GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bi-Lo last week completed its first installation of glass doors on 108 feet of previously open dairy cases at a store here. The REMIsafe French-open hinged doors are from Remis America, Elkhart, Ind.
“We decided to cover our cases for a couple of reasons,” said Dennis Gibson, director of maintenance and energy services at Bi-Lo, based here, in a statement. “First, since over half of the average supermarket’s energy use is consumed by refrigeration systems, we wish to significantly reduce our utility consumption.
“Second, doors help maintain more accurate and even temperatures, which leads to improved product integrity. All of the products are evenly cooled so product quality is across the board. And of a power outage were to occur, the insulated glass doors would protect the product for longer than if the cases were left open, reducing the need to risk damaging the product by moving it to a colder spot.”
He also observed that reducing cold air spillage into the store will drastically reduce the temperature in the aisle for customers. “Aisle temperatures average around 71 degrees with doors vs. close to 60 degrees without doors, so we are creating a more hospitable shopping experience for our customers,” he said.