With a new unmanned locker solution, Innovend meets the demand of specialist butchers who want to boost their sales outside opening hours. The Dutch company developed the LockBlox IQ Breeze under its own brand, Zuply. The iQ Breeze will be introduced this month. Thanks to the smart design, the temperature in the displays remains stable between 0 and 4 °C. The LockBlox IQ Breeze is therefore also perfect for caterers and fresh food outlets that sell other food products.
“Refrigeration is very critical for many food products”, explain Sander Sciarone and Bjorn Maatman of Innovend. They have listened carefully to the wishes of the butchery sector. “Especially for meat and meat products, a low and constant temperature is very important to ensure hygienic conditions. This new LockBlox by Zuply has excellent cooling and is very well insulated. As a result, the temperature can be regulated well and remains between 0 and 4 °C.”
We have opted for an efficient cassette cooling system that uses the environmentally friendly refrigerant R290 (propane). The system weighs just 25 kilos and can be quickly serviced, which means there will be only minimal downtime. In addition, the LockBlox IQ Breeze is easy to maintain as all is designed for easy maintenance and usage.
Sensors
The temperatures are monitored with sensors. The data is stored via an online portal and can be viewed real time. “An alarm is set, that goes off if the temperature exceeds the set value. That way you can intervene in time and minimize waste.”
“We managed to accurately control the airflow with variable valves,” Bjorn explains. “The columns are fitted with variable valves that allow the cold air to be guided properly through all the compartments. As a result, the temperature differences between the compartments are minimal.”
Dutch product
Zuply’s LockBlox IQ Breeze is produced in the Netherlands. This applies to both the hardware and the software. The vending machine is modular: several units can be combined. It is available with three different compartment sizes, which can also be combined per unit. The maximum number of compartments per module is 24.
Sander: “The first series will come with an accompanying cooling system on top of the module. An upcoming development is the possibility to integrate the modules into an (existing) cool cell.” By combining several modules with their own cooling, you can offer a product assortment with different temperatures, tailored to the products being sold.
Appealing design
The LockBlox IQ Breeze has a completely new external and technical design. Everything has been carefully thought through. “It features good, solid doors made of HR++ glass with Low-E coating, and has a front made entirely from glass, so that it also looks super sleek.”
The doors are self-closing. Sander: “Bjorn has come up with an ingenious hinge system that makes it possible to adjust the force of the spring to suit the size and weight of the door.”
Thanks to its appealing and modern design, the LockBlox IQ Breeze is also suitable for use as a fresh food selling solution in offices. Several architects already showed interest. The units can be built in stylishly and seamlessly.
User-friendly and optimal lighting
In the design, a lot of attention was paid to ease of use and user-friendliness. “For example, the energy-efficient LED lighting in a specific locker switches to green when opening, so it is very clear for the consumer where to take their purchased products,” says Bjorn. “This way, we help them find the right item quickly.”
Via an upgrade of the LED package, multiple colours and settings will become available. You can have different settings for each product type, for example, or highlight fresh meat with a light pink setting. The perfect visual presentation of your high quality product.
Open 24/7 and more service
By using the LockBlox IQ Breeze, butchers, caterers and bakers are able to extend their opening hours considerably, but without any additional staff costs, and increase their turnover.
Customers also appreciate this improved service. After all, they can collect (online) orders at a moment that suits them: before or after work. But the LockBlox IQ Breeze is also a perfect solution for purchases outside of regular shop hours, like a spontaneous BBQ with neighbours or friends on a warm summer evening.
For more information, check out www.zuply.eu or send an email to info@innovend.eu.
