SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION
Managing refrigeration through fl uctuating demand
Supermarkets are facing a period of unprecedented challenges. Unpredictable fl uctuations in customer footfall, deliveries unexpectedly delayed at borders, unseasonal weather, and economic pressures are all aff ecting shopping patterns. These changes have placed extraordinary stress on one of the most critical yet often overlooked systems in any supermarket: refrigeration. Jason Webb, managing director, Electronic Temperature Instruments, discusses how this can be managed.
T Jason Webb
"Investment in predictive maintenance software is also proving valuable."
he consequences of refrigeration failures extend far beyond immediate operational disruption. Impacts to temperature can result in signifi cant fi nancial loss
through spoiled stock, regulatory compliance issues and damage to brand reputation. More severely, they pose a serious risk to public health through compromised food safety. Understanding how to navigate these challenges during periods of change has become essential for supermarket operators seeking to maintain both profi tability and their consumers’ trust. The reality is that refrigeration systems, designed for steady everyday use, face unique stresses when demand patterns have an unexpected shift. When supermarkets experience reduced footfall, the temptation might be to scale back operations. But you can’t just switch off a refrigeration system like it’s shop fl oor lighting. The consequences of doing so extend far beyond natural food safety concerns, creating a domino eff ect of business and fi nancial implications that many supermarkets underestimate. During quieter periods, customers opening store fridges less often might seem like it helps keep temperatures stable. However, this can mask underlying issues. With fewer temperature changes from constant door access, subtle system faults can go undetected for longer periods. While gradual degradation in cooling performance might not trigger immediate alarms, it can compromise food quality and safety over time. Similarly, periods of increased footfall present their own challenges. Higher customer traffi c means more frequent door openings, increased ambient heat loads, and greater stress on the refrigeration units. The systems must then work harder to maintain stable temperatures, leading to increased energy consumption and speeding up general wear and tear over time.
14 October 2025 •
www.acr-news.com
Cool room challenges Like customer-facing refrigeration units, cool rooms and cold
storage areas are also vulnerable during periods of varied use. These spaces, typically housing thousands of pounds worth of stock, sometimes operate with less sophisticated monitoring systems despite their importance to overall operations. During less busy periods, products may remain stored
in cool rooms longer than usual, increasing the risk of temperature abuse and spoilage. When sitting for those extended periods, a gradual temperature change can occur undetected between the Food Standards Agency’s recommended twice-daily manual checks. This can leave a window for potentially compromising products before any issues are identifi ed. periods, on the other hand, staff retrieve stock from these cool rooms more frequently. Each door opening introduces warm air and humidity, creating temperature spikes that standard monitoring systems may not capture adequately. The risk of creating “hot pockets” within stacked produce increases signifi cantly, particularly in areas where air circulation becomes restricted due to rapid restocking.
The technology response These modern refrigeration challenges require sophisticated monitoring solutions. Traditional handheld thermometers and manual logging systems, while still valuable, cannot always give the full oversight that is often needed during some of these inconsistent periods. Wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled temperature monitoring systems off er something handheld devices cannot: real-time visibility across entire refrigeration networks. When things are quieter, systems can detect gradual temperature
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