What Refrigeration Does a Fruit and Veg Shop Need?

A practical guide for greengrocers, grocers and supermarket produce sections in Australia: which produce to chill, which to keep out of the cold, the cabinets that suit each and how to keep produce fresh for longer
By the Chill Pro Refrigeration team · Updated November 2026

A fruit and veg shop usually needs open multidecks for leafy greens, herbs, berries and pre-packed salads, a glass-door fridge for cut fruit, prepared salads and fresh juices, and ambient shelving for produce that cold damages, such as bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and pumpkins. Most shops also need cold storage out the back for deliveries and overnight stock.

This guide is for greengrocers, independent grocers, farm shops and supermarket produce sections in Brisbane, Sydney and across Australia. It covers which produce to chill, which to keep out of the fridge, the cabinets that suit each, the food safety rules for cut fruit and salads, and how to keep produce fresh and selling.

Which fruit and vegetables need refrigeration?

Most leafy and soft produce lasts longest when it is kept cold and humid. Keep these lines in refrigerated display:
Lettuce, spinach, rocket, Asian greens and other leafy vegetables.
Fresh herbs, sprouts and microgreens.
Berries, cherries and grapes.
Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, sweet corn, asparagus and beans.
Mushrooms.
Pre-packed salads, stir-fry mixes and anything that has been cut or peeled.

Leafy greens hold best at around 0°C to 4°C with high humidity, because they lose water quickly and wilt in dry, moving air. A refrigerated display set to hold between about 1°C and 5°C suits this range well.

Which produce should stay out of the fridge?

Some fruit and vegetables are damaged by cold. Held below about 10°C to 13°C they can suffer chilling injury: dark patches, pitting, poor flavour, failure to ripen or faster rotting once they warm up again. Sell these from ambient shelving or bins, out of direct sun and away from heat:
Bananas, mangoes, pawpaw, pineapples and other tropical fruit.
Tomatoes and unripe avocados.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and pumpkins.
Whole melons, until they are cut.

Keep ethylene producers, such as ripe bananas, apples, pears and stone fruit, away from leafy greens, broccoli and cucumbers. The ethylene gas they give off speeds up yellowing and spoilage.

Open multidecks for leafy greens and fast sellers

An open multideck is the standard cabinet for a produce section. Customers can reach in without opening a door, stock is easy to see and rotate, and the shelves suit both loose and pre-packed lines. Chill Pro open multideck display fridges use R290 refrigerant, come in widths from 1000 mm to 2565 mm, have a low front for product visibility and are designed for open-front produce merchandising. They are rated for an operating environment of 25°C and 60% relative humidity, so place them in an air-conditioned part of the shop.

Open cabinets work hardest against warm, moving air. Keep them away from entrance doors, ceiling fans and air-conditioning outlets that blow across the front, and keep stock behind the load line so the air curtain is not broken. For a full comparison, see our guide to open multideck vs glass-door display fridges.

Glass-door fridges for cut fruit, salads and juices

Cut fruit, fruit platters, prepared salads and fresh juices are treated as potentially hazardous food and must be held at 5°C or colder. Doors hold a steadier temperature and cut cold air loss, so a multideck with sliding or hinged doors or an upright glass-door fridge suits these lines, along with milk, eggs and drinks if you sell them. For the temperature rules, see our guide to what temperature a commercial fridge should be.

Keeping produce fresh for longer

The cabinet is only part of the job. Daily habits make the difference:
Rotate stock first in, first out, and pull tired produce every morning.
Restock from cold storage, not from boxes that have sat on a warm shop floor.
Do not stack above the load line or block the air grilles at the back of the shelves.
Keep leafy greens away from fans, doors and the warmest end of the shop.
Cover open cabinets after hours with night blinds or covers where they are fitted.
Clean shelves, drain lines and coils regularly, because soil and plant matter block drains quickly.

Full, bright displays also sell more. Our guide on how to stock a display fridge covers facings, load lines and lighting, and our guide to display fridges that keep products fresh longer explains how cabinet design affects shelf life.

Planning the layout and sizing

Most produce sections run a line of open multidecks along a wall, with ambient tables and bins in front and a glass-door fridge for cut fruit, salads and juices near the checkout. Measure the wall, allow room for customers and trolleys, and check your power supply and floor drainage before ordering. Our guide on how to size a commercial display fridge walks through the measurements, and our grocer refrigeration fit-out in Woorabinda shows a regional Queensland grocery fit-out.

Chill Pro supplies display fridges and multidecks from Brisbane and Sydney, with freight Australia-wide and a 2-year parts and labour warranty. Chill Pro Trusted Finance Partners offer competitive rates in the market — ask us about it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What refrigeration does a fruit and veg shop need?
Most shops need open multidecks for leafy greens, herbs, berries and pre-packed salads, a glass-door fridge for cut fruit, prepared salads and juices, ambient shelving for cold-sensitive produce, and cold storage out the back for deliveries.

What temperature should a produce display fridge be?
Most chilled produce keeps best between about 1°C and 5°C with high humidity. Cut fruit, prepared salads and fresh juices must be held at 5°C or colder.

Which fruit and vegetables should not be refrigerated?
Bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit, tomatoes, unripe avocados, potatoes, onions, garlic, pumpkins and whole melons are usually sold from ambient shelves, because cold can damage their texture, flavour and ripening.

Is an open multideck or a glass-door fridge better for fruit and vegetables?
An open multideck suits whole leafy and soft produce that customers pick through, while a glass-door fridge suits cut fruit, salads and juices that need a steady 5°C or colder.

How do you stop leafy greens wilting in a display fridge?
Keep them cold and humid, away from fans, doors and air-conditioning outlets, below the load line and apart from ethylene-producing fruit, and rotate stock daily.

Planning a new produce section or replacing tired cabinets? Tell us the wall length and what you sell, and get a quote for multidecks and display fridges delivered to your door. We are based in Queensland and New South Wales and freight Australia-wide.