Technology, technology, technology. Hi-tech innovation is the (not even very secret) weapon needed to tackle the challenges of recent months, as demonstrated by the more advanced companies involved in products to designed to preserve Gelato and Pastry items. In Denmark, for example, Elcold will soon be launching onto the market a display freezer, available in various sizes, and fitted with sliding lids. “The launch of this product gives us hope for the coming months ,” says Søren Elming, the company’s sales manager, who also stresses that the end of restrictions on mobility will “bring us back to normal life again, in terms of outdoor life and gathering in large groups, to enjoy an ice cream together.” But it will be a while before we get there, the manager adds. “Right now everybody in the business is just waiting for the vaccines to start working, after which we expect a return to problem-free travel, including to Mediterranean regions such as Spain, Malta, Greece and also Italy.”

Still in Denmark, the Tefcold group recently decided to invest in its own webshop, adding new, more immediate functions to it. Now, all customers can log in and access a virtual “warehouse” that is open 24/7, where they can place orders and manage purchases that are being processed or those already invoiced. On top of that, as the order is accepted, the buyer is informed exactly how much space it takes up and what it costs to dispatch the purchased material to around 20 different European countries.

The online world has also arrived in a big way in Portugal, where Jordao has made the most of the past months, with two initiatives aimed at helping the world of ecommerce. First it launched a new micro store, followed by the introduction of a series of automated click-and-collect lockers where customers can pick up the orders they have placed online. The reason for this phenomenon, the Portuguese company says, is simple: the digital transformation has now also reached Food Retail, the whole idea of the purchasing experience has changed and consumers now like to use their smartphones to pick-up online orders or buy things on the go. Round-the clock convenience, seven days a week, are among the benefits of the smart display unit. Devised to offer various brands an opportunity to diversify in locations that are particularly convenient for consumers (railway and underground stations, airports), they also make it possible to keep sales and stock levels under constant review, using a system of sensors and artificial intelligence. The advantage for customers, on the other hand, lies in the extreme ease with which they can shop. A smartphone app is used to unlock the doors of the display unit, select food items from the shelf, then make the payment. A similar principle – also with 24/7 accessibility – is used for the Portuguese firm’s plug-in modular locker systems. Again, the aim is to make delivery of the goods as efficient as possible, and to ensure that the food is kept perfectly fresh during the entire e-commerce supply process. The result: order taking, transport and delivery times and costs are slashed, and items are instantly available. A solution suited to the large- and small-scale retail trade, as well as to bread shops, pastry shops and restaurants.