RIDGEFIELD Joe Ancona is a third-generation grocer who has embraced green technology and eco-friendly store design.

Founded by his grandfather, Joseph Ancona Sr., Ancona’s Market on Route 102 in Ridgefield has entered the 21st century in layout and product offerings.

Ancona grew up in the business, and after earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture and master’s of business administration degree, he returned to the market three years ago.

His architectural training is in sustainable supply and environmentally friendly designs that are community and socially responsible. His personal interest is in natural foods that promote a healthy lifestyle.

From re-usable cloth grocery bags to polished cement floors which don’t require the stripping and waxing with toxic chemicals that vinyl floor tiles do Ancona has made the market environmentally friendly.

He and his uncle, John Ancona, are in the market every day.

“My father was stepping back a bit from the day-to-day of the store, which led my uncle, John (Ancona) and I to sit down and talk about how we’d proceed with upgrading the market,” Joe Ancona said. “It needed a lot of renovations.”

By adding Econofrost night shades to all the open-faced refrigerators in the store, Ancona was able to cut electric consumption by 20 percent.

“Given that our electric bill is about $18,000 a month, that’s a good savings,” he said. “For our meat case, with the Econofrost night shade, the refrigeration is better, which increases the shelf life of our meats.”

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It is estimated that 75% of the supermarkets in North America are closed to the public for 6 to 8 hrs at night. With little effort, these supermarkets could claim dollars that are lost during the stores’ closed hours from unnecessary energy consumption and premature spoilage of many perishable products.

Open refrigerated display cases are the best way for retailers to present fresh merchandise to consumers. Unfortunately, these cases are also open to the effects of heat and UV radiation from the store environment.

Heat that travels and its effects
There is often a misconception that the refrigerated air escapes from the display case. However, heat or warm air is actually drawn toward the colder air, raising the temperatures in the display case; this causes merchandise to warm up and compressors to operate more frequently.

The warming of the refrigerated air at the surface of the display case causes a difference in temperature between the first foot and the back of the display shelves. Most consumers have occasionally noticed food products that are warmer at the front of the case than those deeper into the case. The placement of thermometers at the front and rear of open refrigerated display case shelves easily confirm this.

A refrigerated case full of products will show greater differences in temperature than an empty display case. Cold air does not flow as freely when blocked by stacks of merchandise within the case.

In addition, the merchandise itself will hold the temperature of its surroundings, helping to keep the colder rear areas cold and the warmer, more exposed open surfaces warm.

More frequent compressor operation and exposed products must be tolerated so that consumers can shop freely, but when the store is closed, simple steps can be taken to reduce store energy consumption and extend product shelf life with ideal cold temperatures.

Creating a barrier at night
To solve this problem, an efficient temperature barrier is needed between the opening of the display case and the store interior. The ideal thermal barrier arrangement must have several qualities to be effective in increasing store profit:

• Reasonable cost and quick initial payback period;
• Simple and quick to put in operation;
• No interference with customer access to fresh merchandise when the store is open;
• No disturbance to the cosmetic appearance of the store;
• Durable commercial quality;
• Hygienic (will not rust or attract dust, mold, and mildew);
• Simple, quick cleaning maintenance that can be done when cleaning the case; and
• Effective in the reflection of heat and UV radiation.

Some methods of closing cases have included plastic strip curtains and solid plastic curtains.

Wildly escalating energy costs in Europe led to the development of another type of material that can be used in open refrigerated display cases in supermarkets. Engineers and display case manufacturers provided consultation to conclude that reflective aluminum prevented 70% of the heat gain at the opening of a refrigerated case.

Placing sheets of aluminum over open cases during closed hours was obviously not practical due to storage and handling problems. A vertical rolling curtain permanently attached to the top of the display was agreed upon as the simplest and easiest to use arrangement.

To adapt to this arrangement, a 99% pure aluminum heat-reflective fabric was developed. To provide strength to the woven aluminum fabric and eliminate oxidation, it is coated with a thin, transparent film.

Humidity levels in a store are often very high compared to the level inside a display case, and condensation can form due to the temperature differences between the inner and outer fabric surfaces. To allow the woven aluminum fabric to breathe and condensation to evaporate, it is punched with a precise pattern of tiny holes. The perforations represent 1.5% of the total heat-reflective surface area.

