Fresh departments – produce and meat – are the heart of every grocery store. They foster shopper loyalty, shape perception of quality, and often account for more than 40% of total sales. Yet, these same departments are among the most difficult to manage. High product turnover, constantly changing displays, and the perishable nature of inventory make execution in these departments especially complex.
In U.S. supermarkets, perishable departments account for roughly half of all store shrink, led by meat (18%) and produce (16%). Persistent out-of-stocks add to the challenge, with rates hovering near 8%. Few store improvements deliver greater return on investment than better visibility and execution in these departments.
A Unified Platform for Grocery Operations
This past September, GoSpotCheck by FORM launched an augmented reality (AR) solution designed specifically for grocery’s most complex departments. For the first time, grocers now have a consistent way to measure and act on execution compliance everywhere in the store – including sections, such as produce and meat, that have traditionally resisted automation and analytics.
Historically, grocers relied on manual checklists and in-person inspections to monitor their perimeter departments – methods that were inconsistent and time-consuming. GoSpotCheck’s AR technology replaces that analog workflow with real-time operational intelligence. For the first time, grocers can capture a “digital twin” of their fresh sections, instantly identifying gaps in planogram compliance, out-of-stocks, or incorrect displays before they lead to waste or lost sales.
Unlike conventional image recognition systems, which perform well for packaged goods, GoSpotCheck’s AR technology is built to handle the complexity of perishable products. By automatically tagging items – even those with minimal branding – the platform verifies assortment execution, monitors inventory levels, and compares current displays to planograms.
These insights are more than diagnostic: The system automatically generates tasks and directs associates to the precise shelf or bin that needs attention. Whether that’s restocking high-velocity SKUs like avocados or ensuring compliance on premium “center-of-plate” items like steak, the platform enables faster, more informed decisions at the shelf level.
The impact of this real-time intelligence goes far beyond compliance. Small improvements in waste management can have an outsized effect on profitability: reducing shrink by just half a percentage point can lift net income by nearly 17%. Similarly, improving planogram accuracy
can increase sell-through rates and keep shelves stocked – every 10% compliance gap has been tied to a 1% rise in out-of-stocks.
By integrating AR-driven shelf intelligence with GoSpotCheck’s task management tools, grocers can also deploy staff more efficiently. The platform ensures that the right associates focus on the right priorities at the right time, resulting in streamlined operations and a more agile store environment where every decision is backed by real-time data.
The Future of Fresh Execution
As the grocery industry continues to evolve, success increasingly depends on agility, data, and precision. Fresh departments, which had been considered too variable to digitize, are now entering a new era of intelligent management. With its augmented reality platform, GoSpotCheck by FORM is giving grocers a scalable way to master the complexity of fresh execution. The result: less waste, stronger margins, and a consistently better experience for shoppers.
About the author: Kevin Corcoran is Chief Sales Officer at FORM, where he helps CPG and grocery retail leaders harness mobile technology to drive consistent execution and elevate frontline performance.
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