Price Chopper/Market 32 Stores Reach Milestone in Food Waste Reduction
Software platform provider Invafresh has helped the Price Chopper/Market 32 chain reach a milestone of preventing 20 tons of fresh food from being wasted each week. The retailer is on track to curtail 3,000 tons of food waste over the next three years.
The technology from Mississauga, Ontario-based Invafresh uses in-store production data to create more intelligent demand forecasts, accurately replenish orders, manage inventory and ensure regulatory compliance for fresh foods. While the management technology has allowed Price Chopper and Market 32 stores to stem shrink from a sustainability standpoint, it has also enabled the grocery operation to source products in a way that aligns with shopper needs.
“We are working on enhancements within Invafresh that will further our effort in exceeding our customer’s expectations for delivering fresh products while limiting the spoilage that ends up in the landfill,” said Patrick Iannotti, director of retail operations for Price Chopper.
As it has worked to keep tons of food waste out of landfills, Price Chopper has been rewarded for its efforts. The company received a $100,000 grant reimbursement from the Food Waste Reduction and Diversion Reimbursement Program, managed by the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Based in Schenectady, N.Y., Price Chopper/Market 32 operates more than 130 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores and one Market Bistro, employing 18,000 associates in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Earlier this year, Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets entered into a definitive merger agreement that will nearly double their collective footprint in the Northeast. Price Chopper/Market 32 is No. 56 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops is No. 66.
