With Smartway, E.Leclerc Reunion relies on artificial intelligence to reduce food waste
In 2020, Mouvement E.Leclerc Reunion was the first company in Reunion to implement a Zero Waste policy, with dedicated display cases for perishable items that are close to their use-by date offered at discounted prices. The policy reduces food waste while helping protect consumers from cost of living pressures.
E.Leclerc Reunion is now moving into high gear by digitising its processes. The company recently partnered with Smartway, whose unique solutions, based on artificial intelligence, help store staff detect products approaching their expiration date and decide on the best way to repurpose them, either by marking them down or donating them to charities.
An 80% reduction in food waste thanks to AI
Today, store staff have to manually check for products approaching their expiration date, decide the best way to repurpose them, apply the right discount rate and print the discount labels. These processes are time-consuming and likely to result in errors.
E.Leclerc Réunion has decided to improve on its existing anti-waste policy. Since the beginning of November, the 18 E.Leclerc stores in Reunion have adopted Smartway’s artificial intelligence-based solutions. Smartway, the inventor of the Zero Waste display cases, has created the Food Waste Management System (FWMS), a suite of digital tools on a platform equipped with a unique Artificial Intelligence system. These all-new solutions help store staff detect soon-to-expire products and decide on the best way to repurpose them, either by marking them down or donating them to charities.
3 solutions to guarantee that there are no expired items on the shelf
The E.Leclerc Réunion stores use the 3 intelligent tools designed by Smartway: Smartdetection to identify short-dated products, Smartdecision to identify the most profitable way to repurpose each product (donation or discount) and Smartdiscount to apply the right discounts and automatically print the labels.
Smartway solutions ramp up both short-date sales volume and donation volume, without sacrificing one for the other. The result is an 80% reduction in food waste.
Discover our solutions at E.Leclerc Reunion in video
A win-win partnership for stores, consumers and charities
The E.Leclerc Reunion partnership with Smartway optimises the entire value chain. Stores will reduce their losses from food waste. Employees get guidance on handling soon-to-expire products, cutting the time spent on these tasks by 75%. Consumers will be able to buy more discounted products. Lastly, charities will have a sharper oversight of donations they are due to receive.
“In 2020, we were the first supermarket chain to implement a Zero Waste policy in Reunion Island. With Smartway, we are now going even further by adopting their unique solutions. This policy corresponds totally to the values of the E.Leclerc Reunion Movement which promotes sustainable grocery retailing that protects the environment and drives the local economy”
Pascal Thiaw-Kine, president of E.Leclerc Reunion
“This deployment at all the E.Leclerc stores in Reunion Island proves once again the pioneering character of the movement, but also its total determination to end food waste. It’s a pleasure to work with fully committed teams.”
Paul Adrien-Menez et Christophe Menez, co-founders of Smartway
Discover our intelligent solutions against food waste in the shelves of E.Leclerc Réunion in video
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