Hussmann Powers the Next Era of Food Retail

If you are a retailer, or even just a student of the industry, it’s difficult not to be impressed by a gleaming 53-foot-long, 700-square-foot trailer truck chock full of the latest in grocery merchandising and sustainable refrigeration solutions. 

Tim Figge, CEO of retail innovation leader Hussmann Corp., says the trailer is emblematic of the 117-year-old company’s promise of continuously providing the most customer-focused solutions in the food retailing industry.

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“We really want to be engaged with our customers, and we found that there's really no better way than to bring our innovations directly to them in this great space,” Figge shared during an exclusive interview with Progressive Grocer inside the trailer at the company’s headquarters in Bridgeton, Mo. “You'll see that's a big theme that we have throughout: How do we become that trusted partner and show our customers that we're willing to bring the innovations right to them?”

Hussmann – which offers a variety of solutions for refrigeration, merchandising, retail technology, e-commerce, and service – first launched its mobile roadshow trailer “Shop the Future” in 2017. That turned out to be great timing, because the pandemic hit just a few years later and many Hussmann customers were unable to travel. 

“It gave our customers a great space to see some of our innovations and safely meet with us in person,” Figge said. “We did it very safely and it was a huge success.”

Since the pandemic, Hussmann has only ramped up the roadshow, giving the trailer several remodels showcasing the company’s most recent innovations and logging more than 42,000 miles and 2,000 customer visits.

Shop the Future

So, I asked Figge, what does “Shop the Future” really mean?

“We think of ‘Shop the Future’ at Hussmann as creating those innovations that are going to help our customers move the business forward and change food retailing,” Figge explained. “And it's always about being that trusted partner and innovating directly with them. We'll get a lot of feedback on our visits and we'll use that feedback as we're developing new products or as we're continuing to update display cases and refrigeration systems.  

Figge revealed the feedback comes from across organizations, from the associates on the supermarket floor and store managers, all the way to the C-suite. 

Some of Hussmann’s latest innovations are focused on the new wave of low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants poised to be required promptly, a predictive analytics software product called StoreConnect, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), and innovative flexible-use merchandisers.

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A top concern for many retailers, Figge said, is the regulatory environment and the changes coming in the near future when it comes to refrigerants. 

“The good news is the industry has a little bit of time to get ready for it,” Figge said. “So part of the roadshow this year was helping to educate retailers around the regulatory environment and options, and also to talk about the solutions that we have at Hussmann and what we are working on today.”

The 2023 Hussmann Roadshow features a few new solutions and merchandisers. The SIM, a self-service island merchandiser, provides retailers with merchandising flexibility and ease of ownership. 

“There are island merchandisers in the market today, but this one has a full view, all four sides, plus it's more energy efficient than other similar shop arounds,” Figge said. 

Another highlighted product is the Insight Reach-In, that incorporates innovative design as well as sustainable refrigerant options. This display case demonstrates the Hussmann standard for quality and energy efficiency, while also promoting a modern, modular design. “The Insight Reach-In is ideal for updating a retailer’s store layout and simultaneously enhancing the shopper experience,” Figge said. “We’re really excited about this product.”

Cooling Solutions

The Roadshow trailer also features Hussmann’s newest cooling solution, the Krack MicroDS and MicroSC Monoblock. This all-in-one condensing unit and evaporator solution uses R290 refrigerant and addresses AIM regulations with its innovative air and water-cooled design.

The innovative Monoblock is designed for micro fulfillment, indoor walk-in coolers and freezers—making it ideal for dairy, beverage or frozen food applications. “This leading edge technology provides retailers with an easy installation and energy efficient cooling solution,” Figge said. “Another example of Hussmann helping its customers find innovative, low GWP solutions.”

Digital In-Store Media

Figge mentioned another top priority for retailers this year has been increased curiosity around ESLs. 

“We’ve had some good conversations with Hussmann’s Aperion team and what they’re bringing to the market. Retailers continue to realize the challenges that they’re facing around labor, and also where technology is enabling us to push the envelope further on the shelf edge,” Figge said.

Hussmann’s Aperion team is hyper-focused on creating a more efficient and engaging merchandising solution for retailers. Their products provide retailers the ability to connect shoppers with what matters to them. 

From effortlessly showcasing product attributes to presenting digital coupons and authentic product reviews, Aperion has been at the forefront of redefining the retail experience with their customers.

“What sets us apart is our dedication to working with our clients to innovate the right retail solutions for their stores, distinguishing us from the crowd of conventional IoT solutions out there,” Figge said. By leveraging their extensive expertise in retail merchandising and their open software platform, they help transform the shelf edge into a dynamic asset. Whether it's deploying cutting-edge stocking robots, implementing AI-driven pricing tools, or enhancing your e-commerce capabilities, Aperion integrates with your retail strategy and makes it not reactive, but forward-thinking with your customer in mind.

“One of our customers has even taken it and linked it to their own app. Then, the shopper in-store can click on the product they're looking for and that product will flash and tell them exactly where to go,” Figge said. “There's so many different opportunities around ESLs and the digital shelf edge that our Aperion team is bringing to market.”

The Hussmann Promise

Hussmann was founded in 1906 by Harry Hussmann as a butcher supply company. In the late 1910s, he created the first food merchandiser – putting a coil in a case, and some fans, and really innovating on how fresh meats could be merchandised.

Ever since then, Hussmann’s spirit of innovation has never waned.

“The Hussmann Promise is always about customer focus,” Figge said. “And as I look at the industry, I think there's a lot of different things going on, whether it's labor challenges, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory changes, or innovations around the future of food retailing tied to becoming better stewards of the environment. I think the future of the industry is pretty bright. Fresh is continuing to be so important for the consumer in the U.S., so we will continue to innovate a lot around fresh food merchandising. At the end of the day, our job is to be the trusted partner for our customers – ultimately helping retailers be successful and be better businesses.”