Phononic Launches Next-Gen Refrigerated, Frozen Totes

Solid-state cooling technology firm Phononic has launched its next-generation cooling totes for grocers to use during cold-chain fulfillment. 

The Actively-Cooled Tote (ACT) 2000 is available in both refrigerator and freezer versions, and offers a number of features such as precise temperature control, a lightweight design with large capacity and more. Phononic says that the ACT 2000’s solid-state cooling offers unprecedented value and sustainability not achievable with compressor-based systems, freezer pack or dry ice solutions.

“Grocers are facing a costly challenge to improve their fulfillment capabilities, particularly for perishable and frozen items, while achieving profitability, requiring a re-examination of the grocery fulfillment process,” said Larry Yang, chief product officer of Phononic. “For the ACT 2000, our team incorporated the feedback and learnings from over 20 commercial installations to provide customers with a comprehensive solution. Currently, the approach for retailers in on-site grocery fulfillment is costly, losing $13 per $100 order. The ACT 2000 helps close this gap by being flexible and scalable and delivering a proven ROI on cold chain operations and ensuring critical food safety and quality – ultimately enabling retailers to meet the demands of e-grocery fulfillment.”

The launch of the ACT 2000 tote also comes with a family of tote accessories including mobile-powered carts for optimized picking, staging and curbside pickup, vertically powered storage racks to minimize storage footprint and integration into robotics automation. So far, the new totes have over 20 commercial installations including at several top U.S. grocers.