SAN FRANCISCO - Afresh, the world’s leading fresh technology company, announced the successful nationwide rollout of its Fresh Replenishment solution across the bakery and deli departments at all Albertsons Cos. stores, including Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Vons and ACME. This technology has already been implemented in the retailer’s bakery, deli, meat and seafood, and produce departments. From cakes to flank steak, deli self-service bars to broccoli, Afresh’s technology applies patent-pending AI and data modeling to align Albertsons Cos.’ ordering, inventory and demand understanding for thousands of prepped, produced and transformed perishable items—addressing the core data challenge of fresh to match demand with what is ordered or sold.

This deployment marks a significant milestone in the long-standing partnership between Afresh and Albertsons Cos., which began in 2022. The completion of this rollout demonstrates Afresh’s technical excellence and trusted leadership in fresh technology, and its role as a key partner in powering the digital transformation of Albertsons Cos.’ fresh operations.

"Our partnership with Afresh has been a true game-changer in modernizing our fresh operations," said Michelle Larson, EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer for Albertsons Cos, in a press release. "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."

Tailored Solutions for Every Fresh Department

Afresh helps retailers address the unique challenges of each fresh department and translate them into tangible business results.

• 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 like chocolate, glazed or sprinkled donuts. Afresh simplifies bakery inventory management in a way unmatched by other solutions, ensuring the proper amount of donut varieties and icing is replenished at store level. Using advanced AI data models, Afresh can 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: Deli ordering tackles the complex management of 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. Afresh uses patent-pending recipe data modeling to address this challenge. This capability enables Afresh to excel at tasks from ordering a whole chicken—prepared in-store in dozens of ways—to managing orders for all the ingredients that make up deli combo meals, where forecasting demand and inventory availability is particularly difficult due to the substitution options available to shoppers.
• 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. Afresh uses patent-pending AI models to connect these relationships, linking retailers' orders to what they sell. For example, Afresh maps ribeye steaks and roasts back to their rib subprimal, allowing the system to accurately track inventory, demand and sales for both to recommend the correct order. This approach helps retailers reduce waste, improve profitability and lay the groundwork for smarter production planning.
• Produce: Random-weight items such as bananas or melons make ordering produce notoriously tricky due to unreliable inventory data and high perishability. Solving this problem has been central to Afresh’s success. In Albertsons Cos.’ produce departments, Afresh continues to optimize efficiency, reduce waste and ensure shelves are stocked with the highest-quality produce—improving both sales and customer satisfaction.

In addition to in-store fresh departments, Albertsons Cos. went live last year with Afresh’s DC Forecast across all fresh distribution centers. Buyers now receive daily demand forecasts to aid in their fresh decision-making and to complement the Fresh Replenishment solution running in every store department. Together, these tools extend purpose-built fresh intelligence across the supply chain, enhancing efficiency between suppliers and stores.

"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."

YAKIMA, WA - Pears remain one of the most underrated fruits in the grocery store produce section. Despite being nutrient-dense and versatile, they often go unnoticed. Current pear buyers tend to be between the ages of 30 and 65, with a strong peak in the 40 to 55 age group. These shoppers are loyal, diverse, and health-conscious, proving there is already a solid and engaged consumer base for pears.

However, recent data highlights a gap: shoppers under 30 are virtually absent from the category. At first glance, this seemed like a mistake in the data, but it’s consistent across both high-low retailers and everyday low-price (EDLP) retailers. Showing us that store formats are not the issue and that there is an opportunity to capture sales across different retailers.

"This isn’t just a challenge, it’s one of the biggest opportunities in produce,” said Trisha Casper, Customer Insights Manager at Superfresh Growers, in the recent release. “Pears already have a loyal and diverse base among the older generations but winning younger shoppers will define the future of the category. These consumers are actively looking for foods that deliver benefits like gut health, hydration, and energy, and pears are naturally built for that story. If we can meet them with the right education, packaging, and visibility, pears can become a staple for the next generation.”

With buying power shifting to younger generations, now is the time to engage them. These consumers want consistent, ready-to-eat fruits with clear health benefits, and pears fit PEAR-fectly into this lifestyle: they are rich in fiber for digestion and weight management, hydrating, packed with antioxidants, and full of key nutrients that support heart health, bone strength, and blood sugar control, among other benefits.

Although the industry is already investing efforts in marketing pears, we need to lean in harder to attract those under 30 to notice pears. Packaging and visibility are important factors in bridging the gap. The rise of bagged pears, as shown in retailer data, suggests that families see value and convenience in this format. Pairing that with clear ripeness cues, snack-friendly messaging, and strong promotions in-store and online can capture new shoppers. Social media campaigns, recipes, and educational content are also essential to bring pears into the everyday food conversations that younger audiences are already having.

The pear category has a loyal foundation today, but its future depends on engaging the next generation. By spotlighting health benefits, reducing the guesswork around ripeness, and leaning into value-driven formats like bagged pears, retailers can bridge the gap with under-30 shoppers. With the right visibility in-store and online, pears can move from being “underrated” to becoming a staple in every household and ensuring long-term growth for the category.

RIVERSIDE, CA - UNFI has completed its eighth and largest rooftop solar array installation at its Riverside, California distribution center (DC) – helping reduce energy consumption and protect the planet. Spanning nearly 1,000 yards, the 6.7MW array is expected to generate about 80% of the site’s electricity needs—enough to power roughly 1,500 homes every year.

“Our onsite renewable energy projects, specifically our solar arrays, are one of our most important strategies to achieving our climate goals and supporting operational resilience,” said Kevin Alavi, Director, Sustainable Operations at UNFI, in the recent release. “This project reflects our broader approach to impact—delivering strong business value while reducing emissions. It also highlights the dedication of our internal teams who continually challenge themselves to do the right thing and make UNFI better every day.”

Developed in partnership with clean energy provider PowerFlex, the solar array is projected to reduce the DC’s emissions by 85%. PowerFlex also supports the system’s long-term performance, helping UNFI lower costs and meet its clean energy goals.

"This collaboration shows how renewable energy can benefit both the environment and the local economy,” said Raphael Derclercq, CEO of PowerFlex. “It created skilled jobs during construction and helps UNFI manage energy costs while advancing its climate goals.”

The Riverside project is part of UNFI’s broader strategy to reduce its emissions footprint through energy efficiency, fleet electrification, and renewable energy. Similar solar investments have been made at facilities in Howell, NJ and Gilroy, CA.

Learn more about UNFI’s sustainability efforts.