Blog

Apr 04, 2023

Enhance your products with refrigeration from V3 ColdCab

When opening a supermarket, you will need to acquire plenty of fridges to store

When opening a supermarket, you will need to acquire plenty of fridges to store and display your stock. There are so many different types of fridges though. Are you aware of which ones are best suited to the different departments of the grocery store, butchery (yes we still have some of these) or supermarket you visit?

With the food and beverage industry, there is an unquestionably a wide range of categories of business operations and services to offer when it comes to delighting clients. Hence, understanding the needs of clients becomes imperative, while the role of visual impact in buying decisions can also not be ignored. The exceptional merchandise has no alternative in a supermarket business. Store architecture, colours, materials, lighting and visual merchandising as well as the implementation of a clear message about the product range and a direct appeal to clients, all have implications.

The V3 ColdCab Group manufactures refrigeration equipment

Keeping food and beverages cold and fresh is the cornerstone of the retail food and beverage industry, with billions spent annually on new equipment, repairs and maintenance. Food and beverage is the most asset-intensive sector of retail, thanks to refrigeration equipment, which is also the leading source of maintenance and repair costs. This reliance on refrigeration and its associated expenses set the food and beverage store owners apart from every other segment of retail, due to a unique combination of costs, combined with unique merchandising and regulatory challenges.

The latter is especially concerning as refrigeration requirements change, and regulators able to extract fines for administrative record-keeping errors become more vigilant amid the current political climate.

Refrigeration though, is one of the necessary equipment items ranking highest in terms of energy use, and suppliers and retailers are working constantly to lessen its impact on the environment. It's good business in so many ways.

"Investing in a state-of-the-art facility and equipment, combined with automating labour-intensive processes, can play a huge role in a company's success. The world of retail and shopper marketing is one of constant flux. Questions like ‘What is the role of brick-and-mortar stores in the future?’ or ‘How can we make the shopping experience more seamless and enjoyable for shoppers, consumers and retailers alike?’ are constantly testing those in the industry. These are the types of questions that they ask themselves daily. There has been more change in the world of retail in the past three years than in the fifteen years before that! We at the V3 ColdCab Group are constantly adapting, thinking, reacting and delivering solutions to meet the needs of such a dynamic time," said Johnny De Nobrega of the V3 ColdCab Group.

The V3 ColdCab Group is a family run company with mum, dad, daughter and son all involved. Family members Antonio, Johnny, Jessie and Judy de Nobrega

De Nobrega entered the food and beverage refrigerator manufacturing business after spending years in the sector gaining experience while working on ‘the other side’ – working for companies that purchased refrigeration, catering and other display units that most of us encounter every day of our lives when visiting a grocery store, butchery, supermarket or beverage store.

The V3 ColdCab story began in March of 2004 when De Nobrega and his wife Judy De Nobrega acquired a mature shopfitting and refrigerated cabinet manufacturing business, which was established in 1969, taking on a vast amount of well experienced staff and satisfied clientele.

"Judging by what I know it seems that supermarkets have been present in cities since the early 1900s. The concept of a self-service grocery store was developed by entrepreneur Clarence Saunders and his Piggly Wiggly stores, the first of which opened in 1916. The first stores emerged in the US around 1930. In Brazil, they arrived about two decades later, first in large cities and then gradually spreading throughout the country. Supermarkets have existed in Europe since the 1950s. The next step was the implementation of hypermarkets, beginning from the 1980s."

Heat-exchangers waiting to be installed

"There was once a time, when grocery shopping, that clients asked shopkeepers for each item to be fetched from the shelves. Many products were measured and weighed for the customer's wishes, as goods were not individually wrapped or packaged. This made shopping a slower process, and, as more staff were involved, more expensive."

"Supermarkets gave us more freedom, allowing us clients to choose our products. Sadly they were the demise of many specialist stores such as the butcher, fishmonger and baker. Supermarkets offered all of these under one roof and generally their prices would be better than the specialist because of their buying power."

"Many food retailers are currently investing more heavily in ready-prepared food offerings when designing and remodelling their shops, including offerings of hot snacks, refrigerated shelving for a range of convenience foods, a restaurant area, and hot and cold counters. These complement the shopping environment perfectly and offer retailers a lucrative opportunity to increase the frequency and duration of store visits, thus improving clients’ shopping experiences and boosting sales. The local supermarket has become a meeting place for friends and colleagues who also want to enjoy a culinary experience."

"As the retail trade and ready-prepared food sector are becoming increasingly integrated, so too are the individual departments in supermarkets."

The new JFY TPR8060 press brake, which has been supplied by Puma Machine Tools

Welding of panels and components is common

"We as a display equipment manufacturer have to take into account all of these elements that deliver the merchandise in an aesthetic and easy to view and grab manner that enhances the customer's shopping experience. At the same time you have to consider the resets of merchandise that is usually done by staff when you are not in the store. Labour efficiencies are critical to the cost savings of a store and there is nothing more displeasing to the eye than empty shelving."

"Our move into refrigeration equipment manufacturing was a natural progression from just doing shopfitting and cabinet manufacturing, but at the same time not an easy one. The barrier to entry level is high and demanding, whether you are the manufacturer or the shop owner. We have been manufacturing refrigeration equipment for almost 20 years now. The potential to gain market share is there despite the many challenges to overcome."

"There is also the aspect that a retailer wants his display equipment and areas to be aesthetic, superefficient and should not break down. Like the consumer he is not interested in the mechanical workings. He just wants to see the feet through the store spending their money with the least amount of disruption that could affect his bottom line."

"We began manufacturing commercial refrigeration equipment after wanting to increase our footprint in the retail sector and not just rely on shopfitting, another very competitive industry. It was also becoming increasingly evident that clients were inclining to lean towards turnkey solutions. Do everything from the equipment installation to the shopfitting and display."

