Fighting Germophobia in the Produce Section in a COVID-19 World

According to a new report from C R Research, 60% of American consumers are afraid to shop at grocery stores due to the coronavirus and the health risks associated with it.

Consumers’ buying decisions are primarily influenced by what they are focused on, and in today’s world, that is mainly health. As such, many consumers turn to nutritious and immunity-boosting foods found in the produce and fresh market areas, but are still aware of the potential threat of infection. Grocery retailers need to be aggressive with sanitation of high-touch surfaces in their store, particularly in the fresh area. A robust and modular display shelf system that can be easily cleaned, leaving no possible crevice untouched for germs to fester and grow, can help. 

Standard retail display shelves are cumbersome and require a complete uninstall and re-installation to ensure cleanliness, which results in high labor costs, a reduction in sales and unhappy customers. A simple wipe-down of exposed surfaces is not sufficient—hidden crevices and cavities can be a haven for harmful germs and bacteria. High-contact surfaces would need to be repeatedly sterilized to ensure a safe environment.

The solution is easy: a display shelf system designed for quick disassembly of the food-contact deck's surface by section. This helps to protect displayed merchandise against germs using an antimicrobial coating on their shelving to prevent bacteria growth. This also streamlines the cleaning and sterilization process to make sure it is fast, sustainable, repeatable and does not interfere with the shopping experience. 

Periodic store surface sanitation is more important than ever before, but without a streamlined cleaning process, implementing these precautions can end up costing retailers more than it helps them.  

Siffron’s ModoShelf is explicitly designed for these concerns. It is NSF Certified and 100% dishwasher safe. The steel frame of the shelving remains in the installed position and can be thoroughly cleaned (no gaps or tight crevices to catch debris) with the interior of the display case itself, saving retailers time and labor. It also features antimicrobial coating on all food deck surfaces to prevent bacteria growth and ensure merchandise stays safe for customers to handle.