Fridge seal supply for a national supermarket refrigeration engineer
The Seal Company was approached by a specialist refrigeration engineer responsible for servicing and maintaining refrigeration units across more than 300 Tesco and Asda supermarkets throughout the UK.
The client required a supplier capable of handling both high-volume seasonal demand and ongoing year-round maintenance orders – reliably, cost-effectively, and with lead times that worked for their operation.
This case study outlines the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the long-term results achieved through our tailored supply partnership.
supermarket sites
seals per peak period
vs previous supplier
supplied
The challenge: High-volume demand, slow lead times & a logistics puzzle
The client came to us with a clear set of requirements, but fulfilling them would need more than an off-the-shelf approach:
Slow lead times
Their previous supplier was taking 1–2 weeks per order – far too slow for a business keeping refrigeration units running across hundreds of live retail sites.
High seasonal demand
Planned annual replacement programme generates demand for 4,000+ seals over a concentrated two-month window, with ongoing maintenance volumes throughout the rest of the year.
Accurate distribution
With orders spanning hundreds of individual stores, the client needed confidence that the right seal profiles would reach the right location every time, without errors or mix-ups.
Operational coordination
Coordinating concurrent orders at scale across a nationwide estate meant the client needed a supplier with a tightly controlled fulfilment process they could genuinely rely on.
Sourcing specialist profiles
The client was sourcing specific silicone seal profiles from a European supplier, but delays of several months were making this arrangement unsustainable. They needed a more reliable alternative closer to home.
Cost pressure
The client needed a competitively priced solution that could scale with their volume without compromising on quality or service levels.
Our tailored supply solution
Rather than applying a standard approach, we worked closely with the client to build a supply solution that genuinely fit the way they operate, adapting at each stage as their needs evolved.
Fast, flexible delivery
We moved the client away from lengthy lead times immediately. Smaller orders are fulfilled on a next-day delivery basis, while larger volume orders are scheduled based on quantity, giving the client far greater control over timing and stock flow than they had previously.
Solving the warehouse logistics challenge
We worked through several delivery approaches early in the relationship to determine which best suited the client.
We offered to ship directly to individual stores, including white-labelled deliveries under the client’s own branding, but they preferred to receive everything centrally at their warehouse, allowing their engineers to collect the seals and take them directly to each store for fitting themselves.
A tested & revised process
As volumes increased during the peak period, the client let us know that managing up to 10 separate deliveries arriving per day was creating confusion at intake.
We resolved this quickly with a practical fix: printing the client’s purchase order number directly on each box.
Their team could immediately see where each delivery was destined without opening a single parcel, reducing handling time and keeping their warehouse running smoothly.
In-house silicone profile manufacturing: From months of delays to reliable UK supply
When the client raised the issue of their European silicone seal supplier, with delays stretching to several months, we moved quickly to find a solution.
The client sent us a sample of the required profile, and we had the extrusion tooling manufactured to match the exact dimensions and material specifications. We got the profile right first time.
We now supply two custom silicone profiles that were previously sourced overseas – at a competitive price, with consistent, reliable UK lead times they can plan around. This brought their total to five unique seal profiles, all sourced through The Seal Company.
Flexible stock planning
We proposed a call-off agreement to help both parties plan ahead, but the client preferred to retain the flexibility to order as needed.
Rather than let this create supply uncertainty, we leaned on the open, communicative relationship we’d built: the client kept us informed of likely upcoming quantities, and we managed stock levels accordingly, ensuring availability even during the demanding two-month peak period.
Significantly more competitive pricing
Across all profiles, we were able to offer pricing approximately 40% lower than the client’s previous supplier, a substantial saving at their operating volumes, with no compromise on quality or service.
The results: Faster, cheaper & built around how they work
What began as a supply enquiry has grown into a strong, long-term working partnership built on communication, flexibility, and consistent delivery. The key outcomes include:
- 300+ supermarket sites across Tesco and Asda are supported with reliable, on-time seal supply
- 4,000+ seals delivered during each annual peak programme, with smaller maintenance quantities throughout the year
- 40% cost reduction compared to the client’s previous supplier
- Next-day delivery on smaller orders, replacing 1–2 week lead times
- Two custom silicone profiles were developed and manufactured in the UK, eliminating dependence on an unreliable European supply chain
- Five unique profiles now supplied through a single trusted UK partner
- Streamlined warehouse intake through PO-labelled packaging, removing confusion during high-volume delivery periods
Conclusion
This partnership is an example of what happens when a supplier genuinely invests in understanding how a client operates. By adapting our logistics process, developing new tooling, and maintaining close communication on stock planning, we delivered a solution that addressed real operational problems at scale, not just the initial brief.
The result is a faster, more cost-effective, and more resilient supply chain for a business that can’t afford downtime across hundreds of live retail sites.
Managing fridge seal supply across a large engineering operation?
Speak to our team today to discuss how we can build a solution that works around the way you work.