How to optimise your retail space with a multideck display fridge

A multideck display fridge might be precisely what you need to revamp your retail space.

These clever units pack serious storage capacity into a compact footprint while keeping your products visible and accessible to customers.

If you’ve been struggling with limited floor space or finding that customers aren’t noticing your chilled stock, a multideck could solve both problems at once.

The beauty of these units lies in their vertical design. Instead of spreading your products across multiple horizontal fridges or cramming everything into standard display cases, you can stack your inventory in clear sight of your customers. It means more products on display, better organisation and, ultimately, more sales from the same amount of floor space.

Whether you run a convenience store, deli or food outlet, a multideck can help turn browsers into buyers. This blog explains how.

What is a multideck display fridge?

A multideck display fridge is a vertical refrigeration unit designed with multiple shelves, typically three to five tiers, that showcase chilled products at different eye levels. Think of it as the refrigerated equivalent of a bookshelf. They use height rather than width to maximise your storage and display capacity.

These units come in various configurations to suit different retail environments. Open-front multidecks offer easy access for customers to grab drinks, snacks and ready meals, while glass-door versions provide energy efficiency alongside clear product visibility. You’ll find compact models perfect for smaller convenience stores, typically around 750mm-950mm wide, right up to larger units exceeding two metres in width for supermarkets and major retailers.

The shelving system is what makes multidecks so versatile. Each tier is designed to hold products at the optimal angle for visibility, often with a slight forward tilt so items naturally slide forward as stock gets taken. LED lighting runs along each shelf, ensuring every product is well-lit regardless of its position in the unit.

Most quality multidecks also feature individual temperature controls for different zones, allowing you to store various product types in the same unit. You might keep soft drinks on the top shelves and dairy products on the lower, cooler levels, all perfectly chilled and beautifully displayed.

Maximising your floor space

Floor space in retail is expensive, and multideck chillers help you make every centimetre count. Where you might previously have needed three or four separate display fridges, one well-positioned multideck can often do the job more effectively.

Consider a typical convenience store layout. Traditional single-tier display fridges might require six to eight metres of wall space to showcase your full range of chilled drinks, dairy and grab-and-go meals. A multideck fridge can display the same quantity of stock in just two or three metres of wall space, freeing up valuable room for other revenue-generating displays or creating a less cluttered, more pleasant shopping environment. This means you can stock more variety, maintain better availability of popular items, and reduce the frequency of restocking during busy periods.

For businesses operating in prime locations where rent per square metre is particularly high, this efficiency becomes even more valuable. You’re essentially getting the storage and display benefits of multiple fridges while paying the floor space cost of one. The improved product visibility often leads to increased sales per square metre, making the investment in a quality multideck highly profitable.

Multidecks can also create natural aisles and flow patterns in your store, helping customers move through your space more easily while being exposed to more of your chilled products.

Driving impulse buys

Your customers decide to buy quickly, often within seconds of seeing a product. Multideck display fridges turn this psychological reality into a sales advantage by presenting your chilled stock at multiple eye levels simultaneously.

The key is understanding how your customers browse. Most people scan from eye level downwards, so your premium or high-margin products should occupy the upper shelves. Popular drinks, branded snacks and impulse purchases work brilliantly at the top tiers, where they catch attention immediately. Mid-level shelves are perfect for everyday essentials that customers actively seek out, like dairy products, ready meals and sandwiches that people come in specifically to buy.

Lower shelves are ideal for bulk items, family-size products or lower-priced alternatives that price-conscious customers will spot when they crouch down to compare options. Children naturally gravitate towards lower shelves, too, making them perfect for products aimed at younger customers.

Strategic product placement across the tiers can significantly boost your average sale value. Position complementary items on adjacent shelves, like sandwich fillings near the bread, desserts near the main meals or soft drinks near the snacks. This encourages customers to add extra items as they browse through your display.

Energy efficiency and running costs

Modern multideck chillers balance accessibility with energy performance far better than you might expect. While open-fronted units typically use more energy than closed-door multidecks, the latest models incorporate smart features that minimise running costs while maximising sales potential.

LED lights produce minimal heat, reducing the cooling load on your compressor. They also last significantly longer, cutting maintenance costs and ensuring consistent, attractive product lighting throughout the unit’s lifespan.

Most modern multidecks also feature advanced airflow management systems. These create invisible air curtains across open fronts, reducing cold air spillage while maintaining proper product temperatures. Night blinds or covers can further improve energy efficiency, automatically sealing the unit when your store is closed.

When comparing running costs, consider the bigger picture. While a single multideck might use more energy than one smaller display fridge, it typically consumes less power than the three or four separate units it replaces. You also save on installation costs and ongoing maintenance.

Choosing the right multideck for your business

Selecting the perfect multideck display fridge depends on several factors specific to your business and customer base. Start by assessing your available floor space and measuring the area where you plan to position the unit, remembering to account for door clearance and customer access.

Consider your product mix. If you primarily sell bottled drinks and pre-packed snacks, an open-front multideck offers maximum accessibility. However, if you stock items like dairy products, ready meals or other temperature-sensitive goods, a glass-door model might provide more stable temperatures stability and be more energy efficient.

The unit should enhance your store’s flow rather than creating bottlenecks during busy periods. So, position your multideck where it creates natural browsing opportunities without blocking main walkways.

Look for models with reliable compressors, quality construction and good warranty cover. Features like a digital temperature display, automatic defrost and robust shelving will save you money and headaches in the long term.

Finally, think about flexibility. Choose units with adjustable shelving and expandable configurations if you plan to change your product range or store layout. The right multideck display fridge should adapt to your business as it grows, not restrict your options down the line.

At Fridgesmart, we stock multidecks from the industry’s most trusted brands, which have proven themselves in busy retail environments across the UK, ensuring you get reliability alongside performance. Get in touch today by calling 01792 677169 or emailing hello@fridgesmart.co.uk to discuss how a new multideck display fridge could work for your business.