When it comes to Commercial Refrigeration for food retail business, the visual appeal of display fridges are a contributing factor in maximising sales and as such are an important investment. The success of your business is not only dependent on the products you're selling but also on how effective you are at capturing and retaining customers' attention so as to encourage purchases.
The selection of display fridges on the market is generally divided in two types “ open displays and glass door displays. One of the main features for both doored and open-fronted display cases is how accessible they are to the consumer for selecting the product. Both may provide suitable solutions for a wide range of commercial refrigeration products and yet both have their pros and cons.
Open Display Fridges
Open display fridges are commonly used in supermarkets, fruit shops, take-aways and convenience stores which gives the customer an unobstructed access to chilled products.
Open display refrigeration works by circulating cold air throughout the cabinet with an invisible air curtain creating a barrier between the outside ambient temperature and the desired operating temperature of the cabinet. This ensures the preservation and longevity of the product on display.
One of the main advantages of open displays is the impulse buy factor which encourages customers to effortlessly grab the items without having to open/slide a door to access. You can get a more efficient traffic flow in your store, thus reduce long queues and in turn maximise your sales.
It also encourages the marketers to promote impulse buying by positioning the units near queuing areas. You would often see open display fridges near the registers in supermarkets where you can often see a customer instinctively reach for a drink, sandwich, salad etc. while queuing up.
However, there are some down sides to open display fridges that need to be mentioned, and one of the main ones is that they're less energy efficient than their glass door equivalents. Latest advancements in technology with cleaner, natural refrigerants has improved the energyefficiency not only helping to reduce running costs required to run an open display fridge, but also to lower the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
Regular maintenance will be required to clean condensers since the location of the condensing unit is close to the floor where dust can accumulate over time. If the condenser is blocked, air will struggle to circulate which can also cause the compressor to overheat and short cycle. This can affect the efficient operation, increase running costs and enviably reduce the operational life of the cabinet. By consistently cleaning the condenser will increase the lifespan of the fridge and in turn reduce maintenance and running costs over the lifetime of the fridge.
Glass Door Display Fridges
Glass door fridges are suitable for all type of refrigerated products, and can be ideal for any retail food store such as groceries, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.
Glass door fridges are equipped with internal LED lighting which create a well-lit and attractive visual appeal to promote the products on display with the intention to be eye catching to potential customers.
The main advantage of glass door fridges over the open display equivalents is that due to the insulating barrier the doors provide, the retention of the cold-air within the cabinet means the compressor will not be required to run as often, thus making glass door fridges up to two-thirds more efficient than open cabinets, which in turn reducing your overall running costs.
The glass doors protect the products inside the fridge from dust, dirt, or any outside manipulation, whilst also allowing customers to have a clear view of what's inside.
Glass door fridges can be deemed less impulsive than an open display fridge as consumers are required to open or slide a door to reach the products inside; however the higher energy efficiency of the glass door fridges outweighs the minimal inconvenience of access the doors create.
Price comparison
The cost of glass door chillers with a similar ˜footprint' to an open display can be between 12% - 45% more expensive depending on the model and capacity, however the initial purchase price must be offset against the long term energy efficiency and lower running costs which are up to two-thirds less than an open display fridge.
The above information provided may assist you in determining the correct refrigeration cabinets as the success of your business depends on selecting the most appropriate, fit for purpose equipment to showcase the variety of your products to the customer and to entice them to purchase.