rather than operating as a small specialty store, Bio-Planet is positioning itself as a full-scale supermarket alternative that provides both variety and convenience.
A Full Assortment for Healthy and Balanced Living
Bio-Planet Herent has been built around the concept of offering customers everything they need to maintain a balanced lifestyle. With about 4,000 products available, shoppers can expect a carefully curated selection across multiple categories.
The store includes departments for fresh fruit and vegetables, offering customers a wide range of seasonal produce. These products are selected with organic quality and sustainability standards in mind, giving customers confidence in what they bring home.
In addition to produce, the store includes a variety of options in meat, vegetarian products, and cheese. This ensures that customers with different dietary preferences—whether they follow a traditional diet, a vegetarian lifestyle, or flexitarian habits—can find products that suit them.
Drinks are another key part of the assortment, ranging from natural juices and organic soft drinks to plant-based alternatives. Customers can also explore products designed to meet specific nutritional needs, including high-fibre and high-protein items that support health-conscious lifestyles.
Bio-Planet continues to focus strongly on inclusivity in food choices. This means the store offers gluten-free products for those with gluten intolerance, lactose-free products for customers avoiding dairy, and sugar-free or low-sugar options for shoppers who want to reduce sugar intake.
The goal is clear: Bio-Planet wants customers to feel that healthy shopping does not require compromise. Whether someone is shopping for weight management, fitness goals, food sensitivities, or general wellness, Bio-Planet Herent provides a wide range of suitable products.
Natural Personal Care and Household Essentials
Bio-Planet is not only about organic food. The store also includes an extensive selection of personal care and household products, helping customers align their entire lifestyle with sustainable choices.
In the personal care section, customers can explore natural skincare, shampoos, soaps, and hygiene products. These items reflect Bio-Planet’s focus on healthier ingredients and environmentally friendly production practices. Many customers today are not only concerned about what they eat, but also what they apply to their skin, and Bio-Planet continues to respond to this shift.
Household products are also available, including cleaning supplies that match the chain’s sustainability goals. This makes Bio-Planet Herent a complete one-stop store where customers can shop for everyday essentials while still making environmentally responsible decisions.
By offering these categories alongside fresh and packaged foods, Bio-Planet supports a broader view of health—one that goes beyond diet and includes overall lifestyle and wellbeing.
Flowers and Plants with a Sustainable Guarantee
One of the standout features of Bio-Planet Herent is the inclusion of flowers and plants, a category that continues to gain popularity among shoppers. Unlike traditional flowers often grown with heavy chemical treatments, Bio-Planet aims to offer a fully chemical-free assortment.
The store’s flowers and plants are intended to be grown in Belgium and the Netherlands according to the strictest standards. This regional sourcing helps reduce transport distances while supporting local growers who follow sustainable practices.
Bio-Planet also sets itself apart by being the only retailer offering flowers and plants with a bio or MPS certificate. The MPS label is a recognized certification that reflects how sustainably growers operate, taking into account environmental factors such as pesticide use, water consumption, and energy management.
This approach adds value for customers who want their shopping habits to reflect sustainability not only in food, but also in lifestyle items. Flowers and plants may seem like small purchases, but Bio-Planet is positioning them as part of the broader eco-conscious shopping experience.
By including this certified assortment, the store allows customers to add greenery to their homes without compromising their commitment to responsible consumption.
Fresh Bread Baked On Site Throughout the Day
Bio-Planet Herent will also feature a bakery, which is expected to become a major highlight for customers. Fresh bread will be baked on site several times a day, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in the store while ensuring customers can purchase freshly baked products throughout the day.
The bakery will offer a selection of breads, baguettes, and pastries that are baked fresh and served directly to customers. This ensures not only quality but also convenience for shoppers who want fresh bakery products without needing to visit a separate bakery.
In addition to in-store baking, Bio-Planet will continue its partnership with organic bakery De Trog, a trusted long-term supplier. De Trog will provide additional breads and viennoiserie, expanding the bakery selection and ensuring customers have access to a wide variety of organic baked goods.
This combination of freshly baked items and specialty products from an established organic bakery ensures that Bio-Planet Herent can meet different customer needs, whether shoppers want traditional bread, artisanal bakery goods, or healthier alternatives.