The fabric is placed on a rustproof, spring-loaded spindle that is mounted in an aluminum enclosure for adaptability in regard to the retrofit of existing display cases. The assembly includes a nylon handle, hook, and mounting end caps that are durable, cost effective, and cannot rust.

Payback
Even in areas that have low energy costs, supermarkets report their energy bills to be approximately 1% of their total sales volume. However, profit margins within the supermarket industry are very low, also around 1%. Any improvement in reducing costs helps make substantial improvements to profit.

Several factors affect the payback on investment for the purchase of woven aluminum night covers:

• Hours the store is closed;
• Local energy cost;
• Number of cases;
• Types of cases;
• Equipment efficiency;
• Heat sensitivity of perishable merchandise; and
• The store environment.

Retailers with a minimum 60 hrs closing time per week that use aluminum night covers have reported a payback in as short as three months to as long as 20 months.

The payback is derived from reduced energy costs through less frequent compressor operation and maintenance, as well as reduced store heating or air conditioning operation.

However, retailers have reported that the quickest payback is from the protection of all heat-sensitive merchandise from exposure to heat and UV radiation during closed hours. Protection from heat and UV radiation is particularly important in the fresh meat and produce departments. This sensitive merchandise tends to dry, wilt, and discolor from exposure to heat and dry air within the store.

Woven aluminum night covers reflect heat and UV away, creating the optimum temperature and humidity around all the produce held in the case. This can eliminate morning produce trimming, which can save roughly $1 of produce/ft of case plus associated labor. A supermarket with 100 or 200 ft of produce display receives quick payback from product sold that would normally be accepted as a daily loss.

Produce cases
At the end of the day, produce departments usually restock the display cases with new merchandise. Older produce is rotated to the top of the display case.

If a case is filled to capacity, the refrigerated air has difficulty effectively cooling all of the produce surface area, leaving it vulnerable to heat and UV. Even with automatic sprayers to moisten the produce during the closed hours, there is still plenty of spoilage to trim away before store opening each morning.

Most supermarkets report significant shrinkage on produce displayed at the front portion of their cases, which is not well reached by the cold air and spray.

Meat cases
Meat products, when exposed to heat and UV, create photochemical reactions on the surface of the cuts that lead to color change.

For example, meat and sausage cuts fade considerably or go gray, thus losing their fresh appearance. Severe discoloration can also catalyze liquid oxidation, which results in deterioration of the meat’s aroma and flavor.

Strict control of temperature and minimizing the time at warmer temperatures are critical to solving color fading and prolonging shelf life of fresh meat products.

Floral cases
Retailers report that floral cases closed with glass doors provide for longer shelf life, but floral sales are much better when using an open case. Woven aluminum night covers offer open merchandising when the store is open and prolong shelf life when the store is closed.

Econofrost Night Curtains appeared for the first time at Gulfood International, the major food, hotel and equipment exhibition in the United Arab Emirates. Gulfood International Food Safety Conference is the region’s leading showcase for food and hospitality trades, being held this year at the Dubai International Convention Exhibition Center.

     The food safety conference serves the global food industry as a meeting place for retail food distributors and suppliers from over 70 countries. Food retailers interested in saving energy and reducing operating costs can visit booth ZA-36, Zabeel Hall, from February 23 through 26, 2009, to learn how effective and easy to operate Econofrost woven aluminum night curtains can be. Econofrost invites supermarket retailers, display case manufacturers, food equipment distributors, store design firms, refrigeration equipment specialists, and energy consultants to bring their questions about how Econofrost thermal blinds can bring rapid returns for retail stores.

     Econofrost thermal night covers provide a simple, affordable way to saving energy  by stabilizing temperatures in open refrigeration cases, prolonging the shelf life of refrigerated merchandise, and decreasing the energy load on refrigeration equipment. Econofrost woven aluminum display covers can be specified as an option from most manufacturers of commercial refrigeration equipment or ordered for retrofits. Savings from improved energy efficiency can amount to more than the full cost of the Econofrost installation in a matter of weeks or months

     Econofrost thermal blinds reflect heat, trap cold air, and stabilize temperatures in refrigerated food cabinets. Meat, seafood, dairy and flower displays exposed to dry air, heat and light during the day stay fresh longer when they are stored in optimal temperature and humidity conditions while the store is closed.

