Cold Storage

Cold Storage

The total capacity of cold storage warehouses was 600 million cubic meters in 2016, an increase of 8.6% since 2014 (4.2% annualized growth rate). Considerable new construction in emerging markets explains most of the increase in refrigerated warehousing space.

Cold storage is an essential link in any supply chain. There are a lot of companies in the marketplace looking to save money in their supply chain this year. Over the long term, making investments in your supply chain can save a lot more money down the road. One of the biggest areas of this is in Refrigerated Warehouses. There has been a lot of new technology researched in this area of business.

A Refrigerated Warehouse is an important segment of the supply chain that involves the storage of temperature-sensitive goods. Refrigerated storage helps in storage of perishable goods during cold chain supply. On the Basis of temperature ranges maintained, refrigerated warehouses can be segmented into two categories: Cold storage (coolers) and frozen storage (freezers). Cold storage areas usually maintain temperatures between 0-10 °C (32-50°F), while frozen storage areas maintain temperatures lower than 0°C (32°F).

Trends in Cold Storage

  1. More Outsourcing. Many manufacturing companies are outsourcing their needs to other companies. There are a lot of benefits to doing this over the long term. Not only does it take the hassle out of the process for a company, but often times it will save them money as well. 
  2. Focus on Quality. There is a higher focus on quality than ever before. No longer can companies get away with cutting corners in this area of their business. Many years ago, the customer did not care as much about product quality. The focus was just on the price of the food. There are a lot of people who now would rather pay more to have a fresher set of ingredients. Anyone who is looking to appeal to this customer must make sure their cold storage facilities are up to par.
  3. Need for More Supply Chain Efficiency. The market demand for more supply chain efficiency is growing. There are a lot of companies that are starting to focus on ways to save money in their supply chain. A lot of companies have figured out that this is an area where they can save millions of dollars in excess cost while still not affecting the company performance overall. Anyone who wants to look into ways to improve their overall supply chain can do so through several areas.
  4. Investing in Technology. Although a lot of changes have taken place in this industry over the past couple of years, there is still a huge need for companies to invest in technology. Over the long term, this is the way that products and services can be scaled to meet the needs of the customer.