FPG Visair Refrigerated open front cabinets in custom joinery, BP, Jasbe, Manly, Sydney, Australia
In this interview with Monza Hafza, FPG Sales Manager for Australia, Monza shares his insights on the industry and highlights while working at FPG.
Monza, please tell us how you came to work for FPG …
Well, I was employed as the NSW Sales Manager with an iconic 4th generation, Australian refrigeration manufacturer (Toowoomba) that closed. The National Sales Manager who I reported to was snatched up by FPG and part of his growth plan identified an opportunity to bring me on board. Once I met with CEO Robert Darroch and the senior management team, it immediately became clear to me that this was the type of company where I could fit in.
You have worked in this industry for some time now and today there is huge variability in food display cabinets. It must be confusing for many people in the food retail industry. What are some of the common mistakes that you see? Are there any learnings that you could share?
There are a variety of temperature controlled food display manufactures and suppliers servicing the Australian market and the most common mistake I see is the end user almost always focusing on the initial cost of the equipment. There needs to be greater consideration of the total cost of life with an emphasis on compliance, quality, efficiency, sustainability and overall support.
The main learnings I have taken is that I am not here to focus on selling boxes. My real role is more along the lines of consultancy and ensuring I can educate both the reseller and end user so they can make informed decisions. Ultimately, I’m here to help them sell more (both reseller and end user).
You work with a range of customers, consultants and dealers. When it comes to merchandising fresh food and drinks, what are their biggest concerns?
They all want their foods to look great and stay as fresh for as long as possible – ultimately this leads to them selling more and results in less wastage. Their main concerns are around the following key areas:
- Visibility: No obstruction and clear visibility to all foods and drinks with consistent LED lighting throughout the display with no shadowing.
- Operations: Ease of use including easy access for re-stocking and servicing from a staff perspective and ease of accessibility for time-poor customers. Also the ability to optimise the display volume for maximum exposure.
- Compliance: Ensuring flexibility with merchandising options whilst maintaining temperature compliance throughout display cabinet.
FPG refrigerated and heated food display cabinets, Farmers Bakehouse, Australia
What new trends or applications are you seeing?
I see an emphasis on ‘Fresh food to go’ which is all about high traffic applications streamlining their food offer for a quick ‘grab & go’ transaction. This means a strong focus on freestanding open front merchandisers for packaged meals. This is true for both refrigerated and hot foods. This application has become even more prevalent throughout the whole Covid-19 pandemic. It allows customers to self serve without the concern of staff handling foods and minimises the risk of virus transmissions. It also means quicker service and reduced labour costs for retailers due to the need for less staff to serve foods to customers.
A great example of this is the BP/David Jones collaboration. They have increased their overall food offer in their Petroleum & Convenience application offering quality packaged fresh foods in our Visair Refrigerated open front merchandisers. Having no front doors on our merchandisers means no obstruction for customers, fantastic visibility, and ultimately increased sales whilst maintaining 3M1 temperature compliance.
FPG Visair Refrigerated open front display, BP/David Jones, Bayside, Australia
In your time with FPG, are there any highlights that stand out for you?
There have been many highlights from being directly involved with the design and development of some unique products to building relationships and working closely with key stakeholders within the FPG global business. The lack of political bureaucracy and red tape within the FPG business is a major highlight for me.
Overall, I take satisfaction from knowing I have played a key role in helping the likes of McDonalds or Woolworths for example improve their food display offer and operations. I take pride in the relationships I have built within the industry with not only corporate clients, retailers and resellers but also designers, consultants and end users.
