Sustainability That Performs: Rethinking In-Store Execution for Grocery
Grocers are expected to keep shelves fresh, well-stocked, and quickly replenished. In categories like produce or dairy, those expectations clash with the daily realities of short shelf lives, shifting consumer demands, and constant pressure to reduce shrink and drive profit.
The truth is food waste carries real consequences — and it’s one of the biggest challenges facing sustainable grocery stores in 2025.
Every unsold item affects company margins, and every missed rotation slows product sell-through. On top of this, every shelf that falls out of sync with real-time inventory adds complexity to store operations, making it more difficult for in-store teams to focus on other responsibilities.
Grocery retailers must build stronger, smarter stores and merchandising strategies. With AI-powered planograms and live inventory insights, teams can match shelf decisions to actual, location-based conditions — advancing sustainability goals and unlocking more reliable performance at scale.
The Big Execution Gap in Fresh Grocery Sustainability
Fresh departments move fast, and grocers are feeling the strain more than ever.
Shoppers expect variety and freshness. Delivery schedules remain unpredictable. And social media-driven demand spikes make it harder to anticipate which products need space and attention each week.
Yet many grocers still rely on broad planograms that rarely reflect what’s actually in stock.
There are several ways this disconnect shows up on the floor:
- Displays filled with products that don’t move fast enough
- Short-dated items that miss their sell window
- Associates reworking layouts to match available stock
- Fresh inventory losing value while teams wait for new guidance
These breakdowns slow down teams, increase shrink, and create gaps in the shopper experience. The solution is modern grocery planning tools that match the pace of perishables, support in-store teams, and flex with consumer behavior.
Fresh Execution, Made Responsive
Real-time planogramming with Realgram AI supports the level of agility teams require to adjust shelf plans as conditions change, keeping execution clear and consistent. Each display decision reflects what’s in stock and what needs to move next.
Plans That Reflect What’s in the Building
Every store runs on a different rhythm. Delivery times, stock availability, and fixture layouts can vary by the hour. Realgram AI generates store-specific planograms that mirror those realities — adjusting instantly when inventory arrives, changes, or requires rotation.
Teams receive shelf guidance that’s clear, current, and always executable. And when employees in store don’t have to rethink plans, they can move faster — and fresher inventory moves with them.
Shelf Life Gets the Space It Deserves
Short-dated products carry greater urgency. Realgram AI recognizes that urgency and responds accordingly, giving these items the primary placement they need to turn quickly. Instead of leaving sell-through to chance, stores receive direct guidance on how to spotlight SKUs that are the most time-sensitive.
This approach keeps aging inventory out of the backroom and puts it in front of shoppers — exactly where it needs to be.
Plans That Adapt as Conditions Change
No two store locations are the same. One store may be managing tight shelf space and daily deliveries, while another is navigating hot weather and longer product holds.
Realgram AI factors those conditions into store-specific planograms, helping every location achieve consistent execution, even when circumstances shift.
The result? Less rework, stronger compliance, and merchandising that matches the unique needs of each store’s operations.
Smarter Merchandising for Sustainable Grocery Stores
Better execution sets the pace, but lasting impact comes from how improvements carry forward. For grocers, that means turning better performance at the shelf into meaningful progress on sustainability.
But operational sustainability doesn’t always have to come from big overhauls. Often, it starts at the shelf. Fresh departments that operate with more accuracy waste less and help grocery stores advance measurable sustainable initiatives through routines that are easy to repeat and scale.
With AI-powered planograms, retailers unlock a merchandising strategy that’s grounded in product movement and built for performance.
Inventory That Moves With Intention
Shrink climbs when inventory sits too long or gets misplaced on the store floor. Realgram AI helps teams keep product moving at the right pace to solve this challenge.
The tool identifies which items should turn first and guides them to the right shelf, at the right time. This extra layer of precision protects margins and minimizes product loss without adding pressure to the team.
Digital signage builds on that precision by helping stores reflect real-time merchandising changes without delay. When pricing, promotions, and shelf plans update together, stores stay aligned and reduce the waste that comes from relying on printed materials that can quickly go out of date.
Store Teams Stay Focused on What Works
Planogram rework slows everything down. When guidance doesn’t match what’s on hand, associates spend their time reinterpreting plans instead of executing them.
Realgram AI prevents this friction point by giving teams accurate, store-specific shelf instructions that align with the inventory they’re working with. Clarity boosts confidence — and confident execution leads to better results.
Less Waste, Backed by Data
When shelf decisions are informed by real-time inventory and product lifecycle, waste reduction becomes a built-in outcome.
Realgram AI promotes visibility into short-dated SKUs and ensures high-risk inventory isn’t missed or mishandled. It also helps you avoid allocating too much of any product in the first place, reducing waste throughout the supply chain.
Over time, this leads to fewer markdowns, tighter inventory control, and a more sustainable rhythm across departments.
A Clearer Path to Smarter Shelf Execution
Fresh execution improves when teams have access to the right tools — not more complexity. With demand patterns shifting faster than ever and shrink top of mind, small changes to shelf strategy can unlock real progress across departments.
Start With a Waste Audit
Waste often follows predictable patterns, but the patterns vary by store. A focused audit of high-shrink SKUs and merchandising routines helps teams understand what’s being lost, where, and why. That insight points directly to where shelf planning needs to evolve.
Shift to Dynamic, Inventory-Aware Plans
Supply chain delays continue to affect delivery timing, and shopper demand shifts overnight when a product or recipe gains traction online. The ability for HQ to update planograms in real time — based on actual inventory, not forecasts — gives store teams a smarter foundation for daily execution.
This shift helps teams keep displays accurate, relevant, and aligned with what shoppers expect to find in-store.
Build Rotation Into the Plan
When product rotation is supported visually and operationally, it becomes second nature. Realgram AI helps stores feature aging inventory in priority positions, ensuring products reach the floor while they’re still sellable.
This shift — guided by clear, timely planograms — protects product, empowers teams, and keeps inventory flowing in the right direction.
Grocery Sustainability Takes Shape at the Shelf-Level
Store by store, shelf by shelf. That’s how sustainable grocers should be thinking about their merchandising strategy.
Fresh execution plays a central role in reducing waste and building sustainable store operations. When you act on what’s in stock — and what needs to move — every shelf becomes a point of progress.
Learn how Optimum Retailing and Realgram AI can help you reduce shrink, improve shelf execution, and turn sustainability into a performance advantage.
