Business nowadays is all about managing costs – and cutting them wherever possible. In shopfitting it’s about energy and efficiency, and this is where the latest technology can really help. Of course, that can mean significant investment but the subsequent savings can really make it worth it.
Paul Jordon, managing director of The Jordon Group says energy efficiency is paramount when it comes to refrigeration.
“Year on year, almost month on month, there’s something new,” he explains. “Most manufacturers are tweaking, tuning and changing things on a regular basis, but there are only ever two questions that retailers ask: “Is it energy efficient?” and “How expensive is it?”
Many retailers have been putting doors back on chillers over the past few years and Jordon says he’s surprised it’s not become mandatory.
There was a petition to “ban energy-wasting open fridges and freezers in all retail outlets” back in 2019, but it did not get enough signatures to warrant discussion in parliament. In response the government of the day said: “The government has no plans to ban the use of open fridges and freezers in retail outlets as it is already taking action to improve the energy efficiency of these products.”
Sustainability focused solution
One huge project that is currently underway is The Jordon Group’s work with Top 50 Indie MFG to deliver a “sustainability focused solution transforming refrigeration and HVAC performance across its estate”.
The Jordon Group says the programme addresses one of the forecourt sector’s biggest challenges: reducing energy use and carbon emissions without disrupting customer operations.
The challenges for MFG were mainly outdated refrigeration and HVAC equipment; high energy consumption and inconsistent performance; rising operating costs’ and frequent maintenance call-outs and leaks. And The Jordon Group says the scale of MFG’s network meant even small improvements could deliver significant environmental and commercial impact.
The overall plan was to cut site energy use and emissions; retrofit doors on chillers; standardise performance and uplift efficiency; introduce smart monitoring for proactive optimisation; and deliver upgrades with minimal trading disruption.
“In many forecourts the fridge cabinets can be 10 to 15 years old and technology has moved on a lot since then. Cabinet upgrades mean retailers can benefit from better designs, different gases that are more environmentally friendly and more eco-friendly fans,” says Nigel Siddall, service controller at The Jordon Group.
One of the biggest changes for MFG has been the introduction of smart monitoring via Resource Data Management (RDM). So far 200 MFG sites are live with this, with two-to-three more sites added on a weekly basis, out of hours to avoid disrupting trading.
RDM manages the temperature in stores, monitors run times and how close the actual temperature is to the set point. The Jordon Group team has remote access to the RDM system and can tweak settings where necessary and run diagnostics to look for any faults.
Two MFG stores are also trialling PowerRadar energy management which monitors the actual energy consumption on site and can be used in tandem with the RDM.
The Jordon Group reports that the results of its work so far are impressive, with reduced kWh energy consumption across sites; lower CO₂ emissions in line with usage reductions; reduced food waste thanks to tighter temperature control; and predictive maintenance reducing call-outs and leaks.
Super savings
Wayne Harrand, retail director at MPK Garages Group, says energy is one of the highest operating costs for the business and it’s rising daily.
“It was imperative to look for energy reduction solutions to help energy efficiency, lower energy costs and improve environmental performance. Therefore, we’ve now installed DoubleCOOL Swing 1 doors to our refrigeration cabinets in 26 locations. The impact has been immediate; we monitored our energy consumption and saw over 50% savings.”
DoubleCOOL says its fridge doors are a shopfitting solution that doesn’t just look good, it instantly impacts energy usage, lowers operating costs and reduces CO2 emissions. The retrofit solution has been designed to be adaptable to most open chillers commonly in use. Installation usually takes place during opening hours, without causing any interruption to trade. From the moment the clear, lightweight acrylic doors are installed, the energy savings start.
To help retailers understand just how much they can save, DoubleCOOL UK’s website includes an energy-saving calculator. You simply enter your energy cost /kWh and metres of open chillers to get an indication of the savings that could be made.
Turning point
The one piece of kit that is making a big difference at the BP forecourt at Moto Sawtry on the A1(M) is something called the TurnLoader, in the chillers.
The system features a 180° rotating movement for quick and easy restocking. It also has gravity shelves with built-in dividers to maximise space and therefore house a larger volume of products. It can also accommodate different can and bottle heights.
Forecourt manager Phillip Matavikwa says with soft drinks a top-selling category in the store, it helps massively with managing the section.
“TurnLoader makes restocking from the back of the display extremely easy, compared to standard shelves where you have to remove all the front stock to place newer items at the back. The new shelves are also angled, ensuring that when a bottle is removed, the remaining items slide forward, keeping the display looking full,” he explains.
“TurnLoader means we never have out-of-date items as drinks are loaded from the back in date order. And we never have issues with out of stocks or gaps in displays. The drinks chillers can be filled so much quicker than before, meaning staff can get on with other tasks safe in the knowledge that the chiller is full and looking great.”
Moto Sawtry on the A1(M) has only been open for around nine months but has already clocked up 488 Google reviews with an overall score of 4.5/5. And Matavikwa confirms that the forecourt just keeps getting busier and busier as more drivers become aware of its presence.
Easier access
Finally, while doors are being put back on refrigerated cabinets across the industry, for Top 50 Indie Park Garage Group, doors off cabinets that hold vapes has been a big sales success.
Head of operations Ian Cawley says that for vapes, the company has consistently prioritised placing as many units as possible on the shop floor.
“We believe this is essential for a category in which customers often find it difficult to articulate the specific flavours or brands they want, which can lead to delays and longer queues at the till.
“Several years ago, the majority of our site stands were moved onto the shop floor to enable customers to browse the range more freely. This change, combined with the introduction of multibuy options, significantly increased sales and overall category performance.
“For these reasons, we remain cautious about using doors on stands unless necessary. While we do experience some theft, the uplift in sales consistently outweighs the associated losses.”
