The Fresh Market Aims to Upgrade Retail Experience

The deployment of a suite of solutions at The Fresh Market marks the first Vusion 360 rollout in North America.

Specialty grocer The Fresh Market, has chosen VusionGroup to digitalize both signage and inventory management of the retailer’s physical stores across its entire footprint by the end of 2025. The partnership will deploy a suite of Vusion 360 technology solutions, encompassing digital shelf labels, VusionCloud, Captana’s Computer Vision & AI technology, and Memory Store Analytics, marking the first Vusion 360 rollout in North America. Vusion 360’s installation in all stores will aid The Fresh Market's mission of delivering a superior customer and associate experience.

Key highlights of The Fresh Market rollout include the following:

Increased productivity and efficiency: Using the full multicolor electronic shelf label technology and the VusionCloud platform, prices can be remotely adjusted. Flashing LEDs on each electronic shelf label also alert associates during online in-store order fulfillment as well as replenishment.
Better inventory management and product quality: The deployment of Captana Computer Vision & AI technology in all areas, including center store and fresh departments, will empower the store team and boost on-shelf availability chainwide. Detecting all out-of-stocks in real time, associates can efficiently prioritize shelf replenishment and take on issues relating to produce display, fresh food availability on the floor, and general waste reduction.
Data-driven decision making: Memory Store Analytics will measure success and ROI on strategic KPIs, enabling in-store merchandising decisions, the timing of out-of-stocks, waste reduction prioritization, and more.

According to VusionGroup, implementation of these solutions will enhance merchandising, inventory management, product quality, and efficiency while minimizing waste. Further, employing Cisco Meraki infrastructure already in place in stores, The Fresh Market will be able to automatically connect VusionGroup’s Internet of Things to existing access points, eliminating the need for additional hardware and lowering both the carbon footprint and operational costs.

“We’re thrilled to team up with VusionGroup and introduce their technology to The Fresh Market,” noted The Fresh Market COO Brian Johnson. “With this integration, we’re transforming our stores into fast and efficient spaces. This partnership not only shows our dedication to elevating the shopping experience for our guests, but also reflects our commitment to supporting our incredible team members.”

Philippe Bottine, CEO Americas and group deputy CEO of Nanterre, France-based VusionGroup, added “This collaboration is a testament to our shared dedication to innovation and excellence within the retail landscape. Additionally, we are also very proud to roll out our full suite of value-added-solutions across an entire retail chain for the first time, marking a pivotal milestone in the digital transformation of physical commerce.”

VusionGroup consists of six families of solutions that harness the full potential of IoT, Cloud, Data, and artificial intelligence technologies to modernize commerce: SESimagotag (electronic shelf labels and digital shelf systems), VusionCloud, Captana (computer vision and artificial intelligence platform), Memory (data analytics), Engage (retail media and in-store advertising), and PDidigital (logistics and industrial solutions).

Retailers that have implemented VusionGroup’s electronic shelf labels recently include Walmart and Hy-Vee.

Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market operates 166 stores in 22 states. The grocer is No. 71 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. This past June, The Fresh Market was one of the recipients of PG’s inaugural Innovation Awards in the Mid-Tier (50-299 stores) category. The award was presented at the publication’s 2024 GroceryTech event in Dallas.