Could you pass a test in “racktological science?”

Talk to Victor Robelet, and you’ll probably pass with flying colors.

The director of business development for Carlson Airflo Merchandising Systems in Brooklyn Park, Minn., is fascinated by “racktology,” which he describes as “the science of racks.

“It is the development of a physical property to support a living cell or organism in its dying stage,” he explains. “When you pick produce, it is living. Something has to support that product for a specific period of time until it gets to the customer’s table.”

That something is aluminum perforated anodized shelving.

“I think this is a subject of the future,” Robelet says. “All retail operations, not only supermarkets but also stores like Menards and Lowe’s, are looking at what they can sell, where they can invest, that doesn’t require a great investment but delivers a return on investment very quickly.”

Salads fill the bill, which means understanding the features and benefits of produce shelves is key to the produce department’s success.

The Issues:

Freshness. The word is almost synonymous with quality, especially where salads are concerned. “Freshness is what sells product and also what retains the nutrients in the produce,” Robelet says. “And temperature is the most critical part of keeping salads fresh. If salad get to 42 or 43 degrees, it will spoil.”

The shelving salads rest on are an important part of the equation.

Case in point: In one store Robelet worked with, produce temperatures were ideal every morning, but elevated throughout the day. “As the produce sat, the temperature went up, so the store would throw the products out,” Robelet says. That compromised freshness, and resulted in 50 to 60 percent shrink.

The Solution:

Carlson AirFlo’s anodized aluminum shelving that maximizes refrigeration and never rusts. “The store’s shrink went down to 10 percent,” Robelet says.

“All surface parts of our products are aluminum because it has high specific gravity and dissipates heat more quickly than steel,” he says. “Aluminum provides a supportive surface that is colder than coated steel or plastic.”

The aluminum surfaces are also perforated to facilitate airflow, which is crucial in preserving produce, Robelet says.

The Products:

As retailers continue to grow their pre-packaged salad lineups, manufacturers are responding with shelving that displays pre-packaged leafy greens in attractive, functional, freshness-preserving ways.

Self-facing units are among the most popular options in the marketplace.

Carlson AirFlo’s self-facers keep products freshly faced, reduce shrink thanks to quicker product turnover, give an abundant product look with less inventory, and help increase impulse sales of all packaged goods.

“Pre-packaged salads are date sensitive,” Robelet says. “Our self-facers allow for easy identification of dates and ease of rotation.”