In terms of market demand
• Local fresh food production:
Look at the local production of fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood. For example, in vegetable producing areas like Shouguang in Shandong, the vegetable production is huge, and there is a great demand for cold storage. When planning a cold storage, it is necessary to consider whether it can meet the preservation and storage needs of a large number of vegetables.
• Food processing scale:
Understand the number and scale of surrounding food processing plants, such as areas with many meat processing plants. Their demand for cold storage is not only for refrigeration, but may also have different functions such as quick freezing, and they have specific requirements for storage capacity and turnover speed.
• Pharmaceutical industry demand:
The number of local pharmaceutical companies and the demand for refrigerated and frozen storage of drugs. For example, some companies that produce vaccines and biologics have strict requirements for temperature control accuracy and safety assurance in cold storage.
• E-commerce cold chain order volume:
With the development of e-commerce, it is important to understand the quantity and growth trend of cold chain orders on local e-commerce platforms. In some popular fruit producing areas, a large amount of fruits are sold through e-commerce, and cold storage is needed to ensure the quality of the fruits before shipment.
In terms of competitive situation
• Distribution of existing cold storage facilities:
Find out where the local cold storage is located, for example, there are usually more cold storage facilities around agricultural wholesale markets. We also need to understand their scale, whether they are large-scale comprehensive cold storage or small-scale professional cold storage.
• Comparison of service quality:
Examine whether the refrigeration equipment of these cold storage facilities is advanced and whether the temperature control is precise, such as some high-end cold storage facilities that can control the temperature within ± 0.5 ℃. At the same time, it is important to understand whether their warehouse management is standardized, whether the inbound and outbound of goods are efficient, and whether intelligent warehousing systems are used.
• Differences in charging standards:
The charging methods and prices of different cold storage facilities vary. Some are charged based on storage volume, while others are charged based on storage time. It is necessary to compare their prices and analyze the reasons for the differences in charges, such as the possibility of higher charges for cold storage facilities with better location and new equipment.
Policies, regulations, and infrastructure
• Related policies:
Understand the local government's support policies for cold chain logistics, such as whether there are subsidy policies, and some places may provide certain financial subsidies for the construction of new cold storage facilities. At the same time, attention must be paid to regulatory requirements related to environmental protection, fire safety, etc., and the construction of cold storage must comply with these regulations.
• Traffic conditions:
Examine the transportation situation around the location of the cold storage, whether it is close to transportation hubs such as highways, railway freight stations, and ports. Cold storage facilities near ports are very convenient for transporting cold chain goods for import and export, greatly reducing logistics costs.
• Water and electricity supply:
Ensure stable water and electricity supply at the construction site of the cold storage. The refrigeration equipment of the cold storage requires a large amount of power support. If the power supply is unstable, it will affect the normal operation of the cold storage and cause damage to the goods.
In terms of technological development
New refrigeration technology:
Pay attention to whether there are new refrigeration technologies emerging in the industry, such as carbon dioxide refrigeration technology, which is more environmentally friendly and has good refrigeration effects. Understand the advantages, disadvantages, and application costs of these new technologies to see if they are suitable for use in planned cold storage facilities.
Intelligent monitoring system:
Research advanced cold storage intelligent monitoring systems in the market, such as systems that can monitor temperature, humidity, and equipment operation status in real time. Data can be viewed at any time through mobile phones or computers, and any abnormalities can be reported in a timely manner, improving the management efficiency and safety of cold storage.