Artificial intelligence (AI) plays countless roles across the technology industry.
Many food tech companies are leveraging the power of AI to make it easier and more efficient for suppliers, retailers, and every step of the supply chain.
Award-winning IoT pixel
Wiliot, a San Diego-based technology company, has been making a lot of noise with its Internet of Things (IoT) visualization platform since it was unveiled at Groceryshop in Las Vegas in September.
In October, Williot was named to TIME magazine's list of “Best Inventions of 2023,” and in November was included in Fast Company's list of “The Next Big Thing in Technology” for 2023.
“Ambient IoT represents an evolution of the traditional Internet of Things, bringing connectivity and product intelligence to just about everything, from big and expensive to big and expensive,” said Steve Statler, CMO at Wiliot. “By embedding item-level intelligence into trillions of things and connecting these products through generative AI platforms, businesses will have the real-time data they need to solve many of their most pressing challenges. The benefits of Williot are broad and deep: creating more efficient and responsive supply chains, reducing carbon emissions, and strengthening food and drug safety.”
Wiliot said the company's IoT Pixel is a postage stamp-sized, versatile, self-powered computing device that costs just 1 cent to manufacture and can connect anything to the internet via an attachment.
The company highlighted that IoT Pixels can provide data not only on large objects, but also on the contents of shipping boxes, such as individual packages of produce and other fresh surrounding products. This helps companies achieve FSMA 204 compliant traceability and sustainability goals.
“Inefficiency and waste throughout the supply chain has a significant impact on the planet,” said Antony Yousefian, vice president of climate and circularity at Williot. “Wiliot is addressing these inefficiencies by creating an ambient IoT that brings intelligence and connectivity to every “thing” in the global supply chain, allowing products to be monitored at the item level regarding location, temperature, and carbon footprint. Allows you to send information. ”
The IoT pixel can also sense humidity and share that data with the Wiliot cloud.
“Based on this new humidity data, companies can now track the relative impact of environmental conditions on humidity-sensitive products in real time, helping them improve product freshness, quality, safety and integrity. ” said Thaddeus Segura, vice president of Wiliot. of data products and algorithms. “Food retailers can apply freshness insights to their operations to ensure the freshest, ripest products are sold first, while healthcare companies can apply freshness insights to their operations to ensure the freshest, ripest products are sold first. Safe handling and storage can be monitored. The Wiliot visibility platform provides companies with a whole new level of insight into their supply chain.”
retail management software
Several new retailers have adopted Tampa, Florida-based Upshop's AI food retail management software throughout 2023.
In the summer, Festival Foods, a family-owned and employee-run grocer based in De Pere, Wisconsin, will help retailers simplify and streamline inventory management and overall workflow across the perishables boundary. We partnered with Upshop to leverage our freshly designed SaaS software.
“We chose Upshop as our partner because they truly understand our business, the intricacies of fresh produce, and the processes necessary for success.” Festival Foods Fresh Produce said Ken Wicker, senior vice president. “With Upshop, we are confident that our operations will be optimized and ready to meet customer demands. Festival Foods has invested in building a competitive edge in fresh produce, but we are confident that Upshop will help us optimize our operations and prepare us to meet customer demands. This allows us to extend that advantage.”
Additionally, Nieman Foods, a retail chain based in Quincy, Illinois, began using AppShop's new replenishment and inventory system called Magic this summer at 43 stores in Illinois, Missouri and Indiana.
According to Upshop, its AI software analyzes data in real-time to predict consumer demand, calculate current inventory levels, and order the optimal amount of products.
The company designed it specifically for grocery stores so that data analysis can take into account seasonal trends and store promotions.
“Our approach is revolutionary for grocery retailers looking to maximize the potential of their stores,” said Shamus Hines, CEO of Upshop. “Shoppers expect more personalization than ever before, no matter where they shop. Grocers need the right products, at the right place, at the right time, to ensure they don't miss a sale online or in-store. We are investing in ensuring availability. We are proud to work with Neiman's to optimize inventory and enable store success.”
Byron Center, Michigan-based retailer SpartanNash expanded its use of Uphop's Magic application in September to optimize local inventory, enhance efficient merchandising strategies, and improve sustainability, according to the company. It is said that it has improved.
“At SpartanNash, we prioritize technology that improves the experience for our employees and in-store guests,” said Tom Swanson, executive VP of corporate retail at SpartanNash. “By leveraging advanced analytics to predict product demand, our employees spend less time checking inventory and more time face-to-face serving shoppers. can do.”
Springdale, Ark.-based Harps Food Stores also plans to begin using Upshop's Magic platform early this year.
Other major retailers using Magic software are Rochester, New York-based Wegmans, West Sacramento, California-based Rally's, Ontario-based Cardenas, and Winston, North Carolina, according to Upshop. Salem-based Lowe's Foods and Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Wyeth. Marquette, Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y, and Stellarton, Novia Scotia-based Sobeys.
minimize shrinkage
In September, Durham, North Carolina-based Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions launched ELERA Security Suite, a new technology designed to minimize shrink.
Citing data from the National Retail Federation, Toshiba said retail contraction in the U.S. accounted for $94.5 billion in losses in 2021 and remains a significant challenge for retailers.
“In a world where every second counts, ELERA Security Suite is not just a tool, but a strategy to turn data into decisions and losses into profits,” said Evgeny Tsyrulnik, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Incubation at Toshiba. states. “As a global leader in retail solutions, our Toshiba team and partners collaborated to envision and develop the AI-powered ELERA Security Suite to enhance loss prevention measures that have a direct and positive impact on retailers’ bottom lines. and improved the shopper experience.”
According to Toshiba, ELERA Security Suite allows retailers to:
- Via TCx EDGEcam+ and multiple sensors, monitor consumer behavior in real-time without servers or processing delays, increasing security throughout the checkout area.
- Use cutting-edge AI-powered computer vision to respond to incidents as they occur for more impactful and timely resolutions.
- Minimize employee intervention and improve the checkout experience by notifying shoppers of potential errors through proactive alerts and empowering them to fix issues themselves.
- Distinguish between a customer's products and the store's products they are purchasing, improving recognition accuracy and reducing false alarms.
This article is excerpted from the January 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. For more information on the overall AI functionality, etc. Click here for digital version.
