How retail can reduce losses on FLV with artificial intelligence

The management of fruits and vegetables (FLV) is a category known by the consumer as hortifruti (FRUIT) is one of the most demanding operations in food retail. It requires systematic demand reading, daily logistics coordination and decisions that vary from store to store. The role of FLV is also reflected in the economic scale of its losses. Studies of the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS) indicate that the Brazilian market lives, annually, with more than R$ 1 billion in losses in fruits, vegetables and vegetables (A data that shows the operational weight of the category in a sector of tight margins.

It is in this context that artificial intelligence is consolidated as a tool to support decision making. By integrating sales, weather, seasonality, calendar and performance data per store, technology increases analytical capacity and increases predictability and assertiveness in day-to-day decision making.

In practice, AI and machine learning allow more balanced decisions between the risk of missing products on the shelves and the risk of leftovers that generate losses, respecting the particularities of each store and region. Networks that have incorporated advanced data analysis models observe relevant operational gains in perishable categories, reinforcing that efficiency is the result of qualified information applied to the experience of those who know the operation.

This operational advance generates positive effects throughout the chain. Better calibrated processes improve the use of resources and strengthen environmental commitments pragmatically, without requiring disruptions in the routine of the store. Sustainability, in this scenario, is a direct consequence of a well-structured management.

Brazilian retail already dominates the operation of FLV. The next step is to expand the quality of management with tools capable of accompanying an increasingly dynamic environment. By adopting artificial intelligence as a strategic ally, the supermarket strengthens its competitiveness, its margins and creates more solid bases to grow efficiently, predictability and responsibility.

*By Marco Perlman, co-founder and CEO of Aravita, an artificial intelligence startup that helps retailers optimize their FLV management