Why the hell do grocery store refrigerators require a web GUI? The most complicated computer in the whole system should maybe be an 8-bit microcontroller.
For massive industrial-scale refrigeration and storage, it might also make sense to add, say, a serial port.
Well, for a fleet of refrigerators, it might be nice to have a place to see data from the entire fleet. Power requirements, temperature, failures or failure indicators, etc.
A large supermarket would most likely want something like that. With serial ports, they'd have to design a system themselves, including the boxes to attach to the individual serial ports.
Of course, for a technically skilled individual, a serial port is much preferable.
Temperature logging is mandated by HACCP-related regulations. Without a centralized system one would have store clerks running around with thermometers and a clipboard. The maintenance company can do remote supervision, troubleshooting and optimization. Also, having an overview of all stores helps one pick out the ones that are wasting electricity.
Disclaimer: Our company's main product is used to collect data from refrigeration systems into one vendor-independent, Flash-free web UI. We do pretty much everything ranging from web development to reverse engineering and hardware design.
You're thinking of refrigeration cabinets with small separate compressors, just like an average person has at home? Post-eighties refrigeration systems even at small sites are inherently more complex and yes, they have features that make them comparable to industrial systems.
For massive industrial-scale refrigeration and storage, it might also make sense to add, say, a serial port.