Waitrose banks on mobile technology to cut food waste

Food retailer Waitrose has initiated the UK’s biggest mobile printing deployment in an attempt to improve its stock efficiency and cut food waste.

The company will be installing 1,000 Zebra 220 Plus printers, recommended and implemented by Zetes. Waitrose hopes the project will improve checkout productivity as well as ensuring unsold food is minimised. The printers produce price labels and barcodes for any stock that needs to be reduced.

The system can use real-time information to calculate price reductions for food items based on product demand and shelf-life. The technology can also be used to provide a list of items that have already been reduced but not sold.

Nick Hart, project manager, branch ordering development at Waitrose, said the initiative, “builds on the positive work that our shops have been carrying out to cut food wastage. We are a fresh food retailer above all, so it is important that our stores ensure the highest levels of accuracy when ordering food. In addition to helping our branches minimise unsold food, this system has also enabled us to record increased data for further improved accuracy in future ordering - so we’re pleased with the initial results.”

Waitrose has around 200 stores throughout the UK and is a strong supporter of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign. The retailer has been providing clearer information on the preparation, cooking and storage of its own label products. It is hoped this will raise awareness of the issue of food waste.

“In these environmentally-conscious times, reducing food wastage is more important than ever. We were delighted to work with Waitrose and believe our solutions will benefit the company in many ways. We hope to strengthen our relationship with the company in future,” said Mark Thomson, retail manager at Zebra.

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