Saving 1.8 Million Meals: East of England Co-op Scales Sustainability with Retail Insight AI and Pricer ESLs
Partners in Innovation
The East of England Co-op is one of the UK's largest independent retailers, built on 180 years of community-focused values and a "technology-first" philosophy. While the Co-op was already working with Retail Insight to manage markdown predictions, the solution originally relied on slow, manual paper tags.
The true breakthrough came with the estate-wide rollout of Pricer ESLs, which completely digitalized the process.
By integrating Retail Insight’s AI directly with the new digital infrastructure, they bridged the gap between data-driven analytics and real-time execution at the shelf edge. This combined approach — blending automated pricing with dynamic waste management — delivered a game-changing transformation, targeting a massive £1 million in total annual efficiency savings during its very first year.
The Reality of the Retail "Rush"
In the grocery sector, food waste is a triple threat. The "old world" of manual markdowns was often defined by tedious, repetitive labor, where colleagues struggled with paper labels and customers faced pricing inaccuracies.
This manual approach relied on physical printers to produce markdown stickers — a process that created significant friction in daily operations.
“A difference of half an hour can make the difference between something going in the bin versus going home to help someone make a healthy, nutritious meal for their family.”
— Alex Considine Tong, Chief Product Officer, Retail Insight
The Infrastructure: A Foundation for Change
The foundation for this transformation was the implementation of 500,000 Pricer ESLs across 125 stores. This system utilizes light-based transmission technology to ensure the store stays agile without taxing the Wi-Fi network.
“These devices work on a light transmission, which means that we don't have to put yet more devices on our Wi-Fi network. It's completely separate, which means it's also much more resilient.”
— Rob Smith, Technology Officer, East of England Co-op
For the East of England Co-op, this infrastructure allows price updates to be completely seamless for both staff and shoppers, supporting their wider vision for sustainable store operations.
The Solution: Intelligence in Action
By integrating Retail Insight’s AI (Waste Insight) directly with the Pricer ESL platform, the Co-op replaced laborious date checking with precision automation.
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When the AI identifies an item nearing expiry, the colleague no longer has to search the shelf.
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Using the integration, they press a button in the app that triggers a flash on the Pricer ESL to signal the product's precise position.
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The AI calculates an "optimal markdown price" designed to ensure the item sells quickly while providing value to the customer.
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Once a colleague confirms a markdown on their handheld device, the message is sent directly to the shelf edge and the price updates automatically.
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This instant update ensures that complete pricing accuracy is maintained, resolving the customer complaints that previously plagued manual paper systems.
“Our colleagues tell us that the lights that flash on the tickets are very, very helpful for them in locating the product on the shelf... it all works completely, seamlessly.”
— Rob Smith, Technology Officer, East of England Co-op
Results: Purpose-Led Innovation
In the first year alone, this partnership has turned sustainability into a measurable reality:
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1.8 Million Meals Saved: Turning potential waste into nutritious meals for families.
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2,000 Tonnes of Waste Prevented: Diverting massive amounts of produce from landfills.
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£1 Million in Efficiency Savings: A significant labor-saving target achieved by removing the need for manual ticket distribution.
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Operational Clarity: New stores are now operating with zero in-store label printing, creating a paper-free retail environment.
Do you want to see how you could reduce food waste in store with the right technology?