Solving the Food Waste Problem in Grocery Stores
The average produce department shrink was 4.5% in a recent FMI study.1 This amounts to billions of dollars in lost profits for the grocery retail industry. Although some shrink is unavoidable, there are ways to reduce it and make a positive financial impact on your grocery retail business.
Download our free white paper to learn more about hidden causes of shrink and how to reduce food waste.
Identify Where the Breakdown in Quality Occurs in Your Supply Chain
Reducing shrink is a complex process that requires the right data. Start with evaluating your stores and distribution centers and then evaluate your suppliers’ processes. There are factors across the supply chain that could be causing a breakdown in quality and shelf life.
Potential Quality Issues in Your Stores and DCs
- Are your store employees following all proper handling and storage procedures?
- Is produce quickly unloaded and appropriately stored as it comes into each retail store?
- Are certain stores contributing to shrink more than others?
- Are your DC inspectors accepting produce they should have rejected?
- Do your DC inspectors have the tools they need to accurately assess quality?
- Was produce stored properly at the DC?
- Were there any potential cold chain issues between the DC and the store?
Potential Quality Issues from Suppliers
- Are growers following optimal harvesting and precooling procedures?
- Is the cold chain maintained across the whole supply chain?
- Do your buyers need to source produce from different growing regions at certain times of the year to optimize quality?
- Are there weather events contributing to defects?
- Are there recurring quality issues coming from certain suppliers?
Learn More about Causes of Shrink in Our Free White Paper
Ready to identify the root causes of shrink? Our white paper covers issues across the supply chain that reduce shelf life and lead to shrink.
Fill out our form to get a free copy.
1. FMI, “The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2021,” https://www.fmi.org/forms/store/ProductFormPublic/the-food-retailing-industry-speaks-2021