Afresh, the AI platform for grocery, has joined the Built-On Partner Program from Databricks, connecting retailers’ existing data infrastructure with Afresh’s grocery-specific intelligence.
Built on the Databricks Data + AI Platform, the pairing gives grocers on both platforms a single governed data foundation combined with AI-powered store ordering, production and inventory decisions. Databricks provides the open, unified and governed foundation for data and AI, while Afresh handles the grocery-specific work of keeping fresh data clean and turning it into the decisions stores act on in fresh and center store.
For grocers, every new tool typically means another custom data feed for IT to build and maintain; the partnership lets retailers on Databricks connect Afresh directly into their own environment, with cleaned, standardized fresh data shared back, giving ordering, merchandising and finance teams one accurate version to work from.
Grocery data often lives in disconnected systems, making it difficult to access and manage. Even once data is centralized, fresh departments face challenges such as changing display sizes, inventory drift and multiple vendor codes for a single item. Afresh identifies and corrects data errors and trues up inventory estimates using inputs from the store, so decisions stay grounded in what’s happening on the floor. Through OpenSharing, the open protocol formerly known as Delta Sharing, Afresh connects directly to a retailer’s governed environment and shares standardized store and department data back into it.
“Databricks is best in class at centralizing and structuring data, and that gives IT one well-governed foundation. Afresh keeps grocery data clean as it flows in and turns it into store orders and production plans,” said Kristina Kemmer, chief technology officer at Afresh. “Together, retailers get a stack that’s simpler to manage and high-impact decisions their stores can act on.”
The companies say the combination helps retailers improve inventory accuracy, reduce food waste and drive more efficient store operations.
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