Cooling and freezing during the summer

The demand for industry products that cool food and/or keep it frozen for longer storage during the summer months is driven by several factors. One is of course the renovation enthusiasm in mainly holiday homes during the holiday season. The more important factor, however, is the weather-dependent factor.

The increased ambient temperature during the summer months places higher demands on the functionality of the refrigerator and freezer. The compressors have to work significantly more than during autumn-winter-spring conditions when the ambient temperature is more normal.

This can cause additional wear and tear on older refrigerators (which may already have worn insulation strips in the doors and where the back has not been cleaned for a long time) leading to malfunctions and even death. It is not fun at all to come home to the house/apartment after the holidays and discover that all the food in the freezer has thawed and now emits a strong unpleasant odor when the door is opened.

The back is important

At the back of the fridge or freezer is a heat-dissipating ”element” that expels hot air that has collected on the inside of the fridge. If this becomes dirty and dusty, it becomes harder for the fridge to keep cold, the compressor has to work harder and uses more electricity. Therefore, everyone should be advised to vacuum and wipe down the back of the cabinet at least once a season.

A myth or truth?

Is it a myth or truth that refrigerators are sold in large quantities during the summer months? APPLiAnytt has compared sales (sell-in) in Sweden in the form of monthly shares per month for 7 consecutive years (see diagram above). The myth is confirmed as truth even though there is a holiday-related dip in the month of July when many of the industry's top salespeople enjoy their holidays and fewer deliveries to retailers occur.

The 7-year comparison clearly shows that sales to retailers increase significantly in June - to prepare for the increased customer demand during the hot summer and to be able to cover customers' needs.

Then, when retailers' stocks start to thin out after July demand, a new peak for sales of refrigeration products will occur in August and September across all categories of refrigeration products. A truth indeed!

Text: Kent Oderud

APPLiAnytt