     Serving the supermarket industry since 1975, Econofrost has made over 250,000 retail store installations in nearly 30 countries. Market Group Ventures, Inc., the parent corporation for Econofrost and Promolux Lighting International, is a world leader in providing retail technology solutions for merchandisers.

Market Group Ventures Inc. is pleased to bring Promolux Lighting International and Econofrost night curtains to Expo Carnes 2009 in Monterrey, Mexico. Billed as the gateway for the world’s meat suppliers to do business in Mexico, Expo Carnes is an international meat industry exhibition and convention held every two years. This year’s convention is open February 25 through 27, 2009 and includes topics of interest such as food safety, the global meat market and Canada’s meat industry updated.

            A world leader in providing retail technology solutions to the supermarket industry, MGV is the parent company of Promolux Lighting International and Econofrost night curtains. Promolux can be found alongside Econofrost in Booth 1406 at Cintermex conference center. Representatives seek meetings with meat industry retailers and equipment designers interested in food safety and meeting consumer demand for the freshest merchandise available.

            Promolux is a leading manufacturer of true color definition lighting for merchandising displays, and offers full color balanced lighting solutions that dramatically improve the visual impact of fresh meat displays. Promolux Safe Spectrum food lighting also helps extend the shelf life of perishable food displays by reducing lipid oxidation, drying and other damaging effects of light. Promolux low radiation lamps are designed specifically for fresh food displays to maintain product integrity, color, freshness and  nutrititional value of meats, dairy, produce and other fresh food displays. See www.promolux.com.

            Econofrost night covers provide a simple, affordable way to save energy by maintaining temperature control in open refrigeration cases, prolonging the shelf life of refrigerated merchandise, and decreasing the energy load on refrigeration equipment. Econofrost woven aluminum display covers can be specified as an option from most manufacturers of commercial refrigeration equipment or ordered for retrofits. Econofrost has served the supermarket industry since 1975 and has made over 250,000 thermal shield installations in nearly 30 countries. .

How to optimize energy efficiency for refrigerated food displays

Stabilizing overnight temperatures in food display cabinets while a store is closed completes a food store’s successful energy efficiency program. Econofrost is attending the world’s largest HVAC&R exposition to show the world of air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technologies just how easy it is for any retail food store to reduce costs of operating expensive refrigerated food merchandisers by installing their quality reflective night covers. Locate Econofrost at the AHR Expo, January 26-28, 2009, in booth 6243 in the South Hall, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, side by side with Promolux Lighting International. Econofrost attends AHR Expo to show their green and simple night curtains to the commercial food industry, particularly refrigeration equipment companies and display case manufacturers and dealers.

            Large and small supermarkets reduce their energy output and decrease deterioration of perishable goods on display with Econofrost thermal blinds that reflect heat, trap cold air, and stabilize temperatures. Meat, seafood, dairy and flower displays exposed to dry air, heat and light radiation during the day stay fresh longer when they are stored in optimal temperature and humidity conditions while the store is closed. 

            Look for the Econofrost booth to discuss your needs. Representative Jamie Orr explains that savings from improved energy efficiency can amount to more than the full cost of the Econofrost installation in a matter of weeks or months, and utility company rebates for energy efficient technologies are available in some jurisdictions to further improve an energy-conscious store’s payback on investment.

            Econofrost night curtains are easily installed in existing supermarket merchandisers or can be included in orders for new equipment from refrigerated display equipment manufacturers such as Hussmann, Tyler/Carrier, Hill Phoenix, Master-Bilt, Barker, Southern Stores Fixtures and many others. Econofrost has been serving the supermarket industry since 1975 and has made over 250,000 night cover installations in nearly 30 countries. Market Group Ventures, Inc., the parent corporation for Econofrost and Promolux Lighting International, is a world leader in providing retail technology solutions for merchandisers.

For Immediate Release  

Econofrost meets with supermarket industry executives to show how their night curtains complete a food store’s successful energy efficiency program. Econofrost presents their night curtains to food industry executives at the Storepoint marketing event, January 18 – 21. The historic landmark Hotel del Coronado,  just across the bay from San Diego, CA, hosts the 2009 Storepoint trade event where structured pre-arranged meetings between retailers and suppliers focus on innovation and where preplanned business connections create optimal opportunities for productive business partnerships

        Sessions at the Storepoint event focus on surviving current challenges of  today’s marketplace along with issues concerning green buildings and green products. Econofrost shows how their energy efficient thermal barriers reduce costs of operating refrigerated display cases by sustaining stable overnight temperatures while a store is closed. Representative Jamie Orr said that it takes only a matter of weeks or months for some supermarkets to demonstrate a return on their investment with their new Econofrost  aluminum night covers. Utility company rebates for energy efficient technologies are now available in some jurisdictions to further improve an energy-conscious store’s payback on investment.

