Indoor air monitoring in more than 3200 stores of a German discounter
Installation of 30,000 CO2 sensors in 3,200 stores to monitor indoor air conditions and improve employee safety.

Our client is a major player in the German retail sector, known for its wide range of products at highly competitive prices. With an extensive network of over 3,200 stores in Germany, it has secured a firm place in the everyday lives of many consumers. The company attaches great importance to efficiency and cost-effectiveness, which is reflected not only in its offerings but also in its operational processes. In order to constantly improve the shopping experience for its customers and meet the high standards of quality and freshness, the discounter continuously invests in innovative technologies and logistics solutions. The focus is also on sustainability, with initiatives to reduce plastic, promote recycling and offer organic products and fair trade goods.
Challenge
The company demonstrates a strong commitment to the health and safety of its employees and customers, which was particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic through comprehensive protective measures and hygiene protocols. With its deep-rooted customer focus and striving for operational excellence, the discounter remains a key player in the German retail sector.
The challenges of the project include several critical aspects. First of all, the discounter must prioritize the installation of new industrial air conditioning units in its stores. This requires the recording and monitoring of temperature and humidity data in over eight zones in each store. An additional challenge is measuring and monitoring CO2 levels in the checkout area to protect employees from high CO2 concentrations during the Covid-19 pandemic.


Efficient indoor air monitoring: over 30,000 sensors installed in 3,200 supermarket stores in 6 weeks
The solution was developed in collaboration with Connected Inventions and Heliot Europe and involves the installation of over 30,000 sensors in more than 3,200 stores within six weeks. These sensors record the current temperature and humidity values every ten minutes and transmit the CO2 content in the checkout area.
The benefits for the discounter are manifold. By monitoring the indoor air in real time, the company now has better visibility of the conditions in its stores. This enables a well-founded prioritization of air conditioning unit installations and increases the occupational safety of employees by continuously monitoring the CO2 content. In addition, the collected data provides new insights into the optimal distribution of goods within the stores. Finally, comprehensive room air monitoring helps to avoid unnecessary installation of air conditioning systems, which means considerable cost savings (approx. EUR 10,000 per system).
Retail IoT: CO2 sensors in the supermarket
Project:
Equipping 3,200 retail outlets with around 30,000 CO2 sensors for indoor air monitoring. To increase work safety and to divide goods optimally.
Industry:
Retail / Retail
Challenge
- Prioritization of air conditioning unit installations: Need to collect and monitor temperature and humidity data in over eight zones of each store.
- Employee safety: measurement and monitoring of CO2 levels in the checkout area to protect employees during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Network coverage: Guaranteeing stable network coverage in more than 3,200 stores to ensure continuous data transmission.
Solution
- Low-maintenance sensor technology: Use of reliable CO2 sensors with battery life to match the project duration of five years Connected Invention.
- Compliance with the high tolerance requirements of +/- 0.2°C for temperature and +/- 1.5% for humidity.
- Rollout of the infrastructure within a few weeks according to a fixed schedule, despite the restrictions and additional measures imposed by the pandemic.
Benefit
- Continuous monitoring of indoor air conditions for better control.
- Targeted air conditioning unit installations through sound data utilization.
- Increasing the occupational safety of employees by constantly monitoring the Co2 content in the room air.
- New insights into the optimal distribution of goods within the stores through holistic room air monitoring.
- Cost savings: Avoidance of unnecessary air conditioning installations, savings of around EUR 10,000 per system.