Green Building Forum - Shops too cold Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:41:35 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207690#Comment_207690 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207690#Comment_207690 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:20:25 +0100 tony
Floor 11C walls 12.5 rising to 13.3 at head height, complained, saw a child with a hat and scarf two weeks ago, staff all wear coats and one wears gloves!

It has air cooling and plenty of cool displays and a couple of small horizontal freezers.

I have to help pay for all the energy wasted on cooling.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207691#Comment_207691 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207691#Comment_207691 Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:24:50 +0100 SteamyTea It may be cheaper to extend the shelf life by cooling rather than by land filling. A kWh of electricty is very cheap after all, especially compared to a kWh of food. At least a 10:1 ratio.
Where the coolers exhausting into the building or to outside?

But I was at the Landsend Hotel yesterday, I had to move because the draft from the air conditioning was was too cold.
I can understand why they have it as they have a large conservatory that probably gets too hot when the sun shows itself. But they have outside seating as an alternative.
I think they could get around this problem with a bit better control though.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207865#Comment_207865 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207865#Comment_207865 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:19:07 +0100 rhamdu
The wasteful shops are the ones where cool air cascades out of the chillers while at the same time, hot air is blasted out of ceiling grilles (incidentally baking the 'non-perishable' foods on the upper shelves).

The only reason shops are like this is that retail 'experts' say the chilled shelves should be open, to encourage customers to buy. I don't see why all chilled food should not get the frozen-food treatment: either put it in open-top chests or in cupboards with closing doors.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207869#Comment_207869 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207869#Comment_207869 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:53:37 +0100 db8000 Either they don't think about it or have made a considered decision that they'll sell more with open displays rather than closed, compared to what the electricity will cost.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207870#Comment_207870 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207870#Comment_207870 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:56:57 +0100 SteamyTea What is odd, and I have seen this in loads of commercial/retail coolers is a number of Fluorescent tubes in the cooler. One cake chiller I know has 4, 125 W tubes in it, 500 W of heat to be taken away.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207872#Comment_207872 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207872#Comment_207872 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:05:17 +0100 Seret Posted By: db8000
Either they don't think about it or have made a considered decision that they'll sell more with open displays rather than closed, compared to what the electricity will cost.

I strongly suspect the latter. A big operator like Tesco will have done a cost/benefit on it. Supermarket chains are in the logistics business, scrutinising detail like that is bread and butter for them.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207880#Comment_207880 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207880#Comment_207880 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 13:45:14 +0100 rhamdu Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207884#Comment_207884 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207884#Comment_207884 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 14:23:25 +0100 nbwilding
I suspect that it's unnecessary psycho-tricks - by cooling the customers as well as the food, it helps persuade the subconscious that the food must be fresh.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207886#Comment_207886 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207886#Comment_207886 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 14:38:12 +0100 atomicbisf
Ed]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207887#Comment_207887 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207887#Comment_207887 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 14:39:01 +0100 SteamyTea Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207895#Comment_207895 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207895#Comment_207895 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 16:36:19 +0100 tony http://www.closethedoor.org.uk/ my shop is too but they dont seem to know or understand at my local branch]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207902#Comment_207902 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207902#Comment_207902 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:45:28 +0100 Chris P Bacon
Not sure if they plan more, but it seems like a good idea.]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207905#Comment_207905 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207905#Comment_207905 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:03:36 +0100 tony Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207906#Comment_207906 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207906#Comment_207906 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:34:41 +0100 tony Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207909#Comment_207909 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207909#Comment_207909 Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:24:02 +0100 Ed Davies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offices,_Shops_and_Railway_Premises_Act_1963 says it's largely replaced by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/faq.htm

16°C, it seems.

“These regulations only apply to employees they do no apply to members of the public for example with regard temperature complaints from customers in a shopping centre or cinema.”]]> Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207922#Comment_207922 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207922#Comment_207922 Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:19:12 +0100 Seret Shops too cold https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207985#Comment_207985 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12484&Focus=207985#Comment_207985 Fri, 29 Aug 2014 00:34:05 +0100 rhamdu