Improving Comfort and Temperature Balance with Destratification Fans for Supermarkets
Supermarkets present a unique climate-control challenge. Open refrigerated cases, freezer aisles, frequently opening entrance doors, high ceilings, lighting, equipment, and changing customer traffic can create dramatically different temperature conditions within the same store.
Airius fans help supermarkets redistribute conditioned air, reduce hot and cold spots, and create a more comfortable shopping environment without compromising refrigeration performance.
The Challenge
A supermarket rarely has a single temperature problem. Refrigerated and frozen-food aisles can feel significantly colder than surrounding departments, while warm air collects near high ceilings. Entrances and checkout areas experience temperature swings from exterior doors, and departments such as produce, bakery, meat, and prepared foods can have completely different heating and cooling loads.
These differences affect more than comfort. Airius grocery installations have documented excessively cold chiller aisles that discouraged customers from browsing, fogging on refrigerated cases, uneven temperatures between departments, and employees working in uncomfortable conditions.
At Morrisons, for example, temperature stratification in refrigerated aisles measured approximately 6–8°C before the installation of Airius fans.
The Airius Solution
Airius fans can be positioned throughout the supermarket to address different airflow conditions by department rather than treating the entire building as a single space.
For supermarkets, two Airius systems are particularly well suited.
Retail Series EC
The Retail Series EC is specifically designed for retail environments and is particularly useful in supermarket aisles. Standard and Narrow Aisle nozzle configurations allow airflow to be matched to the store layout. The Narrow Aisle option directs airflow along the aisle rather than distributing it equally in every direction, helping target circulation where shoppers actually experience the temperature difference. This makes the Retail Series particularly well suited for refrigerated and freezer aisles, checkout areas, entrances, and other locations where targeted airflow is needed.
Air Pear EC Series
The Air Pear EC Series provides greater flexibility for open grocery departments, high ceilings, produce areas, sales floors, and stores with varying ceiling heights. Its focused columnar airflow helps return accumulated ceiling-level air toward the occupied space, improving temperature balance throughout the store. Variable-speed EC motors and building-control integration also allow different departments to operate at different fan speeds based on their individual conditions.
Potential Benefits
A properly designed Airius installation could help reduce hot and cold spots, improve comfort in refrigerated aisles, distribute conditioned air more evenly between departments, reduce ceiling-level heat accumulation, and help existing HVAC systems maintain store conditions more efficiently. Improved airflow can also help address condensation and fogging on refrigerated display doors. At Morrisons, continuous airflow eliminated cabinet fogging while reducing temperature stratification in the chiller aisles from 6–8°C to approximately 1–2°C without affecting refrigeration performance.
Proven Results
Stauffers of Kissel Hill Fresh Foods operates a 52,000-square-foot supermarket in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with ceilings reaching 24 feet.
The store struggled with significant temperature inconsistencies throughout the year. During winter, conditions became cold enough that cashiers were wearing coats, while summer brought varying hot and cold pockets across different departments.
Airius recommended 42 Air Pear Model 25 fans divided into different control zones. This allowed airflow to be adjusted independently according to the needs of grocery, produce, meat, and other areas of the store.
Following installation, Stauffers reported more consistent comfort throughout both heating and cooling seasons. Winter conditions improved without negatively affecting open refrigerated cases, while previously problematic hot and cold areas during summer were reduced.
