Upshop and Invafresh have merged, aiming to address major food sector challenges regarding availability, affordability and waste.
The united entity, Upshop, aims to empower communities worldwide by enabling better access to fresh, safe and affordable food, regardless of whether it’s prepared, perishable or shelf stable. The platform will be used by more than 400 retailers in 35 countries, operating in more than 50,000 stores and affecting millions of associates and shoppers each day.
Retailers face increasing pressure to meet heightened operational and service expectations from suppliers, associates and shoppers. The challenge of introducing more affordable, healthy options into stores has been compounded by issues with technology that associates have struggled to adopt. A unified Upshop platform addresses these challenges with a single app, empowering associates to deliver the best experience for shoppers.
Shamus Hines, CEO, expressed his vision for the future.
“We do not settle for better; we strive for the best from our platform, our people and our partnerships with food retailers,” Hines said. “The impact our technology has on retailers’ supply chains means millions of families will have access to the freshest and healthiest food, every day.”
The unification comes at a critical inflection point for the food retail industry. FSMA204, a major FDA compliance requirement, is pushing the market to enhance data traceability capabilities. Upshop will be launching its solution formally at the end of July, combining the best of both organizations’ food safety product suites.
[RELATED: Expert Explains Charting Path To FSMA 204 Compliance]
Additionally, food waste is a global challenge that needs a more comprehensive answer. Stores are in need of solutions that can support all steps in the food waste process – prevention, rescue and reporting. The combined organization is preparing to launch a new, global Food Waste Initiative, powered by its product suite, analytics and industry partnerships.
The merger of Invafresh and Upshop promises solutions that will redefine best-in-class store operations and shopper experience.
Retailers will have access to the market-leading solutions driving impact such as:
- Fresh inventory and ordering management for a top 3 North American grocer which has driven eight-figure savings;
- Powering the highest quality and most engaging fresh experience for Wegmans;
- Enabling grocers such as Hy-Vee to flex their workforce for more efficient omnichannel order fulfillment;
- Empowering retailers, such as Sobey’s, to take total control of DSD; and
- Launching an even more robust foodservice operations platform to c-stores, supporting expanded prepared food offerings and omnichannel workflows.
“By uniting the unparalleled innovation of two industry leaders in food retail technology, we’re poised to redefine what’s possible for the global community … retailers, associates and shoppers alike. We are intent on investments that bring profound impact to the industry. This is yet another huge step in Upshop’s mission to elevate the future of food retail on a global scale,” said Sarah Sommer, co-founder and partner at Level Equity.
