Refrigeration systems and display cases are undeniably essential equipment for various businesses. This is especially true in the food retail industry where investing in refrigeration systems and equipment is necessary for displaying and storing perishable food products. However, when you don’t have enough know-how on which refrigeration products best suit your business needs, procuring these assets can be tricky.

Here are some questions to ask before buying refrigeration systems and equipment for your food retail business:

What Is the Application?

Before deciding to acquire products to meet your refrigeration needs, be it complete refrigeration systems or retail display cases, knowing first what type of food will be stored and/or displayed is of paramount importance. Identifying the type of application and determining the purpose of the refrigeration in your food retail store will save you time and money. For instance, if you intend on displaying beverages, then a multi-deck merchandiser works best; or, if you plan on merchandising meat and seafood, then you can choose single-deck, refrigerated service cases, specifically designed for meat and seafood applications.

What Options Do I Have?

Luckily, due to the advancements in refrigeration technology, there is a myriad of refrigeration equipment options available in the market today. Depending on your needs, there are display cases and commercial refrigeration systems suited for different store formats, applications, and usage. There are also environmentally friendly alternatives, such as CO₂ booster systems, CO₂ condensing units, and R-290 self-contained merchandisers.

How Much Is the Cost?

Acquiring new refrigeration systems can be quite a costly endeavor. That is why knowing the overall cost is one of the deciding factors you should consider before purchasing. You should get the value out of your investment by considering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which includes the equipment, installation, refrigerant cost, operation, and maintenance. There are refrigeration systems that can be friendly to your budget, like natural refrigeration solutions that are easy to use and offer long-term cost and energy savings for retailers without the regulatory hassles. With sustainable refrigeration systems, long-term cost benefits and usage outperform traditional HFC systems.

Which Brand to Choose?

When it comes to making the final decision on which refrigeration solution to get, choosing the right brand is always critical. Buying on price alone may cost you more in the long run, whereas getting what you need from experienced and credible brands will offer you products that are reliable and of top quality. Also, it is important to purchase from a brand that not only has great products, but also excellent and comprehensive after-sales service. It’s hard to put a price on having a brand that is there for you when you need it most.

These questions, although not the entirety of what you need to consider and know before buying refrigeration systems and equipment, are a good start for you to make the right choice. Combined with research, talking to experts and users alike, and reading customer reviews, asking questions like these before purchasing your refrigeration needs can help you guarantee to get the most value out of your investment.