Zott Genusswelt, which opened in Asbach-Bäumenheim in March 2019, is a 1,300-square-metre store with a wide range of products for yoghurt and cheese lovers as well as a self-service restaurant. Made-to-measure refrigerated cabinets and modernised refrigeration technology were installed to present the store’s goods to maximum effect.
The Zott dairy at Mertingen in Bavaria is an autonomous and international family-run business with a long tradition, consolidated turnover of almost a billion euros and approximate milk output of 940 million kilograms. Zott Store & More GmbH, which is part of the corporate group, has run Zott Genusswelt & Outlet in Asbach-Bäumenheim (near Donauwörth) since 29 March 2019. The new store concept showcases the full product range, including international and regional specialities such as confectionery, wines, oils and bread.
A 12-metre cheese counter contains 140 varieties of cheese, while the store presents around 1,200 product items in total. To ensure the continuous and efficient cooling of all dairy products, Zott opted for an environmentally sound refrigeration system and energy efficient refrigerated cabinets from Hauser, which was tasked to meet specific needs. “For the outlet area we needed cabinets that could hold fully loaded Euro pallets crosswise,” says Markus Juschtzak, store manager of Zott Genusswelt & Outlet.
The structural features of the store had to be considered when installing the units; today all installations, including the electrical wiring and refrigeration cables, are accommodated within a 38cm raised floor with mastic asphalt surface. “Although the floor is low-maintenance, the point load is limited to a maximum of six kilonewtons, so we cannot use excessively heavy display cabinets. To find the right units, we had to perform calculations and testing with our service providers,” recalls Juschtzak. One major challenge involved designing refrigerated display cabinets for specialist products on Euro pallets. “This called for a new kind of unit with extra-wide glass doors, ball bearings for easy fitting and impact bumpers,” says Juschtzak.
In total, 80 metres of refrigerated multideck display cabinets were installed, along with refrigerated display cabinets with special glass doors for 40 pallets in the outlet area and refrigerated gondolas at various points in the sales zone. Regional products and external brands are presented on three self-service shelves.
It was also critical that the refrigerated cabinets could support the presentation and sale of fast-rotating items. Highlights now include made-to-measure refrigerated display cabinets for pallets as well as Vinia-series islands, which match the interior of Zott Genusswelt with their metallic tiled look. The refrigeration system, which uses environmentally sound R744 refrigerant, also supplies four cold rooms with around 100 square metres of floor space for palletised and dairy goods, including a separate deep freeze and a cold room for cheese. Full system monitoring and HACCP conformity were other key considerations in the design process – and with minimal legwork for staff, internal processes have also been improved.
After the first few months of operation, Zott declared itself highly satisfied. “The shelves and counters are energy efficient and cool down the shop space at the same time, which means we save on air conditioning in the summer; in winter the waste heat from the refrigeration system can be used for heating,” reveals Juschtzak. The refrigerated cabinets for pallets are also performing well. “Now that we can place fully loaded pallets in the unit, we can quickly present our specialist products for sale. The small amount of handling required saves us time and money,” believes the store manager.
Since the opening phase, Zott has ordered two more refrigerated display cabinets along with a self-service freezer to raise the profile of the Zottarella and Bayerntaler brands.