          Market Group Ventures, Inc., the parent corporation for Econofrost and Promolux Lighting International, is a world leader in providing retail technology solutions for merchandisers. Since 1975, Econofrost has made installations of over 250,000 thermal shields in over 25 countries. Econofrost night covers can be ordered in all standard sizes for new refrigerated display cabinets or for retrofits.

Econofrost Refrigeration Blinds Do Not Pose A Health Risk and Do NOT Use Silver Nano Technology

As consumer watchdogs and health officials file a petition to ban the sale of consumer products that use Silver Nanotechnology Econofrost founder Mark Granfar assures retailers that Econofrost night covers do not contain silver nanotechnology and were engineered specifically for food applications making them a viable, effective and food- safe tool to reduce energy consumption and increase product integrity. “Our goal from the very start was to manufacture a night cover for food retail environments. We understood the need to create an effective product that met both the needs of the consumer and the industry. Food safety was one of those requirements.”

Large chains like Stater Bros, Raley’s, Basha’s and Fry’s as well as independent grocers have all chosen to install Econofrost woven aluminum heat reflective night covers in their stores as a way to conserve energy and preserve the freshness and quality of their perishables on display.

“We totally support and encourage stores to initiate an in-store test,” says key account representative Jamie Orr. “The benefits of installing Econofrost night covers far outweigh the benefits of other night covers on the market because of the advantages in design and quality. We know our night covers are modular in design and will last a long time saving the retailer thousands of dollars over the years.”

Manufacturers who engineer their products with silver nano-technology and do so claiming it has antibacterial benefits have designed a product that poses a health risk to people and the environments. Silver nano-particles are extremely toxic and study after study is confirming the detrimental effect of using such materials in everyday items.

Econofrost night covers are made using woven aluminum fabric which is ideal for commercial refrigerated applications. Woven aluminum fabric absorbs very little radiated heat and reflects radiant energy away from perishable foods. This helps ensure cooler temperatures inside the case and more stable product temperatures. Woven aluminum fabric is also very hygienic and easy to clean and will last for years withstanding the daily rigors of a retail store environment.

Retailers looking for eco-conscious alternatives to minimize their store’s impact on the environment and reduce their utility bill can find more information on Econofrost night covers online at http://www.econofrost.com or they may call toll free 1-800-519-1222 to speak to a representative directly.

Slowdowns in today’s economy have drawn attention to the need for making our use of energy more efficient, using energy more wisely and conserving energy wherever possible.  This transcends to the retail industry where the streamlining of food storage and display methods plays a key role in achieving exactly this.

You may already have gone green with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and have your entire store operation and merchandise housed in an energy efficient building.  The new energy efficient appliances are humming quietly, and you are saving money from having installed energy efficient windows and well sealed doors. And you may want to reduce your consumption of energy even more. If you have not been able to move to LEED store design or just not upgraded your store design in recent years with new equipment, what do you do?  You still feel the need to make cost effective improvements and effectively reduce energy waste at the store level. What can you do? Even more, what can you afford?

The worldwide food distribution industry is facing economic pressure to cut energy costs. You may already be feeling the pressure to analyze your own store and control the use of your energy.  The first question you need to ask yourself is:  Are you refrigerating the aisles with inefficient coolers that stay open to consumers during the day and just keep on running overnight? Are your compressors working overtime?

Storage of fresh produce without refrigeration is not an option for most supermarkets and fresh food outlets. If your supermarket or retail food store has open display coolers, you are paying a lot to refrigerate the valuable contents 24 hours a day, using up a major proportion of your grocery store’s operating expenses to refrigerate perishable produce and fresh foods for optimal freshness and shelf life. 

There is a cost to keeping fresh food items in uncovered cabinets for easy visibility and better access for consumers, and it comes at the expense of your refrigeration bill and level of product discard. Ambient heat that constantly seeps into the coolers from the aisle challenges the cooling equipment to work overtime and can compromise the quality of your refrigerated and perishable goods.

