8 December 2023
By: Lebogang Mashala
Food Lover’s Market has teamed up with Novum, an Irish provider of green and modular refrigeration solutions, and its South Africa partner Colcab to lower the retailer’s energy consumption, increase the lifespan of its products and maintain the quality of loose items.
This is achieved through the installation of energy-efficient, low-maintenance, sustainable refrigeration solutions at Food Lover’s Market’s new Rustenburg store.
After testing, Novum units featuring Colcab LEAP technology were found to reduce the store’s energy consumption, and the units’ modular design ensures easy replacement when necessary.
“Refrigeration is crucial to our business. Without reliable solutions, we risk losing stock, compromising quality and incurring costly overheads and product loss over time,” says Pierre Janse van Rensburg, a project engineer at Food Lover’s Market.
“Thanks to the Novum solutions from Colcab, we not only meet our high quality standards but we can also strive to create greener, more sustainable stores while improving our food integrity for consumers.”
LEAP is an air circulation technology that allows retailers to display food items such as calamari, mussels and frozen vegetables openly, something that was not possible with traditional static freezers. It extends product life and maintains the quality of loose items while also improving their display.
As well as energy benefits, Food Lover’s Market said it would benefit from no frosting, an increase in product shelf life, a reduction in wastage, improved displays and a better return on investment.
Colcab account manager De Wet Solomon said Food Lover’s Market “are very clear on their mandates and what they require from a refrigeration solution and will not compromise on these – which is exactly what consumers need from a fresh goods supplier”.
Jakub Zasko, Novum’s head of sales for Europe and South Africa, said: “What set the Novum refrigeration solutions apart in the eyes of Food Lover’s Market is that they are green, sustainable, circular, use natural refrigerant, are easily upgradeable, require ultra-low energy and are virtually maintenance free.
“They are also buying into the knowledge that they are getting a premium product with a better warranty, improved serviceability and a host of functionality that meets their quality standards.”Novum’s LEAP technology addresses industry challenges such as frequent defrost cycles and high operational costs. It significantly reduces energy use and CO2 emissions. Its external evaporator and forced air system ensure even air distribution and external defrost cycles. This results in stable temperatures, no thaw cycles and minimal frosting.
