HEAT
Refrigeration systems have a huge impact on the sustain ability credentials of supermarkets – so much so that the EU has brought in regulations to reduce the supply of HFCs, the environmentally harmful chemicals used as refrigerants in the majority of retail fridges. The biggest cut to the HFC supply happens this year, with a reduction to almost 40% from 2015 levels. This is already drivin g up prices and causing a refrigerant shortage for retailers. However, a survey we
commissioned last year with research consultancy ComRes
revealed that 40% of retailers in the UK, France and Germany were not fully aware of these regulations, let alone prepared to make a shift to more sustainable options. And there are a n umber of environmentally- friendly choices available which vary in long-term efficiency and the skills required to maintain and install. So while the future of supermarket refrigeration will be greener, there’s still a lot to be done in terms of raising awareness of the range of alternative systems.
We need to make sure
supermarkets are taking a holistic approach and making the most efficient choice possible.
One option is for retailers to
replace their current HFC systems with ones that use propane as a refrigerant in a self-contained refrigeration unit. Unlike most HFC systems today, these self- contained refrigeration units are far more like domestic fridges, with a ‘plug and play’ set-up that makes them quick to install or move, and require little maintenance. By virtue of being self-contained, rather than inter-connected and powered by a separate plant room, these standalone systems make for a far more flexible store design .
E-commerce
According to retail analysts IGD, online grocery shopping in the UK is the fastest growing purchase
channel: the average value of weekly online sales in predominantly food stores more than doubled between
2010 and 2016, and the UK is now predicted to become the second largest online grocery market worldwide after China by 2020. If we can learn anything from this e-commerce rise, it is that consumers are increasingly
motivated by convenience when choosing how to shop. Given that online grocery shopping will always trump driving to the store in terms of con venience, physical retailers are having to compete in more imaginative ways, becoming more experiential in an attempt to entice consumers away from their online shopping windows and apps. Supermarket refrigeration units of the future may therefore have to be more engaging and visually appealing.
Online shopping also reduces
the need for consumer-facing shop floors, allowing retailers instead to store groceries in large warehouses before shipping them directly to homes. For retail refrigeration
manufacturers therefore, the rise of e-commerce could mean diversifying into two types of cooling systems: smaller, attractive units which catch the eye of customers and help to create a memorable experience; and large, industrial warehouse fridges, intended to store high quantities of grocery commodities ordered online. Changes to the retail landscape will bring both challenges and opportunities for refrigeration
manufacturers. More advanced data analysis, improving supply chain integration capabilities, sustainability legislation and e-commerce trends are all set to impact the industry over the next 18 months.
While the precise outcomes are not yet clear, refrigeration professionals need to continue to take into account the wider consumer and retail landscape – from new legislation and supply chain practices, to changing consumer behaviours and store
layouts – to ensure the supermarket cold chains of the future are
optimised to reflect and serve the wider retail ecosystem, from farm- to-fork.
www.acr-news.com
uksales@aermec.co.uk
www.aermec.co.ukw..aermec.co.u 0203 008 5940
33 Aermec
SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION VENTILATION &
AT ATING,
TI
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