Sometimes a simple cost-effective change is not so obvious but can significantly improve the efficiency of refrigerated coolers and reduce your operating costs. By installing Econofrost night curtains, you can save up to half your overnight refrigeration costs while your store is closed. You simply pull down the energy efficient, durable thermal barrier over the coolers while the store is closed, reducing the overall expenditure of energy needed to keep the refrigeration units operating. The refrigeration system runs more efficiently and there is less stress on the compressor.  The product inside the cooler retains the cooler temperatures for a longer period (even when the night covers are up) and your customers benefit from warmer more comfortable store aisles.

Benefits of Installing Econofrost Night Curtains

Join the many food retailers who are discovering that Econofrost night curtains are a trouble-free and durable investment for supermarkets and food stores. Econofrost allows refrigerated food displays to be chilled properly overnight. The beneficial effects of proper nighttime cooling can last well into the daytime hours—up to 15 hours after the store opens.

Econofrost night covers help reduce:

-          running time of your supermarket’s heating and air conditioning units

-          energy consumed by the refrigerator compressors

-          equipment maintenance

-          overall refrigeration costs

-          loss of valuable refrigerated air

-          costs of heating the store

-          food spoilage and shortened shelf life

Return on Investment in Today’s Economy

Econofrost heat reflective night curtains help protect your refrigeration systems and save 37% to 50% of refrigeration and heating costs during the hours when your supermarket is closed. Commercial refrigeration compressors and store heating systems typically turn on less frequently and for shorter periods, operate more efficiently, and require less energy.

Econofrost thermal barriers typically pay for themselves over periods of three to18 months, depending on local energy costs, how long the store is closed at night, the efficiency of your commercial refrigeration equipment, and the retail store environment. Payback periods can be calculated from savings in energy, the significantly reduced damage to perishable goods, and less shrinkage of fresh produce and trim required. The most noticeable and quickest payback comes from extended shelf life and increased product integrity.  Valuable merchandise that was once exposed to heat and UV radiation during the supermarket’s closed hours are now protected and can be sold safely to the consumer.

Econofrost thermal blinds can be customized and easily installed in existing refrigerated supermarket merchandisers and are available on new equipment from most refrigerated display equipment manufacturers including Tyler/Carrier, Hill Phoenix, Hussmann, Master-Bilt, Barker, and Southern Stores Fixtures.

Econofrost has been serving the supermarket industry since 1975 and has made over 250,000 thermal shield installations in nearly 30 countries. Market Group Ventures, Inc., the parent corporation for Econofrost and Promolux Lighting International, is a world leader in providing retail technology solutions for merchandisers. Request more information today.

September 2, 2008— Econofrost reflective night curtains joins the FMI 2008 Energy & Technical Services Conference , an industry information exchange for supermarket business leaders. Econofrost brings their energy saving thermal shields for refrigerated display cases to the Omni Orlando Resort and Golf Club at Champions Gate, 1500 Masters Boulevard, Orlando, Florida,  Sunday through Wednesday, September 7 - 10, 2008.

            The theme of the Orlando FMI Energy and Technical Services Conference is “Save Energy: Reduce your Carbon Footprint.” Econofrost joins over 60 other vendors of energy efficient technologies for lighting, HVAC, refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Representatives are available to managers and engineers for informal discussions about the Econofrost contribution to energy management and cost savings in supermarkets. Closed sessions for manufacturer/retailer exchanges afford opportunities for industry executives and peers to examine today’s energy related topics relevant to worldwide food distribution systems.

            Look for the MGV table display to see how Econofrost night covers save retail food stores money to conserve energy in refrigerated display cases and can qualify for financial incentive rebate programs.

            Econofrost night covers provide a simple, affordable way to save energy by maintaining temperature control in open refrigeration cases, prolonging the shelf life of refrigerated merchandise, and decreasing the energy load on refrigeration equipment. Econofrost can be specified as an option from most manufacturers of commercial refrigeration equipment or ordered for retrofits. Econofrost has been serving the supermarket industry since 1975 and has made over 250,000 thermal shield installations in nearly 30 countries. 

            Market Group Ventures, Inc., the parent corporation for Econofrost and Promolux Lighting International, is a world leader in providing retail technology solutions for merchandisers.