In the contemporary catering business, cake display fridge has emerged as a primary device to enhance product quality and customer experience. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), room temperature cream cakes that are left for more than 2 hours without refrigeration can increase their bacterial growth by 300%, while a cake display refrigerator that has a temperature control system can control the rate of bacterial growth down to below 5%. With Pierre Herme, a worldwide recognized bakery chain, as case in point, following its installation of a glass-door cake display fridge within its Paris store, average daily foot traffic increased by 22% and customer unit price increased by 18%, most directly attributable to the consumption stimulus made possible by visualization of cake freshness.
From the standpoint of food safety, pastry products manufactured with milk fat need to be kept under the condition of 5°C ≤ T ≤ 10°C continuously by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dual-cycle refrigeration-based cake display refrigerators (e.g., Panasonic twin-purpose cold and hot appliance) reduce power consumption by 15% compared to standard direct-cooling systems, supplemented with protection from cross-contamination among different cake categories through zonal control of temperatures. In 2022, the British “Food Safety Journal” 200 complaint rate of bakery enterprise surveyed showed that the complaint rate of companies that used professional cake display refrigerators reduced by 41%, and 76% of the complaints were related to the deterioration of cakes.
In the commercial operating level, the capacity of the design of the cake display refrigerator will directly influence the inventory turnover rate. For instance, in the case of the 60 cm diameter standard cake display refrigerator, a single layer can support 12 6-inch cakes and the three-layer capacity can meet the daily stock needs of 200 small and medium-sized stores. According to China Bakery Association statistics, for stores which have reasonable display cabinet space planning, the wastage rate of raw materials can be reduced from 12% to 5%, i.e., save around 86,000 yuan raw material cost a year (under customer unit price of 50 yuan).
The research on consumer behavior validates the effectiveness of visual marketing. According to the 2023 Nielsen Company report, 79% of respondents are optimistic that transparent display cabinets can serve to enhance product attractiveness and they are willing to pay an 12%-18% surcharge for good-looking cakes. This impact is particularly evident on the high end of the market – the French patisserie in the Dubai Mall saw a 34% increase in the sales of cakes over a specific time period (18:00-20:00) with the synergy of bespoke LED lighting and cake display refrigerators.
Technical innovations have also added to the functional boundaries of the cake display refrigerator. Germany’s Bosch newly launched intelligent temperature control system is capable in real-time via the cloud algorithm to adjust the cabinet humidity (maintain the optimal storage range of 45%-55%), and cooperate with the ultraviolet disinfection function to extend the shelf life of the cake for 72 hours (normal refrigeration is only 48 hours). During the 2024 European Baking Show, the cake display refrigerator with AI image recognition technology was the focal point, the equipment is able to monitor the surface cracks on the cake by the camera and automatically remind, helping the enterprise save 23% loss of quality.
Industry professionals pointed out that investment in cake display refrigerators is not a simple addition to cost, but a strategic composition of long-term revenues. According to the “Catering Industry Digital Transformation White Paper” statistics, the use of intelligent storage equipment baking companies, its efficiency is 37% higher than the non-upgraded companies, customer re-purchase rate increased by 29%. As three-Michelin star chef Joel Robuchon explains: “The first bite of a cake determines the final judgment of the customer, and the professional cake display refrigerator is the silent guardian of this original purpose.”
Since the worldwide cake baking market is set to become $480 billion in value by 2027 (estimates on Statista), cake display refrigerators will come to play a role that bridges production and consumption. Hygiene management or visual marketing, cost-saving or technology-led innovation – these and several others are revolutionizing the ball game of competition for cake display refrigerators in today’s bakery market.
