Prior to Covid, online grocery ordering was not the most popular item. A few stores offered it and a few customers used it. For the most part, however, shopping was traditional. A shopper enters the store and gets what they need. After all, not just anyone can pick the perfect cantaloupe.
It’s now a few years into Covid and your customers don’t even remember where the produce section is located. Their idea of shopping includes a phone and a few button clicks, at which point an employee will scour the store and fill their cart. Ultimately, the customer drives up and, a few clicks more, the groceries magically appear in their trunk.
Love it or hate it, Online Ordering is here to stay. It has become a staple of a busy life and is increasing in popularity each year (if not month). In 2019, online grocery sales hovered close to $70 billion. In 2022, the number was nearer to $140 billion and in 2026, sources put it around $236 billion.
In many instances, side doors have been repurposed or new doors have been added to facilitate the quick transfer of the groceries from the store to your car. But what happens when those doors open on a cold day? Or near a car’s exhaust? Or directly into the shopping area where flies enter at will? The answer is that you let in a lot of unwanted elements. From increased HVAC bills to insect problems, an open door is an open invitation for outside air, humidity, exhaust, flies, dust, and debris.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution and many times, it’s already being used on the front door of your grocery store. Air Curtains are an ideal complement to curbside and online shopping doors. They prevent insects, outside air and car exhaust from entering while keeping the inside conditioned air from escaping. Of added benefit, they help reduce a building’s HVAC costs by eliminating the infiltration of unconditioned outside air, which means that both the heating and cooling elements do not need to work as hard.
Additionally, air curtains can serve as a source of supplemental heat for doors located near cashier stations to help keep employees and customers warm. They can also be color-matched to match interior aesthetics.
With increased focus on improved customer experiences, green initiatives and innovation, grocery stores can enhance their curbside delivery with the addition of an air curtain.
Need an air curtain for your delivery door? Here’s what to consider:
- Do you have enough overhead space? If you’re repurposing a door, you’ll need between 8 ½ and 15 inches of overhead space above the door.
- Do you have the proper power requirements? Power requirements generally depend on if you’re adding heat, but a qualified electrician can run appropriate power without much difficulty.
- Want it heated? Air curtains can include electric, hot water, steam, and gas-powered heat.
If you have other questions, we’re just a click away. You can also check out our line of curbside curtains here.
While we can’t wait for the end of Covid and all the negative aspects of it, online ordering and curbside pick-up have proven to be positive additions. And it’s not just grocery stores who have adapted. Curbside pickup is becoming more common for retail stores, restaurants, hardware, appliance and just about any other retail-oriented business.
To learn more about including a curbside air curtain for your delivery door, contact your Powered Aire sales person or shoot us an email: Sales@PoweredAire.com