Fresh Thyme Market is rolling out Afresh Production Planning across its deli, produce, meat and bakery departments after a test in the deli department yielded increased sales. The change brings the Midwest grocer onto the full Afresh Store Suite, from store ordering to in-store production and inventory management.
Production planning previously ran on paper at Fresh Thyme, with each store printing its own par sheets and the support office gaining visibility into department output only after the fact. Now the AI sets each day’s production plan for every item, accounting for ingredient and prepared-item shelf life, demand, display sizes and the timing of shopper traffic.
The department-level applications will be familiar to fresh operators: In the deli, the plan sets how many rotisserie chickens to make and when to roast them, more for the lunch rush and fewer for off-peak hours. In meat, it ties each cut to the subprimal it comes from, so plans reflect what is on hand. In the bakery, it schedules the thawing and proofing that must start the night before.
Significant results
The grocer said adherence to production plans jumped from 40 percent to 90 percent after the switch, deli sales rose significantly and rotisserie chicken has become a top seller with a substantial year-over-year lift.
“We’ve partnered with Afresh since 2019, and every year we’ve trusted them with more of our fresh operations. Production planning has been the most natural step yet,” said Josh Cotton, director of retail operations at Fresh Thyme Market, based in Downers Grove, Illinois. “It’s simple and intuitive, so adherence climbed in a way we never could realize on paper.”
Fresh Thyme also is rolling out Afresh Period Ending Inventory, replacing manual end-of-period counts with a scan that feeds the same system.
“Fresh Thyme has consistently embraced innovations from Afresh,” said Matt Schwartz, CEO of Afresh. “As we’ve expanded what’s possible with AI in fresh, they’ve continued to invest alongside us to help their teams operate more efficiently and continuously deliver shoppers an even stronger experience.”
Founded in 2017, Afresh supports more than 12,500 departments in 40 states, partnering with Albertsons Companies, Stater Bros., Meijer and Wakefern. Fresh Thyme, a better-for-you grocer, operates stores throughout the Midwest.
Related: Fresh Thyme Market Expands Afresh Store Ordering To Foodservice