The bakery reflects Bio-Planet’s dedication to freshness, quality ingredients, and long-term partnerships with suppliers who share the same organic values.
Sustainability as the Foundation of the Store Concept
Sustainability is one of the strongest pillars of Bio-Planet’s identity, and the Herent store is no exception. As part of Colruyt Group, Bio-Planet follows a clear sustainability strategy that influences everything from renovation decisions to energy consumption.
Since the new Bio-Planet store is housed in the same building as the former Okay supermarket, many materials were reused during renovation. This approach reduces waste and limits the environmental footprint of construction. Rather than replacing everything, Bio-Planet chose to repurpose what was still functional, demonstrating a commitment to responsible development.
The store is equipped with LED lighting, which helps lower energy consumption while providing bright and efficient illumination for customers. The lighting choice aligns with the chain’s goal of reducing overall energy use and ensuring a modern shopping environment.
A key sustainability feature of Bio-Planet Herent is that the store is entirely fossil-free. This means it does not rely on natural gas or fuel oil for heating. Instead, the store uses more sustainable alternatives that support Colruyt Group’s long-term climate objectives.
The refrigeration systems in the store operate using propane, a natural refrigerant that is considered far more environmentally friendly than traditional refrigerants. This decision significantly reduces the store’s CO₂ emissions—by as much as 90% compared to conventional refrigeration solutions.
Another important innovation is heat recovery. The heat generated by refrigeration systems is captured and reused to help heat the store. This improves efficiency by turning excess energy into a useful resource. When additional heating is required, the store uses electrical systems, ensuring the building remains fossil-free while maintaining comfort for both customers and employees.
Sustainable Mobility and Convenient Parking Options
Sustainability is also integrated into the design of the store’s parking and mobility infrastructure. Bio-Planet Herent includes a car park with 52 parking spaces, providing convenience for customers arriving by car.
At the same time, the store supports the growing shift toward electric mobility. The car park includes four charging points for electric vehicles, allowing customers to recharge while shopping. This is an important feature as more Belgian consumers transition to electric cars and expect retailers to support charging accessibility.
Bio-Planet also encourages bicycle transport, which is a common and eco-friendly choice in many parts of Belgium. For customers who come by bike, the store provides a partially covered bicycle shed. This makes cycling to the store more convenient, especially during poor weather conditions.
Additionally, there is a bicycle charging point available, which is useful for electric bikes. With more consumers adopting e-bikes for commuting and daily errands, this small addition reflects Bio-Planet’s awareness of changing mobility trends.
By supporting both electric vehicles and bicycles, Bio-Planet Herent positions itself as a forward-thinking retailer that recognizes the importance of sustainable transportation.
Opening Reception Offers a First Look at the New Store
Ahead of the official opening, Bio-Planet Herent will host a special opening reception on Tuesday 7 April. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., customers will have the opportunity to visit the store, explore the assortment, and experience Bio-Planet’s concept before regular operations begin.
The opening reception is designed as a welcoming event where visitors can meet the store team and gain insight into what makes Bio-Planet unique. It also gives customers the chance to familiarize themselves with the store layout, departments, and product variety.
For local residents who previously shopped at the former Okay store, this event provides a smooth transition and introduces them to the upgraded shopping experience that Bio-Planet now brings to the location.
From Wednesday 8 April onwards, the store will officially open for regular shopping, welcoming everyone who wants to explore organic, healthy, and sustainable choices in Herent.
Bio-Planet Strengthens Its Mission with the Herent Opening
The opening of Bio-Planet Herent is more than just an expansion milestone. It represents the growing demand for sustainable retail solutions and shows how consumer behavior is evolving toward healthier and more responsible shopping habits.
By offering a broad assortment of organic products, supporting multiple dietary needs, and integrating sustainability into every aspect of store operations, Bio-Planet continues to position itself as a leader in conscious retail in Belgium.
With its combination of fresh food, bakery offerings, natural personal care, and even certified flowers and plants, Bio-Planet Herent provides a complete lifestyle-oriented shopping experience. The store also reflects modern expectations for energy efficiency, fossil-free operations, and environmentally friendly infrastructure.
As Bio-Planet continues to expand its store network, the Herent location stands as another example of how the brand is making sustainable living more accessible for communities across the country.
Source Link:https://press.colruytgroup.com/
