Cub Foods eyes crisper produce operations

Midwestern grocer Cub Foods plans to deploy the Afresh fresh-food optimization platform in selected stores across the greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

The artificial intelligence-powered Afresh Fresh Operating System will be used to sharpen fresh produce operations at the Cub supermarkets, helping them reduce shrink, accelerate stock turns to provide shoppers with fresher produce and, in turn, boost sales and profits, the companies said yesterday.

According to Stillwater, Minn.-based Cub, the Afresh solution will give produce department managers a better handle on the “unpredictable nature of fresh foods” by helping them make more accurate orders and extend the longevity of fresh produce before it leaves the store.

“We’re focused on providing our customers with a fresh and healthy experience every time they enter our stores,” Cub Foods CEO Mike Stigers said in a statement. “This commitment also extends to offering consumers the widest selection of fresh produce, as well as reducing food waste and driving positive impact in the communities we serve.”

The AI-powered Afresh Fresh Operating System stands to help Cub stores accelerate stock turns to provide shoppers with fresher produce as well as reduce shrink.

Designed specifically for grocery store fresh departments, Afresh’s platform supports merchandising, ordering and store operations solutions.

“We chose Afresh over other solutions because of their modern cloud-based architecture, nonreliance on perpetual inventory and the ease of integration. We want to transform our fresh departments, and Afresh is the best for that job,” Cub Foods Chief Information Officer Luke Anderson commented. 

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Afresh said its software will allow Cub to significantly cut down on food waste while driving better in-stock rates and operating margins. The San Francisco-based technology company reported that stores using its system have slashed food waste by 25% and out-of-stocks by 80%, at the same time lifting chainwide monthly sales by 3% on average. Other grocers using Afresh’s solution include Heinen’s, WinCo Foods and Fresh Thyme Market.

“Afresh is using an innovative approach to solve problems that have historically been overlooked and not yet solved,” according to co-founder and CEO Matt Schwartz. “Working with Cub is a natural fit for Afresh, with our shared goals of reducing food waste and increasing access to fresh food. Through our AI-driven approach built specifically for fresh, we will help Cub transform its fresh departments and remain competitive; for years to come.”  

Part of grocery wholesalers United Natural Foods Inc., Cub Foods has a retail network of 80 supermarkets primarily in the Twin Cities market, with one Illinois store.

Related:Cub Foods rebuilds and reopens store damaged in Minneapolis during last year's protests