What about the idea of perfectly chilled food delivered directly to your doorstep in the earliest duration of time at matchless prices? You may think that it is not viable by any means. No doubt, it’s a huge challenge, however, it always comes with the possibility for sustainable improvements. 

We will delve into the trends of temperature-controlled logistics that will not only be safe but more cost-efficient. 

Refrigerated Logistics for Food 2023 

Refrigerated logistics is going to get better, prompt and cost-efficient in the times to come. A study by McKinsey & Company reveals that the online grocery sector is all set to achieve new heights in the coming years. They are looking forward to new ways to deliver groceries directly to their customers’ doorstep but in the process, they also want to make the process more cost-efficient and go with the smallest time window for delivery. 

The McKinsey study has summarised the following points as part of their study done on 100 participants. 

  • Enhanced price sensitivity: 37 per cent of respondents said they are more conscious of the price when they buy food as they want to have more savings in the future. 
  • More consciousness about quality: 34 per cent of participants declared that they will focus more on the quality of their food in the future. 
  • Growing lifestyle Awareness: 58 per cent of respondents said they would be more conscious to choose their food types to match their lifestyle in future. 

What Refrigerated Logistics Must Attain in the Times to Come?

While grocery retailers confront the predicaments of expanding their online assortment and optimising the shopping experience for users, retail and freight forwarding companies need to look for proactive solutions to ascertain fast delivery times and minimal cost per delivery. 

However, this is not so easy to implement as the route to the end customer, the so-called last mile, is presently the most pricey and inapt route in the complete supply chain for refrigerated food logistics. If they want to remain competitive in the future, then retailers and logistics companies must look for easy and effective ways to sustainably lower their transport costs. 

Lastly, more and more online purchases in the private sector do not only mean potentially surging costs for delivery companies but also enhanced congestion in metro cities and considerably greater environmental effects due to more active refrigerated food transports. 

Here, too, refrigeration logistics will have to achieve new heights in the future to address rising customer demands. 

3 Trends in Refrigerated Logistics

Passive Cooling in the Last Mile

The management and transport of temperature-regulated foods go through different regulations. The most common denominator of these regulations is compliance with the cold chain along the entire supply chain. Due to these purposes, logistics companies opt for active refrigerated transport vehicles. 

It is quite difficult to replace longer routes having active cooling with passive cooling however it is not indispensable for last-mile transport. Companies can save costs on high repair and maintenance costs and lower their carbon footprint by opting for passive cooling for delivery to the end customer. 

Moreover, logistics companies can also rely on transport boxes that cool the goods even without a power supply and are in compliance with HACCP. Many companies are actively looking for this option. 

Electric Vehicles is a Reliable Alternative!

The idea of going with electric vehicles is not new. however, it is not possible to rely on it profitably so far because the power unit for active cooling reduces the range of the traction battery. Here, too going with passive cooling can prove to be cost-efficient per delivery. 

Refrigerated logistics can benefit from electric vehicles in the following ways:

  • Small e-vehicle or cargo bikes come with much more flexibility that can help tackle traffic, especially in urban areas.
  • The enhanced use of electric vehicles deals with traffic noises as passively cooled vehicles not only focus on zero emissions but also do it without any noise. 
  • The enhanced use of electric vehicles for last-mile delivery is a great solution to decrease CO2 emissions in food transportation. 

Pick Up Stations 

It is crucial to avoid empty runs and opt for duplication of journeys as much as possible. If we consider time it is not only crucial for the quality of goods but also important when it comes to the volume of traffic in our cities. To say no to transport without loads, logistic companies must cooperate closely in the future and coordinate their deliveries when it is possible. In the future, delivery services may say no to duplicate trips by depositing the goods directly in refrigerated collections stations for picks after the very first delivery attempt. 

Overall, any industry is subject to change with time. Therefore companies should always be ready to accept new changes and do their best.