Driven by rapid growth in e-grocery, pharmaceutical cold chains, and energy-efficient retail cooling, the global commercial refrigeration market is set to expand by 2033. Accelerating adoption of natural refrigerants, IoT-enabled systems, decentralized cold storage, and stricter efficiency regulations across major economies are reshaping demand patterns, while grocery, QSR, pharma, and logistics players anchor long-term growth across North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
Chicago, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The global commercial refrigeration market was valued at 34.74 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 55.15 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.27% from 2025 to 2033.
Global demand for commercial refrigeration is surging as urban e-grocery, vaccine distribution, and edge-computing racks seek tighter thermal control. The International Institute of Refrigeration places the installed base at 155 million units, rising 5-6% a year, with plug-in merchandisers, reach-ins, and walk-ins forming the bulk of incremental sales.
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High-efficiency variable-speed scrolls charged with R-290 or transcritical CO₂ already power 44% of 2024 shipments and provide up to 28% energy savings over legacy HFC systems. Standard supermarket racks deliver 40-300 kW of cooling; cold-store cascades exceed 1 MW. Ultra-low freezers (-80 °C) have jumped 17% year-on-year due to expanding mRNA vaccine pipelines.
Grocery, QSR, Pharma, and 3PL Warehouses Dominate Commercial Refrigeration Growth
Grocery chains, quick-service restaurants, pharmaceuticals, and 3PL cold warehouses now command 77% of unit demand in the commercial refrigeration market, boosted by spoilage-reduction targets and tighter regulatory oversight. Walmart, Carrefour, and Freshippo report that CO₂ rack retrofits cut indirect emissions by 90% and slice maintenance bills a third because leak checks drop sharply.
In emerging Asia, cloud kitchens and convenience stores add 8,500 outlets per quarter, each specifying two 1.5 kW plug-in freezers. The United States, China, Japan and Germany remain the four heaviest adopters thanks to dense retail footprints and aggressive HFC phase-downs. Carrier, Daikin, Hussmann-Panasonic, Dover’s Hillphoenix, and Haier’s Hisense line dominate global supply; together they shipped roughly 4.4 million units in 2023, 68% carrying IoT controllers that have trimmed lifetime operating costs 18% versus 2020.
Decentralized Cold Storage Emerges as the Backbone of E-Grocery Fulfillment
The commercial refrigeration market is being reshaped by the meteoric rise of online grocery, which in 2024 accounts for about 12% of worldwide food retail sales, up from just 6% before the pandemic. Meeting next-hour or same-day delivery promises has forced retailers to scatter temperature-controlled “nodes” ever closer to the consumer: micro-fulfilment centers inside suburban warehouses, dark stores in dense urban corridors, and refrigerated click-and-collect lockers in transit hubs.
Each node typically requires 15–60 kW of modular reach-in coolers, low-temperature cases, and walk-in freezers, all of which must hit European Ecodesign Tier 2 or equivalent U.S. DOE 2024 efficiency thresholds. Frost & Sullivan notes that plug-and-play hydrocarbon cabinets with variable-speed compressors now represent 38% of new e-grocery installations, because they trim energy use 20 – 25% versus legacy hermetic HFC units and can be deployed without heavy civil works, an essential feature when landlords grant only 90-day fit-out windows.
For stakeholders, the economics are compelling in the commercial refrigeration market. Kroger’s Ocado-powered micro-fulfilment centers report spoilage rates below 0.3% after switching to IoT-linked propane-freezers that continuously stream temperature and door-open data into predictive analytics dashboards. On a 22-kW site, that translates to US$ 180,000 in annual food-waste savings, far outweighing the 12% capital premium versus fixed-speed HFC equipment.
Meanwhile, distributors are benefiting from higher replacement velocity: e-commerce nodes run at utilization factors approaching 90%, shortening refurbishment cycles to five years and lifting aftermarket parts demand. Manufacturers see incremental margin in factory-mounted connectivity, now specified in 71% of online-grocery tenders, and in optional battery-backup packs that keep compressors running during last-mile delivery van loading. Together, these shifts anchor a multiyear tailwind for the commercial refrigeration market, rewarding suppliers that can deliver energy-efficient, rapidly deployable, and data-rich solutions at scale.
Merchandise Refrigeration Captures Nearly a Quarter of Global Commercial Cooling Revenue
Merchandise refrigeration commands 24% revenue share of the commercial refrigeration market because chilled presentation directly lifts basket value and sells advertising space to beverage brands. Global point-of-sale studies by IRI show door-lit display coolers generate eighteen percent higher impulse conversions than ambient shelving.
Brands subsidies hardware, covering sixty percent of the purchase price, letting retailers priorities premium units with panoramic glass and edge-lit LEDs. Meanwhile, regulatory efficiency tiers have narrowed operating-cost gaps between plug-in merchandisers and remote racks to three eurocents per kilowatt-hour, making ROI calculations straightforward. These intertwined commercial and compliance benefits anchor merchandiser dominance across continents this dynamic globally.
Primary deployment zones for merchandise refrigeration are convenience stores, forecourt kiosks, supermarkets, pharmacies, and quick-service restaurant lobbies where fast visibility and self-service are critical.
Europe’s Decarbonization Drive Reshapes the Commercial Refrigeration Market
Europe accounts for roughly 24% of the commercial refrigeration market in 2024, pushed by the continent’s aggressive decarbonization agenda and high supermarket density average store coverage is 320 m² per 1,000 residents, triple the world norm. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain together represent seven in ten new cabinet installations, with Germany alone logging 8 600 transcritical CO₂ rack deployments since January 2023.
The revised F-Gas Regulation, endorsed by the European Parliament in March 2024, schedules a 95% HFC phase-down by 2030 and bans GWP > 150 refrigerants in self-contained equipment from January 2025, forcing retailers toward propane or isobutane plug-ins. Ecodesign Tier 2, effective this July, trims maximum annual energy consumption for vertical beverage doors to 4.8 kWh/day, prompting discounters Aldi and Lidl to re-door 19,000 open multidecks. Pharmaceutical logistics add pull: the EU’s expanded joint pandemic-preparedness stockpile requires 400 000 m³ of controlled-temperature warehousing, spurring demand for high-capacity cascade freezers in Benelux and northern Spain.
Commercial Refrigeration Market Major Players:
- AHT Cooling Systems GmbH
- Beverage-Air Corporation (Ali S.p.A)
- Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Electrolux AB
- Haier Inc.
- Hoshizaki Corporation
- Hussmann Corporation
- Lennox International Inc.
- Panasonic Corporation
- Whirlpool Corporation
- Fujimak Corporation
- Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)
- Ingersoll-Rand PLC
- Other Prominent players
Key Market Segmentation:
By Product Type
- Reach-In Refrigeration
- Merchandising Refrigerators
- Prep Refrigeration
- Bar Refrigeration
- Refrigerated Display Cases
- Commercial Ice Machines
- Commercial Ice Cream Freezers
- Commercial Blast Chillers
- Others
By System Type
- Self-contained
- Remotely Operated
By Capacity
- Less than 50 cu. Ft
- 50 to 100 cu. Ft
- More than 100 cu. Ft
By Application
- Food Service
- Food & Beverage Retail
- Food & Beverage Distribution/Transportation
- Food & Beverage Production
- Others
By Region
- North America
- Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East and Africa
- South America
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