As summer approaches, eCommerce DTC brands that ship frozen or refrigerated products enter their most operationally challenging season. Rising temperatures don’t just threaten product quality—they also put pressure on your shipping strategy, packaging decisions, and cost structure.
Refrigerant—the unsung hero of cold-chain logistics—becomes the make-or-break factor.
Here’s what brands need to understand (and adjust) to navigate the heat without burning through margins.
Why Summer Changes Everything
Shipping perishables in the winter is relatively forgiving. Summer is not.
- Temperatures are higher, accelerating the rate at which packages warm and products thaw.
- Delivery windows shrink—boxes can’t sit long on porches or in trucks.
- Carrier delays become riskier, where just a few extra hours can compromise product integrity.
- Regional climates vary dramatically, which calls for tailored strategies, not one-size-fits-all packaging.
The Refrigerant Dilemma
Most brands approach refrigerant reactively—adding extra ice “just in case.” But that approach creates a costly tradeoff. Too little refrigerant leads to spoilage, refunds, and customers churning. Too much refrigerant leads to higher shipping costs, bulkier boxes, and inefficient operations.
The best refrigerant strategies are about striking the right balance between protection and precision.
What Affects How Much Refrigerant You Need?
To make smarter decisions in summer, brands should consider:
- Transit Time: Longer shipping times increase refrigerant needs. Overnight is easier to manage than two-day ground.
- Destination Climate: Zip codes matter. A package headed for Texas in July requires more coolant than one going to Oregon.
- Product Sensitivity: Frozen meat and ice cream have different melt thresholds than refrigerated skincare or probiotics.
- Insulation Type: Not all liners are created equal. Upgrading insulation can significantly reduce refrigerant needs.
Smart Refrigerant Strategies for Summer
To stay ahead of warm-weather risks, leading DTC brands are:
- Adjusting refrigerant seasonally, rather than relying on year-round defaults.
- Mapping shipments by climate zone, to tailor refrigerant load based on destination temperatures.
- Running test shipments to validate hold times and performance in hot zones.
- Tracking melt issues to spot patterns and prevent repeat failures.
- Balancing cost and risk rather than blindly over-icing.
Refrigerant doesn’t need to be overused to be effective—it needs to be smartly used.
Final Thoughts
Summer is a stress test for every DTC brand selling frozen or refrigerated products. If your refrigerant strategy isn’t evolving with the weather, you’re likely overspending, underperforming—or both.
With smarter planning and a dynamic approach, brands can avoid spoilage, reduce waste, and deliver the kind of consistency that builds customer trust.
Have questions about optimizing your summer cold chain logistics? Lets talk: partnerships@gripshipping.com
