Vincent Fromage, CEO of Chronofresh: “Real estate is not merely technical infrastructure: it is a central strategic lever”

Vincent Fromage: Chronofresh was created in 2015 partly in response to the rapid emergence of food e-commerce and new consumption habits. To adapt to demand driven by the search for “eating better” and short supply chains, the company developed a delivery offering for dry, fresh and frozen food products for individuals and professionals, available throughout France and internationally. Today, these flows comprise around 60% fresh products, 30% dry products and 10% frozen products. The 2020 health crisis significantly accelerated this trend and required infrastructure to be adapted in order to meet all market demand. Home delivery now accounts for 70% of activity.
At the same time, producers and artisans are seeking to cut out intermediaries. They want to regain control over distribution, adjust production to actual demand and offer consumers greater transparency through short supply chains. They also aim to supply their professional customers daily in order to adjust their inventories and offer a varied, seasonal product range.

V.F.: We leveraged Chronopost’s nationwide network and installed chilled rooms (0°C to 4°C) and frozen storage rooms (−18°C) in all existing branches—more than 90 across the country. In total, this represents nearly 32,000 m² of temperature-controlled space distributed throughout the network. Today, we continue to develop our temperature-controlled network by opening cold-storage warehouses in areas that are strategic for our business. Logistics real estate is not merely technical infrastructure: it is a central strategic lever of our operating model. Initially, we equipped every Chronopost site to ensure full geographic coverage. Given growing volumes, we are now building dedicated facilities in high-density areas, designed in perfect alignment with our transportation networks to optimize the entire value chain. Our sites are designed to be scalable, notably through modular space, mechanized equipment and optimized internal flows. They also incorporate a strong social dimension, as the quality of the working environment is a factor in attracting and retaining employees.

V.F.: Guaranteeing the integrity of the cold chain “from end to end” is now a complex challenge, in which growing environmental constraints collide with realities on the ground. Intensifying climate change and more frequent heat waves are putting systems under pressure. The most critical point remains the management of flows during loading and unloading. Repeated door openings create thermal shocks that must be offset instantly to maintain the temperature setpoint. Maintaining a constant temperature requires reliable infrastructure, secured by redundant systems and predictive maintenance. Compliance with operating procedures and staff training are also essential to prevent any break in the cold chain. To address these issues, we are investing in equipment modernization and real-time traceability solutions. Connected technologies provide full visibility into products’ journeys and enable faster responses in the event of temperature deviations.

V.F.: The development of our cold-storage infrastructure is part of a complex equation in which operational requirements face increasingly restrictive market realities. The need to be close to high-density population areas is a major challenge, essential to optimize routes and reduce distances traveled.
Land scarcity, exacerbated by France’s ZAN law, makes it more difficult to obtain new building permits and requires priority to be given to redeveloping brownfield sites or vertical densification. This is compounded by soaring construction and energy costs. Building a cold-storage warehouse now costs two to three times more than building a dry warehouse. The regulatory framework is also tightening, notably with F-Gas regulations and the French Tertiary Decree. Finally, between finding land, impact studies and construction, delivering a site often takes three to five years—a major lag in the face of clients’ immediate needs.

V.F.: Maintaining the cold chain is essential to ensuring food safety. At every stage of transport, products are kept at the required temperature using suitable ATP-certified equipment [Editor’s note: an international agreement establishing standards for the temperature-controlled transport of perishable foodstuffs]. Our cold rooms, refrigerated vehicles and insulated containers are equipped with sensors enabling continuous temperature monitoring and alerts in the event of malfunction. Our customers (producers and e-merchants) can track their deliveries via the Chronotrace tool, while recipients (end consumers or professionals) are kept informed through Predict. On the environmental front, Ecovadis awarded us its Platinum medal in 2025. We already use around 50 low-emission vehicles and refrigerated cargo bikes for urban last-mile delivery in Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux. In Paris proper, the latter account for nearly 25% of deliveries.

V.F.: Chronofresh celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025 and experienced its eleventh year-end “peak period.” Accustomed to these volume fluctuations linked to the seasonality of the products we transport, we put additional resources in place to ensure that all our customers’ products are handled and delivered. We adjust the number of vehicles and refrigerated containers and deploy additional dedicated delivery routes. In the medium term, cold-chain logistics faces a major challenge: solving a complex equation—delivering faster and more precisely in a hotter environment, while drastically reducing our environmental footprint. It is an industrial and digital revolution that we are experiencing in real time.