REWE’s delivery service now offers a new cooling technology for the delivery of chilled and frozen food. Following a successful trial at the Fulfillment Centre (FFC) in Cologne, the new boxes – which are insulated with vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) – are now being put into regular use there.
The so-called VIP boxes from partner va-Q-tec *, a pioneer in thermal energy efficiency and temperature-controlled supply chains, ensure that the cold chain is reliably maintained from the fulfilment centre to customers’ doorsteps, even in extreme outside temperatures of +35 °C. Further REWE delivery service locations in Germany are set to switch to the new technology by 2027.
The VIP boxes feature ultra-thin vacuum insulation and a special cooling pack in the lid (phase change material, PCM), which helps to keep the temperature constant. This makes it a passive cooling system that enables the safe transport of items requiring different temperature zones, such as chilled products or meat, within a single delivery. This means that refrigerated vehicles are no longer required for food deliveries. At the same time, the boxes streamline processes at the fulfilment centre and reduce the use of dry ice.
From left to right: Georg Hannappel (Head of the Digital Sales Department, Western Region), René Schlottbom (Project Manager), Atina Laftsidou (Head of Operations Infrastructure) and Tobias Klima (Warehouse Manager, Scarlet One Cologne) | Photo: ©Achim Bachhausen
With the introduction of the VIP Box, REWE is pursuing two objectives: to make processes in the fulfilment centres more efficient and to reduce the use of dry ice. As a first step, the REWE delivery service is replacing dry ice in the chilled and meat sections with ice packs. This reduces the effort involved in procuring, storing and handling dry ice and avoids safety risks for delivery staff.
“Online grocery retail places high demands on quality, product safety and efficiency. With the VIP-Box, we have developed and successfully tested a solution in collaboration with our partner va-Q-tec that meets precisely these requirements. By significantly reducing the use of dry ice, we are lowering our resource consumption whilst at the same time simplifying processes in our fulfilment centres. Cologne is now leading the way, with further sites to follow,” says Dr Daniel Jäger, COO of REWE E-Food. The new temperature logistics system was developed in collaboration with the specialists at va-Q-tec.
„The online grocery sector places high demands on quality, product safety and efficiency.“ Dr Daniel Jäger, COO of REWE E-Food
The successful trial at the Cologne fulfilment centre has shown that the VIP Box meets the high standards required by the online grocery sector in day-to-day operations. With the launch in Cologne, the technology is now being rolled out gradually across the REWE delivery service.
*About va-Q-tec
va-Q-tec is a pioneer in advanced solutions for thermal energy efficiency and temperature-controlled supply chains. The company develops, manufactures and markets thin, highly efficient vacuum insulation panels (‘VIPs’) for thermal insulation, as well as intelligent phase-change materials (‘PCMs’) for reliable temperature control.
Through the targeted combination of VIPs and PCMs, va-Q-tec manufactures thermal packaging systems (boxes) that maintain constant temperatures for food and pharmaceuticals during transport for up to five days without an external energy supply. Furthermore, VIPs and PCMs optimise the energy balance of various applications, such as buildings, hot-water storage tanks, local and district heating pipes, and domestic and laboratory appliances.
va-Q-tec’s products ensure a global improvement in thermal energy efficiency and thus make a valuable contribution to climate protection. Ongoing process optimisations minimise the company’s carbon footprint.
Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Würzburg.