Nothing kills your store’s festive atmosphere (or profit margins) faster than a refrigeration system or display case failure.

If a busy shopper enters your store looking for premade sides and frozen pies the week before Thanksgiving, you can’t let them down with spoiled products or empty shelves caused by refrigeration problems.

There’s one simple trick food retailers should know to prevent display case mishaps from wrecking your store’s merchandising strategy: schedule preventative maintenance now, before the rush.

4 Maintenance Steps to Protect Your Merchandising Strategy Before the Holiday Rush

With the holiday season approaching, food retailers are preparing to support a surge in shoppers—up to 30% higher in-store traffic.

Here’s what to do to ensure your equipment is ready for what’s next:

1. Schedule your professional system inspections and preventive maintenance in late October to early November.

Here’s why: While you’re preparing for the holiday rush, refrigeration technicians and service teams are, too. Their schedules fill up fast this time of year, and openings will be few and far between closer to the holidays as they respond to emergency calls. If you put off scheduling professional services, you risk longer downtime and service interruptions. Plus, your systems will be under extra strain during this busy season, and you want to be sure they are performing optimally to prevent unexpected failures.

2. Visually inspect your cases to spot early warning signs and address issues before they get worse.

Here’s why: You want to catch smaller problems before they cause your whole case to go down. Often, there are early indicators that something is off with your case: warped doors, sticky hinges, deteriorating gaskets. Note anything out of the ordinary and discuss it with your facilities team or your service team when they come for scheduled maintenance. Getting ahead of minor problems helps ensure your cases maintain proper temperatures to preserve those high-margin holiday products.

3. Perform a quick merchandising audit where your team looks for opportunities to improve visuals.

Here’s why: You already know that merchandising matters. Your merchandising strategy directly impacts sales performance, so make sure your equipment isn’t detracting from the carefully designed displays you create. To make sure you get the most from your merchandising, do a brief walk-through where you check lighting angles, replace light bulbs and swap out old wire racks for new ones.

4. Assign deep-cleaning tasks to be completed before the mid-November shopping rush.

Here’s why: A clean case sets the perfect stage for those eye-catching displays you are planning. On the other hand, dirty equipment makes for a worse in-store experience and sends the wrong message to your shoppers. Break deep-cleaning tasks up over a few weeks so they are more manageable and don’t disrupt shoppers.

What Food Retailers Need to Know About Professional Refrigeration Services

Robert Hayes, Director of Operations for The AMS Group, offers essential information for food retailers heading into the holidays.

The AMS Group is an extension of Hillphoenix, providing comprehensive turnkey aftermarket solutions and the refrigeration expertise you need to keep operations running smoothly during peak season—and year-round.

“Behind the scenes, several essential maintenance tasks require attention before holiday inventory arrives,” Hayes said. “Addressing these proactively minimizes workflow disruptions and guarantees all systems operate at peak capacity.”

“As refrigeration specialists, our service team maintains a comprehensive inventory of critical components and system-essential maintenance procedures to execute before high-volume cold merchandise delivery. These tasks span from basic drainage verification to compressor performance assessment and refrigerant level checks.”

AMS provides much more than essential maintenance, though, with teams ready to help things run smoothly during the holiday rush, as Hayes explains.

“At AMS, we’re committed to partnering with our clients to ensure a smooth, well-orchestrated holiday season that delivers exceptional customer experiences,” he said. “Whether it’s refrigeration systems or non-mechanical components and equipment, our National Service team stands ready to prepare your store. Should any issues arise—anytime, day or night—our 24/7 dispatch team is prepared to restore your operations swiftly.”

You can reach The AMS Group any time at our 24/7 dispatch number 1-800-343-4526, or email your questions to AMSService@doverfoodretail.com.

And for merchandising insights that help you boost basket ring and make the most of seasonal traffic, check out hillphoenix.com/merchandising-matters. Because merchandising matters — and maintenance does, too!