In this day and age, many food retailers are creating digital platforms for their customers who like to order food online or for those who might need a helping hand looking for an item in-store. There are plenty of ways to create a platform, but only a few will generate the best results. Food retailers must meet their goals but also the wants and needs of their customers. Here are some tips for retailers looking to grow their company’s online order fulfillment.

More recently, MFC’s (multi-format fulfillment centers) have been discussed in the retail food industry. With the help of cube and automation, these MFC’s can be very efficient. MFC’s can be located in a store’s space, backroom, or even the center of the store. The goal is to optimize space and become more successful at operating when it comes to online orders. These areas can be found with store inventory and shipments that still need to be unpacked for customer orders. Thanks to the automation system, the items are placed in the order of need and temperature.

One of the most significant ways stores have been optimizing their footprints is by store clustering. Instead of giving all of the employees the same tasks to do all around the store, break up the store into zones and create groups of workers for every place. This will not only take the weight off their shoulders but it will also the fulfillment of online orders goes faster. When someone works in a specific location, they will become more efficient and familiar with the food products there and not find themselves lost between aisles while customers are shopping. This can also give them a better opportunity to help out customers looking for items in their designated zone. 

You can find snacks, crackers, and cookies in the aisles in the very center of many food retailers. Many stores have turned their heads to AI-data to optimize their inventory and shelf presence. Changing the inventory based on customer orders can benefit order fulfillment when it comes to time and efficiency. This change can be very simple or very dramatic but will most definitely give your store the best investment.