Dialogue between retailers and manufacturers

• VDMA Specification "Minimum requirements for a data sheet for refrigerated display cabinets" published
• Information leaflet "Refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function, ecodesign requirements and energy labeling" presented at the EuroShop 2020 trade fair

"The dialogue between retailers and manufacturers is the prerequisite for defining and implementing common goals," says the chairman of the Specialized Group Refrigerated Cabinets, Peter Breitenfellner, Hauser GmbH. "As a manufacturer, we have an obligation to offer energy-efficient solutions that best support current climate protection policy". Optimizing operating costs is an essential goal of food retailing, as the supply of refrigerated food is constantly increasing. For this reason, VDMA, the Specialized Group Refrigerated Cabinets, manufacturers and retailers have been engaged in an intensive exchange of ideas for years and are striving to improve the energy efficiency of refrigeration systems and display cabinets (see VDMA Effizienz-Quickcheck) and also to switch to climate friendly refrigerants, such as CO₂.

VDMA 24148
The new VDMA Specification 24148 "Minimum requirements for a data sheet for refrigerated display cabinets" has also emerged from the industry consensus between display cabinet manufacturers and representatives of the food retail trade.

As a basis for the preparation of technical documentation, it is directed at manufacturers of display cabinets for the commercial sector with the aim of reducing the measurement and testing costs of refrigerated display cabinets. The VDMA Specification deliberately leaves room for more detailed information which every manufacturer can include in his technical documentation. The Specification based on the standard DIN EN ISO 23953 Refrigerated display cabinets.

Further information on VDMA 24148

VDMA Specifications can be obtained from Beuth Verlag, 10772 Berlin, Tel.: 030/2601-2260, Fax: 030/2601-1260. The specifications are cost-neutral for VDMA-members and available on VDMA publication database.  

Information leaflet of the Specialized Group Refrigerated Cabinets
Also newly published is the information leaflet "Refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function, ecodesign requirements and energy labeling", which was presented at the EuroShop trade fair by the members of the Specialized Group Refrigerated Cabinets. It provides an overview of product-specific ecodesign requirements and energy labelling and facilitates access to the newly published regulations

• Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2024 of 1 October 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

as well as

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2016 of 11 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of refrigerating appliances and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1060/2010

The information sheet is available for download here.

Production and market data
According to the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the european production volume of commercial refrigeration appliances in 2018 was approximately 3.7 billion euros.

This figure includes mass-produced supermarket refrigeration appliances, other commercial refrigeration appliances and related products. With a share of 24 percent, Italy is the most important manufacturing country. In comparison, Germany accounts for 11 percent of European production – that is 407 million euros.

The German market volume for supermarket refrigeration has shown significant growth in recent years and is estimated at around 520 million euros for 2018. In particular, sales of refrigeration units have risen throughout Europe due to high investments by retailers in energy efficiency and modernisation. Due to expiring investment programmes in Germany, however, 2019 showed only a slightly positive development. For new business in the supermarket refrigeration segment, the industry expected slight growth in 2020 at the beginning of the year.