Customers across the retail landscape are demanding more from the retailers they buy from.
Within the grocery sphere, this means that customers are expecting more fresh food, on-the-go snacks and healthy options that they can grab quickly when they are shopping. All of this adds up to additional refrigeration needed to cover new product offerings and to meet the expectations of your customers. Many grocers now are expanding their produce sections, adding refrigerated grab-and-go lunch stands, as well as including accessible display coolers that better showcase their products.
Ultimately, this means retailers are spending more on their energy bills to keep products fresh and refrigerated. With refrigeration being upwards of 40% of a store’s energy bill, it is critical to stay on top of these costs. Energy bills can either strategically save the business money or expand and break budgets.
What Steps Can Grocers Take to Save on Their Refrigeration Energy Costs?
Accruent recommends that retail and grocery organizations create an energy plan for their refrigeration to keep costs manageable.
Here are some steps we have outlined to help you get started:
- Align your procurement, installation, facilities and energy teams to ensure priorities are aligned when purchasing or installing new equipment.
- Find a baseline of energy spend rate so that you know what you should be paying each month.
- Audit your current refrigerator’s set points to ensure they are running at the company standard and not overrunning or overcooling.
Our refrigeration experts Trey Simonton and Adrian Turner do a deep dive on these types of programs and where to get started. Check that video out here:
If you are interested in getting your refrigeration energy costs or maintenance spend under control, contact us today.
