Israeli AI Discounts Fresh Food In Dutch Supermarkets

By Ariel Grossman, NoCamels December 13, 2022 2 minutes

Wasteless, an Israeli startup, has pioneered dynamic pricing to mark down fresh produce and save it from being dumped, and will be rolling out its AI across Dutch supermarket chain Hoogvliet. Courtesy

Food close to its expiration date in a leading European supermarket chain will be marked down automatically by AI.

Wasteless, an Israeli startup, has pioneered dynamic pricing to mark down fresh produce and save it from being dumped.

It will be rolling out its systems across 70 Hoogvliet stores in the Netherlands.

Meat, poultry, dairy products, ready-meals, salads and other perishables can be discounted up to four times a day, to encourage shoppers to buy them, and to prevent them from being dumped.

The Wasteless technology adjusts electronic shelf labels based on the unique conditions of each store, such as consumer purchasing patterns, expiration date of the product, and inventory

The supermarket is on track in the immediate term to cut waste and markdown costs by 30 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

The Wasteless algorithm will automatically update prices on the shelf, within Hoogvliet’s store operations app, and at checkout. It is expected to help the Dutch supermarket reduce carbon emissions, and recover up to four per cent of its revenues lost to discarded food.

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“The EU’s supermarkets alone are responsible for nearly seven per cent of all food waste, leading to more than 15 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Oded Omer, Co-Founder and CEO of Wasteless.

“By the time this waste occurs, all the energy and resources have already gone into the food. It’s the most costly waste we’re creating – indeed it’s costing each store up to four per cent of their revenues. In addition, Wasteless will help customers make smarter grocery decisions.

“Our solution also helps retail managers by optimizing inventory control systems. Joining forces with leading innovative retailers like Hoogvliet means we’re another step closer to saving the environment and achieving our goal of reducing food waste in retail by 80 per cent while increasing retailer’s profits.”

Wasteless has helped hundreds of partner stores experience a 39 per cent decrease in food waste, as well as a 40 per cent increase in revenue.

The company was founded in 2016 and has offices in New York, Tel Aviv, London and Amsterdam, with operations throughout Europe and the US.