What grocery stores do customers like the most? Well stocked! In today's dynamic times, where every minute is at a premium, nothing is more annoying than having to visit all the stores in your area searching of the products you want. That is why it is worth taking care of a wide range of goods and displaying them properly. How to do it cleverly, especially when we have a small space? And how to ensure the proper storage conditions for products that require specific temperatures? Multideck refrigerated displays are coming to the rescue!

The answer to this question is: everything that needs to be kept in a refrigerated environment to preserve its shelf life. Starting from the most sensitive to high ambient temperature dairy products, such as milk, cream, kefir, yoghurt, cheese, through cold cuts and meats, fish, various delicatessen products, cakes and desserts, vegetables and fruits, to juices and drinks. There are two things you should pay attention to: firstly, the groceries should be properly packed, secondly, the temperature should be set appropriately for them - in one display, you should place products which require similar conditions. Usually, for dairy products it is between 1 – 6 ^oC, for cold cuts it is 2 – 7 ^oC, for fish 1 – 4 ^oC, cakes and desserts are best stored at temperatures between 4 – 10 ^oC, and delicatessen products, depending on the type of product, in conditions not exceeding 10 ^oC. Vegetables and fruit will stay fresh longer if you keep them at a temperature of between 4 and 10 ^oC.

It is worth to remember that the main rule for determining the correct storage temperature of all the above-mentioned products should always be the information on their packaging and the Health Department guidelines.

How to display products in a refrigerated display - the basic principles.

The arrangement of goods on shelves is only seemingly a trivial activity. In fact, it is guided by several important principles that have a real impact on sales.

The first and most important of these is to place goods according to the FIFO (first in, first out) method, i.e. based on their best-before date - those with the shortest shelf life should be placed at the front, so that they are sold as soon as possible. It is a good idea to check from time to time whether the products on the shelf are arranged in this order, as customers often rearrange them. This will reduce waste in the form of large quantities of out-of-date foodstuffs.

Another important thing is the positioning of the different products in the shelf. As a general rule, premium items are placed on the highest shelves (hence the popular saying 'high end goods' 😉 ), although there can be deviations, often due to specific agreements with manufacturers. The most popular products, which at the same time bring the highest profits, are usually placed at the customer's eye level. The lower shelves are usually occupied by products that might be of interest to children and often larger packages of popular items, the so-called family packs.

The third rule that should be followed is the systematic replenishment of goods on the shelves, and if, for various reasons, including logistical ones, this is not possible, the so-called face off should be performed, i.e. goods should be moved forward and placed in such a way that they take up the whole width of the shelf. This avoids the undesirable impression of an empty shelf.

The last principle is so obvious that we should not really mention it, but we will for the sake of argument. No merchandising tricks will help if we do not keep the unit clean, so a professional display requires regular cleaning of the device!

Where to place refrigerated display in a shop?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. It all depends on what space you have and what assortment you want to place in the device. Vegetable and fruit should be placed at the entrance for their colourful, eye-catching display that encourages further shopping. Dairy, cold cuts and meat displays are usually placed further in the store, some distance from the entrance, near the bread, whose aroma stimulates the taste buds and makes us willing to buy more. Those with delicatessen products and chilled drinks can be placed next to them. But wherever we place our refrigerated displays, the most important thing is to make sure there is easy access to the shelves so that the products are easy to reach (and refill the goods) and that there is enough space for the customer to stop for a while without impeding the passage of other shoppers.

What else we like refrigerated dispalys for

Like the skyscrapers of New York, refrigerated shelving enables you to use the space vertically, i.e. in the floor-to-ceiling axis, which is particularly valuable in small premises. Thanks to large, capacious shelves, we can place a lot of articles in them (which reduces storage space) and at the same time make them clearly visible and easily accessible to the customer. Additional accessories that can be mounted on RAPA displays in the form of crossbars with hooks "spike" or "s" type allow you to expand the arrangement potential, which will be especially appreciated by butcher shop owners. High aesthetics will ensure an elegant appearance, regardless of the type of assortment placed in the device, and the choice of appropriate décor will make the display harmonise with the interior. Matching LED lighting will cast the right light on the products on offer.

All of this makes for a much more pleasant shopping experience, which creates the chance for a high value shopping basket.

If you would like to know more about RAPA refrigerating display, we are here to help! Contact us at 81 742 53 10 or write to: rapa@rapa.lublin.pl.