Adande® Refrigeration has obtained data which indicates that glass doors on refrigerated display cases compromise customers’ shopping experiences. The company commissioned independent market research to assess shopping preferences vis-à-vis glass doors on refrigerated display cases. Customers were interviewed at the stores of three leading supermarket retailers in the Cheltenham and Gloucester area over a one week period during February 2013.

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The Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Saving Scheme has mandatory monitoring and pricing implications for operators using more than 6,000 MWh of electricity per year. Refrigeration may account for up to 50% of a supermarket’s energy usage and represents an area in which significant savings may be made. As a result, retailers have been trialling glass doors as an energy saving initiative.

Adande® initiated the research to independently verify the viability of its Air-Cell® technology as a more customer friendly energy saving alternative to glass doors.

Air-Cell® is a patented air flow management system which has been proven, in independent tests, to achieve significant energy savings without the need for glass doors.

The survey established that 88% of customers thought the clear display of merchandise in refrigerated display cabinets is “very important”, whilst a further 11.4% of those questioned thought it “important”. Unsolicited comments were received, regarding condensation on glass doors, obscuring the visibility of merchandise.

50.3% of those questioned stated that they would prefer to shop from cabinets without glass doors, with only 12% stating that they would prefer to shop from glass door cabinets.

49.1% of respondents believed it would be “very inconvenient” or “inconvenient” to open glass doors to browse merchandise or make a purchase. Similarly, 42.5% of customers said it would be “very difficult” or “difficult” to open glass doors whilst holding a shopping basket or trolley. Surprisingly, this figure rose to 55.8% amongst shoppers under the age of 40.

29.3% of those questioned regarded glass doors as a barrier to shopping and 29.9% of respondents answered that they would be less likely to shop from a refrigerated cabinet with glass doors, whilst 61.7% didn’t know. 43% of customers stated that they shop from glass door cabinets, including frozen food cases, only once a month or less frequently.

Adande® Refrigeration’s Chairman, Nigel Bell, commented: “We believe that this is the first UK market survey into this subject and the results clearly demonstrate that shoppers have reservations about glass doors on refrigerated display cases. The research confirms that Air-Cell® represents a more customer friendly and cost effective solution for retailers who are seeking sustainable operation and significant energy savings on refrigerated displays.”

Adande® Refrigeration

Tel: 0844 376 0023

Email: info@adande.com

www.adande.com

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