What are the features of Liebherr refrigerators and freezers?
Liebherr’s focus on the production and servicing of refrigerators and freezers for the food trade is on the development of appliances with the highest possible energy efficiency. At the same time, Liebherr appliances make it particularly easy for food retailers to concentrate on selling their goods. Liebherr appliances are virtually maintenance-free, are very easy to clean and offer maximum capacity in a limited shop space.
The food trade has many requirements for refrigeration technology that often present a challenge for merchants. How do you support small-format retailers and what help can entrepreneurs from the food industry expect from the collaboration?
With its plug-in appliances, Liebherr offers the right solution for every food retailer, regardless of size and format. The independence of CO2 remote systems with their complex adjustment and service requirements as well as the flexible installation options enable customers to offer goods even in the smallest of spaces.
Please describe the refrigeration range for the food trade.
Liebherr’s product range extends from small counter-top appliances for the checkout area, through beverage and convenience appliances, to specialised appliances for the storage of baked goods, fish and meat, as well as wine storage cabinets. For medium to large formats, Liebherr offers chest freezers, freezer tops and vertical freezers. All appliances are ready to plug in and therefore easy to set up and scale.
What are the most common decisions in the food trade in Poland and on world markets?
The most important decision criteria are a sensible price-performance ratio. Attention is paid to quality and maximising presentation space. The appliances should consume as little electricity as possible, store and present the food safely and make it as easy as possible for food retailers to concentrate on selling food.
New products and innovations on offer. What challenges does the industry face?
The industry is constantly faced with the challenge of offering customers the maximum selection and quality in the same limited retail space. Liebherr helps to maximise the sales area. Retailers are also focussing on seasonal promotions. This can be realised particularly well with plug-in appliances, as these can be used and placed anywhere in the store.
How can you tell an efficient appliance from an inefficient one? How do you read the label correctly?
It is important to know the energy efficiency class. These can be recognised throughout Europe on a standardised label. The classification into the respective energy efficiency class is determined by the so-called EEI (Energy Efficiency Index), which compares the exact energy consumption data of the appliance with a standard energy consumption in the relevant refrigerator category. Therefore, there can be significant differences in the actual energy consumption of identically labelled appliances within the energy efficiency class. For a quantitative evaluation as part of a TCO analysis, it is consequently advisable to compare the energy consumption of the appliances specified in the technical data sheet or, ideally, measured in the store environment.
At Liebherr, we take great care to ensure that consumption and capacity are optimised in relation to each other. When developing our appliances, we therefore always aim for the top of the class.
What about environmental protection and the greenhouse effect? Please tell us more about sustainability.
The research and development of ecological products has been a tradition at our company for decades. We have demonstrated this impressively in our almost 70-year history. Our aim is to minimise the environmental impact of Liebherr’s high-quality and durable products throughout their entire life cycle. The use of natural refrigerants with the lowest greenhouse gas potential is a matter of course for us.
In 2023, we were once again awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal for our responsible behaviour. With a total score of 75 points, our production sites are among the top 3 per cent of all companies assessed by EcoVadis worldwide.
Let’s go back in time for a moment, tell us something about the history of the company and its development over the years.
The invention of the mobile tower crane in 1949 also marked the birth of the Liebherr company. The business acumen of company founder Hans Liebherr led to Liebherr manufacturing the first refrigerator in 1954. As a specialist in refrigeration and freezing, we have introduced numerous industry innovations to the market over the last seven decades for the benefit of our customers. Liebherr has been active in the food retail sector since 2012. Here too, Liebherr is committed to innovation leadership.
How was 2023 for you, what are your plans for next year?
The business results and outlook are traditionally communicated by the Group for all segments in April. For the Food Retail segment, 2023 was the most successful year since the launch of appliances for the food retail sector. Within just a few years of entering the Food Retail market, Liebherr has succeeded in winning customers in almost all of Europe.
Thank you
Monika Książek
