Epta brings the next generation of refrigeration to proximity retail in Valencia

Proximity retail is changing. In small urban centres and city neighbourhoods, where sales areas are often limited, making the most of every available metre is becoming an increasingly strategic priority. It is against this backdrop that Epta, an independent global player specialised in commercial refrigeration, has completed a new project for the Charter supermarket in Alzira, near Valencia.

The proximity retail brand of cooperative Consum entrusted Epta with the development of the new store’s refrigerated departments, with the aim of combining product presentation, efficiency and space optimisation. The project is specifically designed to enhance high-margin product categories through refrigeration equipment tailored to the specific requirements of the store format.

Zenith VP Integral puts Fresh Food centre stage

At the heart of the project is the new Zenith VP Integral Advance Plus under the Costan brand, installed in the Fresh Food area in a wall-mounted configuration extending over more than 20 linear metres.

Presented for the first time at the latest edition of EuroShop, the positive-temperature vertical cabinet has been developed to preserve and display a wide variety of products, from fruit and vegetables and dairy products to meat and cured meats. The solution combines refrigeration performance, product visibility and space optimisation — particularly important factors in proximity retail stores.

“This is the third Alper Alimentación Alzira project equipped with Epta solutions, confirming the strength of our partnership and the Group’s role as a key technology partner in the ambitious expansion plan of the Charter network,” comments Diego Ortega, Country Marketing Manager at Epta Iberia.

The network, Ortega points out, recorded 22 new store openings in the first half of 2026, as part of an expansion process in which the ability to adapt solutions to the specific characteristics of each store is becoming increasingly important.

“Our ability to support customers with qualified consulting, cutting-edge solutions and a 360-degree service enables us to translate the specific requirements of each store into attractive, high-performing retail environments,” he adds.

It is precisely with this in mind that Zenith VP Integral has been designed to meet the needs of dynamic store formats where space must be used as efficiently as possible. The new design reduces the cabinet depth by 100 millimetres, while maintaining display capacity and optimising the floor footprint by integrating the technical components into the upper section of the cabinet.

Compactness and efficiency for urban retail

The growing popularity of proximity retail is prompting retailers to rethink their priorities. Within more compact sales areas, they need to optimise their assortment, showcase fresh and local products, control energy consumption and, at the same time, reduce their environmental impact.

In this context, refrigeration is no longer simply a technical infrastructure. It has become an integral part of the store strategy, contributing both to profitability and to the overall shopping experience.

Zenith VP Integral reflects this evolution through a design that combines compactness, transparency and efficiency. The refrigeration unit is fully integrated and pre-assembled into the cabinet, combining the performance of typical remote refrigeration solutions with the ease of installation of a plug-in system.

Particularly noteworthy is the six-door L375 configuration, powered for the first time by a single circuit and a single compressor. This result is made possible by a series of technical innovations, including double-structure insulation, high-performance glass with a Ug value of 1.1 W/m²·K, magnetic gaskets, and upgrades to the compressor and evaporator.

According to data provided by Epta, these features help minimise thermal losses and achieve energy savings of up to 28% compared with the previous generation, while also contributing to lower noise emissions from the equipment.

Completing the concept is the cabinet’s high level of transparency: glass doors and side panels create a sense of lightness that puts products centre stage and enhances the visual appeal of the Fresh Food department.

From chilled to frozen food

Epta’s approach extends beyond the Fresh Food department. At the Charter supermarket in Alzira, Integral technology is also applied to the frozen food area, with negative-temperature vertical cabinets designed for the preservation of frozen products.

The key solutions are the GranBering Integral Ultra Air models, part of Costan’s GranFit family. Here too, the objective is to combine display capacity with energy performance. The solution achieves energy class B and, according to Epta, delivers performance improvements of 35% compared with the previous generation.

Several technologies integrated into the equipment contribute to this result, including a triple refrigeration circuit, inverter-driven compressors and an innovative hybrid defrost system. Together, these features are designed to reduce energy consumption throughout the equipment’s entire lifecycle.

Refrigeration and sustainability: a shared strategy

The Alzira project is also part of a broader sustainability journey. Consum and Epta are both committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), sharing a commitment to reducing emissions and adopting technologies with a lower environmental impact.

For Consum, this commitment also translates into the progressive introduction of more sustainable alternatives across its Charter franchise network. For Epta, the objective is to support the transformation of commercial refrigeration towards more efficient and responsible retail models.

This approach is reflected in a portfolio of Integral solutions designed to meet the different display requirements of the store, from chilled food departments to frozen products.

MyEpta: from refrigeration to digital asset management

The project is completed by a digital component. Epta has also introduced MyEpta, a platform developed to bring together technical data, digital tools and services dedicated to asset and operational management within a single environment.

The platform’s modular architecture allows users to access information relating to individual pieces of equipment simply by scanning the NFC tag attached to each cabinet.

With ASSET ID, technicians can access the digital identity of the equipment, including manuals, KPIs, contracts and service history. STORE ID, meanwhile, provides retailers with a centralised dashboard for monitoring the entire equipment fleet installed in the store.

Digitalisation therefore becomes an integral part of refrigeration management, enabling maintenance activities to be organised around data and supporting a shift towards an increasingly predictive and data-driven approach.

A project designed to be replicated

The new Alzira installation brings together several key elements of Epta’s strategy: Integral technology, a focus on energy efficiency, space optimisation, sustainability and digital equipment management.

“This project represents a replicable model thanks to natural, scalable solutions designed around the specific requirements of each store,” concludes Diego Ortega.

According to Epta Iberia’s Country Marketing Manager, this vision is fully aligned with the Group’s “Good Never Stops” payoff: a commitment to continuous innovation in which technology and services are designed to create long-term value while supporting the evolution of proximity retail.

The world of industrial and commercial refrigeration, logistics, freezing and cryogenics will meet at REFRIGERA, the international event dedicated to the sector, taking place at Bologna Exhibition Center from 10 to 12 November 2027.