Various components waiting to be assembled

"There are many different aspects of each of the departments, whether it is the butchery, bakery, dairy, fresh produce, processed product, packaged product, frozen, drinks, deli or ready to eat/grab n’ go department that encompasses cake, cheese and sandwiches, that you have to take into account and I am sure there has been more than one thesis written about these departments and habits of the customer when they are shopping."

"Point-of-purchase and point-of-sale display stands design and manufacture is a competitive environment. Design and manufacturing services can set a company apart. But it is the display itself – the efficiency and functionality, the aesthetic look and the quality of the sheet metal components and enclosures – that can really make a difference."

"Before each project our team assesses the viability of the project that includes cost, design, functionality, planning, and compliance. Our team makes the clients understand how both time and money are saved by acknowledging a thorough feasibility study. In addition to assembling designs and specifications, we supervise a multi-disciplinary team so that you have a single point of contact. We acknowledge the importance of working closely with the clients which helps us shape their dreams into reality."

"There are many different aspects of each of the departments, whether it is the butchery, bakery, dairy, fresh produce, processed product, packaged product, frozen, drinks, deli or ready to eat/grab n’ go department that encompasses cake, cheese and sandwiches, that you have to take into account and I am sure there has been more than one thesis written about these departments and habits of the customer when they are shopping."

"All of them need variants to different degrees of display units, whether it is positioning, height, width, shelving, closed or open, doors included and shape, whether they are uprights or islands and then of course whether they are hot, cold, frozen or just refrigerated."

"All of them need variants to different degrees of display units, whether it is positioning, height, width, shelving, closed or open, doors included and shape, whether they are uprights or islands and then of course whether they are hot, cold, frozen or just refrigerated."

It's not just about hot and cold snacks that work well when positioned next to one another. The trend for deep-freeze cabinets combined with refrigeration or the positioning of frozen and chilled fruit and vegetables together are examples of what you must consider

"It's also not just about hot and cold snacks that work well when positioned next to one another. The trend for deep-freeze cabinets combined with refrigeration or the positioning of frozen and chilled fruit and vegetables together are examples of what you must consider."

Manufacturing"For presentation, the visual elements are critical. We manufacture most of our units in stainless steel, both the interior and exterior. If a client requires a coating we have a relationship with an outside supplier."

"Polished stainless steel finishes are decorative sheet products incorporating bright, matt and patterned polish finishes on sheet and coil metals. Apart from the largely aesthetic appeal of polished finishes, some also provide functionality not found on standard steel sheets such as high-usage wear protection and increased hygienic properties due to the smooth and minimally porous surfaces of the polished finishes."

"We have our own polyurethane injected insulation plant. It must be one of the most overworked, under paid pieces of equipment on the whole factory floor. It offers us maximum flexibility in the production of insulated panels and is now much more adaptable to our needs. The use of a special vacuum technology means that insulated panels can be efficiently produced in many different sizes and thicknesses, as well as in a variety of foam densities. Everything depends on the panel design we require."

Semi-assembled product

An upright unit being fitted and assembled

"Our units are made to control air flow circulation, have fully adjustable and removable shelves, have super mirror patch-end interiors, have colour coding, have stainless steel bumper rails, large LCD temperature display units, have anti-corrosive tub inners that never rust or leak, high-performance evaporator coils and toughened or curved glass as a standard safety feature."

JFY TPR8060 press brake"We do all of the assembly inhouse and most of our bending and punching requirements are done on our own equipment. New in this department is a JFY TPR8060 press brake, which has been supplied by Puma Machine Tools. The machine is not the largest press brake but it allows us to process many of our smaller components, which allows the operators to bend the larger components on the bigger press brakes, thus not creating bottle necks while at the same time improving efficiencies."

"The JFY TPR8060 press brake is the first of a number of equipment purchases that we are looking to conclude in the near future, all with a common goal of improving quality and lead times."

"When we acquired the business it was located in Turfontein, South Johannesburg and occupied about 700m². During the next year we added 2 500m² before we decide to move to Alrode and had 4 000m² under roof. Growth forced us to find a bigger factory and in 2015 we moved into the current location, which has 6 300m² of factory space."

"We can process up to 40 tons a month of metal with most of it between 0.55mm and 2mm. An upright unit could weigh about 600kgs once finished and a jumbo unit 1.1 tons. These are the completely assembled units and not just the metal weights."

"The product that the unit houses will determine the temperature but to give you an example he fresh meat units operate between 0 and 6 degrees Celsius whereas a freezer unit will operate between -20 and -25 degrees Celsius."

The company also does punching on a Euromac punch

The company has origins in the shopfitting industry and it's still part of the turnkey service it offers

"One of our latest ranges we have introduced is our own version of the gondola shelving system, one of the best-designed display systems that accommodates both retailer and customer needs. Lightweight, economical and adjustable, gondola shelving is designed for easy assembly and installation with minimal disruption to daily business operations. This is not a refrigeration product but fits in with our shopfitting side of the business."

"At the moment our staff complement is 85 and we are exporting to neighbouring countries. We deal mainly with the independently owned companies. Some of them are not so small these days. One of them, our client, has 34 stores of which the V3 ColdCab Group has designed, manufactured and installed every single one to date, over a 12 year relationship."

"Clients aren't pursuing refrigeration architecture because of the architecture itself but because of the benefits they want to receive from it. Choosing a refrigeration system used to be all about energy efficiency, but many clients today have different things they’re trying to optimise. Energy efficiency is still important, but many clients are also seeking to reach environmental or sustainability goals. In fact, for some, that's their primary motivation."

For further details contact V3 ColdCab on TEL: 011 908 0610 or visit www.v3coldcab.co.za