Consumer habits have shifted significantly in the last year. Something as convenient as ordering your groceries online has caused an uptick in demand for larger, more efficient cold storage facilities. Industrial cold storage facilities are used for the cold processing and storage of refrigerated or frozen food products. However, around 78% of cold storage warehouses in the United States are at least 20 years old – meaning their energy efficiency is lacking and the total storage space can’t keep up with the rising consumer demand and logistics. As a contractor that is well-versed in the grocery industry, FoxArneson can build and expand micro- cold storage facilities to help our clients keep up with consumer demand and, more importantly, keep their products fresh and protected.FoxArneson construction

The interest of Cold Storage

In the past 2 years, the online ordering of food products has become a staple source of distribution for many businesses. In turn, the rise in e-commerce for groceries has caused a need for cold storage facilities. These facilities allow vendors to maintain the quality of their products on-site and minimize waste and expenses in the long-run, which is becoming more important consumers trend toward healthier food options that require refrigeration. These facilities are also more important than ever due to the storage of COVID-19 vaccines. Both Moderna and Pfizer are transported must maintain a consistent temperature range in storage, and due to the fast-tracking of these vaccines’ release, cold storage facilities became an integral part in aiding with the vaccination efforts across the country with some grocery stores giving up their facilities for storage of the vaccines.

Cold Storage Micro-Fulfillment Centers

Micro-fulfillment centers can reduce the distance between the product and customer. While regional distribution centers are still necessary to supply micro fulfillment centers, having a cold storage facility on-site the helps you fulfill the constant demand for refrigerated goods. Cold storage micro-fulfillment centers can deliver fresh or frozen items directly to consumers without depending on the timeliness of the regional distribution center. Depending on the location, existing spaces can be repurposed to a micro-fulfillment center that’s closer to where people are living – allowing vendors to handle a larger capacity of goods and sell more products.

Cold Storage Trends

Retail spaces have been blending their space and adding cold storage warehouse to their current store. Depending on your business model, you might not need micro fulfillment centers but rather need a cold storage warehouse space at your store. The newer cold storage facilities are more energy efficient and provide more stable temperatures. Different foods need to be stored at different temperatures causing a need for cold storage rooms within a warehouse. Cold storage centers are moving vertical and installing multi-level rack systems. Higher ceilings expand space vertically and reduces the total square footage needed. If products are stacked and higher up, automated storage retrieval systems may be helpful, save time, money, and keep everyone safe.

FoxArneson has built over 3 million square feet of warehouse space in the last ten years. That is about 50 football fields of warehouse space! Every Woodman’s Food Market built by FoxArneson has about 125,000 square feet of warehouse space – with a majority being cold storage. Take a look at our past warehouse and cold storage facility projects to learn more about this flourishing trend.

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