The latest European Productivity & Benchmarking Report (EPBR) of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, analysing data from the 2020 fiscal year, shows that storage accounts for nearly half of temperature-controlled warehousing revenues, which is a higher ratio than in 2018. Labour represents nearly half of the costs, same as in 2018. The report also shows inventory turnover twice as low as in 2018 and occupancy rate nearly 12% higher than two years before.

The average energy consumption reported in 2020 was 40% lower than in 2018, is this driven by strong energy-efficiency policies? Meanwhile, 85% of the respondents reported that they purchase energy on the spot market. The majority use Ammonia for their refrigeration system and only a handful, CO₂. The EPBR also indicates efforts are being made towards more digitization and optimization systems.

A snapshot of the report was presented during a data workshop held at the 25^th European Cold Chain Conference. Survey key performance indicators include pallet throughput, energy consumption per pallet, space allocation, sources of power, labour, inventory in both frozen and fresh, equipment and value-added services. The session, moderated by Viet Nguyen, Analyst – F&A Supply Chains with Rabobank, demonstrated how user-friendly and time-efficient the new EPBR survey is and how valuable the output is for cold store operators: read the workshop report here

The Productivity & Benchmarking Report is a unique tool that GCCA warehouse members can use to map out their business performance and compare it to industry averages. The report also provides insights into the state of the third-party temperature-controlled logistics sector in Europe. The survey is designed for the GCCA cold storage members and only those who participate have access to the report. The 2022 survey will be carried out in May, if you want to participate or have questions, contact Julie Hanson, Director of Europe.