The European industry reported that occupancy in the second quarter was still quite high with a limited stock turn for food services goods, while retail and distribution for home deliveries and e-commerce, that have boomed during the pandemic, are running at a good pace. Organic growth is seen in the frozen sector and the fresh sector entered the citrus season. The EU subsidies for private storage, mainly for meat, dairy and fish, have somewhat disrupted the market, however cold storage rates remain stable at the moment, unlike transportation, facing rises in road and air freight and a decrease in sea freight. Today, food service activities and airline services are picking up again, whereas cruise services are still at a standstill. The meat sector is back on its feet (as in the United States) and exports to China are improving. General volatility and uncertainty are seen in a few markets like Greece and United Kingdom where Brexit is back on the agenda.
Meanwhile, controlled-environment building activities have resumed and several expansions have been announced in the Benelux and UK adding at least 275,000 pallet positions to the European cold storage capacity.
From an operational point of view, Health & Safety and Energy Management have become top priorities for cold chain operators. Operators are now seriously considering innovative technologies and ideas to better mitigate risks of similar crisis in the future.
If you would like to share more updates, or have questions on the state of the sector, please contact Julie Hanson, European Director.
