Phononic and ShopRite Announce Successful Launch of Innovative New Approach to Curbside Grocery Pickup and Delivery

ShopRite is first grocery retailer in the nation to implement Phononic’s groundbreaking 2^nd Generation ACS^TM (Active Cooling Solutions) Totes at a New York-based store

DURHAM, N.C. – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Phononic, a global leader in sustainable solid state cooling, and ShopRite, the supermarket banner that is part of Wakefern Food Corp., the nation’s largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative, today announced the successful launch of 2^nd Generation ACS (Active Cooling Solutions) Freezer and Refrigerator Totes at a ShopRite location in New York.  Phononic’s Freezer and Refrigerator totes are used to pick, store and stage online orders and save space in-store. Phononic’s HFC-free actively-cooled totes also operate without traditional refrigerants, using technology that is more sustainable and cost effective.

Curbside and delivery grocery orders are more popular than ever, and grocers continue to innovate to meet consumer demand. Advancements in e-commerce and sustainable cooling technology, such as the new tri-temp tote picking, storage and staging system from Phononic, are an example of this. Supported with 24-7 information sharing capabilities, grocers are equipped with tote utilization, cold chain compliance and energy consumption data to maximize usage and efficiency.

“The recent launch of the Phononic 2^nd Generation ACS^TM totes allowed us to create an Order. Pickup. Deliver. department in a store with a smaller building footprint. Local customers can now pick up their online orders at the store or have them delivered,” said Steve Savas, president, Shop-Rite Supermarkets, Inc. (SRS), which operates ShopRite stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Hudson Valley in New York. “We are always looking for opportunities to be at the forefront of innovation in digital commerce, and we are excited to be the first grocer in the nation with this technology.”

ShopRite’s launch of the Phononic 2^nd Generation ACS^TM Freezer and Refrigerator Tote solution at a New York store location has unlocked tangible gains, including:

• Space Savings: Tote size and portability allowed a 70% reduction in staging room requirements with no impact on order volume
• Efficiency: Reduced congestion during peak hours

“As the industry’s only solid-state cooling solution for curbside, Phononic’s Actively-Cooled tote makes economic sense,” said Larry Yang, chief product officer at Phononic. “Not only is it easy to integrate the totes into ShopRite’s existing operations, but it’s incredibly scalable — capable of growing easily alongside ShopRite’s booming curbside business, and agile enough to keep up with daily order fluctuations.”

For more information about Phononic’s cooling solutions for cold chain fulfillment, please visit – Phononic.com

About Phononic

As the global leader in solid state cooling technology, Phononic is driving the world to a more sustainable way to cool. Its’ transformational technology reduces greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions and supports climate goals, while meeting the demanding performance needs of the market. The company’s thermoelectric devices and integrated products are mission critical to how people work and communicate; how automobiles ‘see’; to the protection and effective delivery of life-saving vaccines and drugs; to cooling solutions supporting grocery cold chain fulfillment needs; and to innovative methods that cool living and work spaces. For more information on the company, visit: phononic.com.

About Wakefern Food Corp.

From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative includes nearly 50 member families who today independently own and operate hundreds of supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. For more information, please visit www.wakefern.com