Food retailers are frequently at the forefront of introducing emerging technologies that help protect public health. Yet, artificial intelligence and machine learning cannot solve all food safety problems by themselves.

These days, convenience is the name of the game. Just look at how shoppers select their primary store. According to FMI’s 2019 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, 67% of shoppers rate convenience from home as one of the key attributes of their primary grocery store and 50% say a store must be convenient from work or along daily commute. These findings are even more pronounced for Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. With the need for ease and simplification so high among shoppers, why would more and more consumers be willing to inconvenience themselves when it comes to foodservice?

In today’s “prosumer” world, consumers are placing greater pressure on suppliers and retailers to raise their standards and performance with regards to how products are made and who makes them. Product sourcing is a supply chain responsibility and the accountability rests on the shoulders of many people, companies, and governments.

One trend emerging at the center of food retail store design is the Micro-Fulfillment Center (MFC), a new automation in the food retail industry. Although small, as the name implies, these warehouses are well equipped to autonomously fulfill online orders – fast and efficiently. Micro-fulfilment offers an end-to-end solution plugging into any grocery store’s already existing network and making ecommerce profitable.