What do you first think of when you hear ‘refrigerated vans’? Is it food transportation? You’d be correct, but did you know various other industries also heavily rely on refrigerated vans for their business, including the pharmaceutical industry, scientific research, and even florists? Yes, even flowers need to be refrigerated, and we’ll explain why.
Florists bring beauty and joy to any occasion, providing fragrant and fresh-cut flowers in vibrant bouquets and floral arrangements. However, this work requires immense attention to detail in ensuring the flowers are kept fresh, preventing wilting and damage. Flowers, as beautiful and elegant as they are, are a ticking time bomb once cut, so ensuring correct storage and transportation will make a huge difference in their vase life and quality.
Different flowers have specific temperature requirements. Ideally, cut flowers should be stored at low temperatures, around 0 to -1 degrees Celsius. However, tropical flowers like Orchids and Anthurium need slightly warmer temperatures, around 13°C, as they deteriorate more quickly in colder conditions.
Running a successful flower business is an art, where the slightest difference in temperature can have a detrimental effect on your wedding party receiving perfect, blooming flowers, or losing profit as your flowers are wilted and droopy. So what’s the solution? A refrigerated van of course. Here are some of the top reasons why your business can thrive with our help.
Maintain the freshness and quality of flowers
The primary reason why florists should consider using a refrigerated van is to preserve the freshness and quality of their product. What use are wilted, sad, and drooping flowers to anyone? Due to their nature, flowers are perishable and under the wrong temperature conditions, are subject to spoilage.
By using a refrigerated van, the risk is mitigated as the cold environment helps stop the respiration process and reduces the rate of deterioration for flowers. As a result, stock can be maintained at a constant optimal temperature throughout the delivery process, keeping them in pristine condition upon arrival at their destination.
Upscale your business
Secondly, if you’re looking to run a successful florist, then you’ll need a constant, steady income of customers. How do you increase your chances of this? Expand. With a larger customer base from a broader delivery radius, florists are more likely to build success for their business.
Using a refrigerated van makes this possibility more likely due to being able to travel further without compromising the freshness and quality of the flowers. Expanding the reach of your company can help attract new customers and foster loyalty with existing ones.
Meeting customer demands
If you’re a florist meeting demands of weddings or funerals, or simply occasions such as Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, you’re likely dealing with high demand where deliveries are extremely important, and stock quality is vital in retaining customers and making a profit.
A refrigerated van allows transportation across multiple venues and over long distances, with the confidence that your flowers are looking as fresh as the second they were cut. Providing excellent customer service during these times is another vital component in retaining customers, and receiving appraisal or referrals via word of mouth from your customers.
Air Conditioning vs Refrigerated Van
You might be thinking, ‘Well the air conditioning unit in my current van does the same job, so why do I need to invest in a refrigerated van?’. It’s a fair concern, but there is a huge difference between air conditioners and a van specially designed to keep stock cold.
Using air conditioning as a means of storing stock at a constant temperature opens up the possibility of something going wrong. Air conditioning only works when the van’s engine is running, so between deliveries, if the van’s engine is turned off, the air conditioning is also turned off, allowing the temperature to fluctuate.
Small differences in degrees can have a detrimental effect on the quality of your flowers, meaning you increase the risk of customer dissatisfaction. Also, constantly opening the van doors to retrieve stock allows the cool air to escape and be replaced with the outside temperature which, if it’s a hot summers day, means your flowers will be exposed to temperatures well out of their range for staying fresh.
A refrigerated van, on the other hand, eliminates these concerns as the temperature can be regulated to match the specific requirements of each flower type.
Reduce costs and increase profits
Using a refrigerated van cuts the risk of spoilage and waste costs due to its ability to maintain a low temperature, suitable to the needs of your flowers. Without a refrigerated van, florists face a much higher rate of damage via transportation, which in turn leads to more wastage and financial losses for the company.
In the long run, investing in a refrigerated van may help increase revenue and profits due to cutting down on waste.
Accurate temperature monitoring
Lastly, refrigerated vans offer the luxury of using a wireless temperature monitoring system, providing accurate measures of the van’s temperature without the need for constant manual checks. All our refrigerated vans offer these in-cab controls to allow for easy monitoring throughout your journey, including our Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Volkswagen Caddy, and Volkswagen Transporter.
In conclusion, refrigerated vans are not only essential for food transportation but also play a crucial role in the floral industry. For florists, using a refrigerated van ensures the delivery of fresh, beautiful flowers, expands their customer base, and reduces waste, contributing to the success of their business.
If you’re a florist in need of a new refrigerated van for your business, our team is ready to assist you in making the perfect selection. We provide a range of refrigerated vans for hire or sale with flexible leasing options all over the UK, with excellent customer service and professional servicing guaranteed. Visit www.coolrunningrental.co.uk to learn more and take a closer look at our available fleet.