Albertsons deploys AI-based replenishment across all fresh departments
Albertsons Companies Inc. is matching demand with sales for fresh products throughout all its store brands.
The grocery giant has completed nationwide rollout of the Afresh Fresh Replenishment solution across banners including Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Vons and Acme in its bakery, deli, meat and seafood, and produce departments.
The solution applies AI and data modeling to align Albertsons’ ordering, inventory and demand understanding for thousands of prepped, produced and transformed perishable items with what is ordered or sold. Following are highlights of how Afresh Fresh Replenishment works in specific departments:
Bakery: Many bakery items, such as bulk donuts, share a single retail ID, making it challenging to track demand, inventory and sales for specific varieties. Using advanced AI data models, Albertsons can now determine item-level demand, inventory and sales performance, even when sales data is aggregated into bulk totals, enabling the precise donut variety is ordered.
Deli: Albertsons leverages recipe data modeling to manage items produced in-store, such as turkey sandwiches, which require accounting for the inventory and demand of both the finished sandwich and the ingredients used to make it.
Meat and seafood: Most meat and seafood products are transformed in store, which makes ordering subprimals complex. A single subprimal can be cut into multiple sellable items, such as steaks, roasts or fillets—meaning sales and inventory depend on how each cut is prepared. Albertsons now uses AI models to connect these relationships, linking subprimal orders to what it sells.
Produce: In Albertsons’ produce departments, the retailer optimizes efficiency, reduce wastes and ensures shelves are stocked with the highest-quality produce.
"Our partnership with Afresh has been a true game-changer in modernizing our fresh operations," said Michelle Larson, executive VP, chief merchandising officer for Albertsons Cos. "This technology has allowed us to provide our customers with an even better shopping experience while empowering our store teams to keep customer favorites in stock and ensure that we are offering the best quality, freshest products to our communities."
Albertsons builds on Afresh implementation
In January 2023, Albertsons completed the rollout of AI technology from Afresh Technologies to reduce waste and offer the freshest products possible in the produce department, delivering fresher produce with higher in-stock rates while also reducing food waste.
The grocer then rolled out the Afresh platform to manage its meat and seafood categories more than 2,200 stores across all its banners. Utilizing the solution, Albertsons’ meat and seafood departments intend to keep coolers and freezers light while boosting in-stock rates with AI-powered recommendations for high-value, hyper-perishable items like fresh poultry and prefilled order quantities for slower-moving, prepackaged items such as bacon.
[Read more: Albertsons ensures product freshness with AI]
In October 2024, Albertsons began testing and implementing a new fresh-specific AI solution for distribution center buyers called Afresh DC Forecasts. The module automatically compiles the data buyers use to forecast upcoming orders from the stores they serve.
"Our collaboration with Albertsons Cos. has been foundational to our growth," said Matt Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of Afresh. "The trust and partnership we have built has allowed us to deliver a comprehensive, department-by-department solution that is truly a first for the industry. This scaled rollout is a testament to Albertsons Cos.' vision of a modern, sustainable grocery future, with Afresh as the engine of their fresh operations."
As of Sep. 6, 2025, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Companies operated 2,257 retail stores with 1,720 in-store pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 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.
