Albertsons anticipates demand for fresh inventory
Albertsons Companies Inc. is optimizing how it forecasts and orders fresh produce across almost all of its stores nationwide.
The supermarket giant has completed the rollout of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled predictive ordering and inventory solutions from Afresh Technologies to reduce waste and offer the freshest product for customers.
[Read more: Albertsons ensures product freshness with AI]
After beginning implementation in January 2022, Albertsons fully deployed the system in more than 2,200 stores in seven months. The Afresh platform supports Albertsons’ forecasting, inventory and store operations, providing department managers with ordering tools that leverage real-time insights.
Albertsons Cos. will utilize the Afresh AI technology platform in all its stores to create competitive differentiation in its fresh offering to customers while helping to reduce food waste, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and saving water.
As one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Loss and Waste Champions (businesses and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the U.S. by 50% by the year 2030), Albertsons Cos. has set a goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Additionally, Albertsons has committed to setting a science-based carbon reduction goal, and food waste will help reduce the carbon footprint within the company's value chain.
Albertsons is improving its ability to forecast fresh inventory following its rollout of the Procurant One technology platform for purchasing and order management across its banners in September 2021. The Procurant One solution, a web-based buying application designed to improve the speed, efficiency, and reliability of order management in the perishables category, enables the company to connect all suppliers and stakeholders across its perishable goods supply chain.
"Driving sustainability practices across Albertsons Cos. is essential to our business and the communities we serve,” said Suzanne Long, chief sustainability and transformation officer at Albertsons Cos. “Our partnership with Afresh helps us improve ordering and better manage our inventory of fresh fruits and vegetables so our customers have access to fresher products, and we’re able to make meaningful progress toward achieving our goal to have zero food waste going to landfill by 2030.”.”
"Supply chain and store technology implementations typically require a multi-year transformation and radical overhauls," said Afresh CEO and co-founder Matt Schwartz. "Afresh and Albertsons Cos. have partnered to complete the fastest in-store technology rollout in Albertsons Cos.’ history and did so across thousands of stores in just months, helping Albertsons Cos.' family of stores realize the transformational value in their fresh produce departments now; not years down the line."
As of December 3, 2022, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. operated 2,270 retail food and drug stores with 1,720 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.