Some grocers are using AI to cut food waste and boost profit margins

Cnbc · Apr 17, 2026 · 738 words · By Brandon Gomez

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What to know about Some grocers are using AI to cut food waste and boost profit margins

As grocery chains face mounting pressure from inflation-weary shoppers and growing competition, some in the industry are starting to rely on artificial intelligence to protect margins without losing customers.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Traditional levers to protect profits or drive sales, like raising prices or running blanket promotions, are becoming less effective as shoppers split trips across multiple retailers in search of value.

Common ground

That dynamic has helped drive market share gains for discounters like Dollar General and warehouse clubs like Costco, forcing traditional grocers to rethink how they compete.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Some grocers are using AI to cut food waste and boost profit margins?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that According to a Deloitte study, 89% of people are shopping for discounts and deals?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/17/some-grocers-are-using-ai-to-cut-food-waste-and-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

cancel Disputed 1

verified

Claim 1: “According to a Deloitte study, 89% of people are shopping for discounts and deals.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Web results mention Deloitte studies on personalization and autonomous vehicles, but none of the provided evidence mentions a study stating 89% of people shop for discounts and deals.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Deloitte is a multinational professional services network based in London, England. It is the largest professional services network in the world by revenue and number of employees, and is one of the B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deloitte

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Deloitte Football Money League ranks football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. It is produced annually by the professional services firm Deloitte and released in early February…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deloitte_Football_Money_League

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Welch Deloitte (13 February 1818 – 23 August 1898) was a British accountant and the founder of the professional services firm that subsequently became Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in the United St…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Welch_Deloitte

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “The company is expanding to more than 100 additional Kroger stores this month, building on a footprint that already spans over 2,000 locations across North America.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence does not contain the specific details about the 100 additional Kroger stores or the 2,000 location footprint; only general company mission info is present.

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web search NEUTRAL — Flashfood Inc. is a Certified B Corporation. It is estimated that 40% of food in the United States goes to waste, while at the same time 44 million people across the country experience food insecurity…
https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/fla…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The most random songs ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgTMeICssXY

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Опыт эксплуатации Audi 100 Avant (C4): Всем привет! Моя машина стала пинаться и я думаю, что бензонасос подыхает. Опять же спасибо господину METVO за его широкий кругозор в мире Ауди и за подсказку по…
https://www.drive2.ru/l/715003341645557719/

verified

Claim 3: “Numerator data shows that shoppers are visiting 23% more retailers to purchase their groceries.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence confirms Numerator is a consumer insights company, but does not contain the specific data point regarding shoppers visiting 23% more retailers.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A fraction (from Latin: fractus, "broken") represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, a fraction describes how many parts of a certain…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraction

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In mathematics, matrix calculus is a specialized notation for doing multivariable calculus, especially over spaces of matrices. It collects the various partial derivatives of a single function with r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_calculus

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Worldpanel by Numerator is an international company dealing in consumer knowledge and insights based on continuous consumer panels. Worldpanel by Numerator is a part of the Chicago headquartered data …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldpanel_by_Numerator

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Flashfood connects shoppers with local grocery stores to purchase food nearing its best-by date at a discount.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Flashfood official site, App Store, and a user review) confirm Flashfood is an app for purchasing discounted food nearing its best-by date to reduce waste.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Flashfood is the grocery deals app that cuts food waste and saves you money. Find groceries from top stores, shop before they expire, and pick up your order in minutes.
https://flashfood.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 21, 2022 · My FlashFood Review and First Purchase So far, the flashfood app has been an excellent way for me to save on groceries. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a way to reduce food …
https://www.thefrugalfarmgirl.com/flashfood-app/

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web search NEUTRAL — Download Flashfood - Grocery deals by Flashfood Inc on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Flashfood - Grocery…
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashfood-grocery-deals/id1187…

help

Claim 5: “Kirk has a buy rating on the stock and $78 price target, higher than its Thursday closing price of $67.77.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.

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Claim 6: “Historically, about 30% of food in American grocery stores is thrown away each year”

DISPUTED

Evidence provides conflicting figures: one source states the average grocery store shrinks 7-10% of inventory, while another 'Market Data Report 2025' estimates food waste in US grocery stores at 30-40% of total inventory.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. (/ˈkjʊərɪɡ/ KURE-ig) is a publicly traded American beverage company headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, and Frisco, Texas. It was formed on July 9, 2018, through the mer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keurig_Dr_Pepper

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — WhatsApp Messenger, commonly known simply as WhatsApp, is an American social media, instant messaging (IM), and Voice over IP (VoIP) service accessible via desktop and mobile app. Owned by Meta Platfo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “Shoppers using the app make nearly four additional trips per month on average and spend about $28 more per visit on full-priced items beyond their discounted purchases, according to the company.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is explicitly quoted in one web search result (CitrixNews), but no other independent source corroborates these specific metrics (4 additional trips, $28 more spend).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shoppers using the app make nearly four additional trips per month on average and spend about $28 more per visit on full-priced items beyond their discounted purchases, according to the company.
https://citrixnews.cz/article/some-grocers-are-using-ai-to-c…

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web search NEUTRAL — Many are turning to more targeted, tech-enabled strategies to balance affordability with profitability. One emerging approach is using data and AI to adjust pricing on perishable inventory, especially…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brandon-gomez_some-grocers-ar…

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web search NEUTRAL — Real food, realer prices. Flashfood gives you unbeatable deals on groceries at peak deliciousness. Want to save big on fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, cheese, pantry staples* and more? Skip the coupons…
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flashfooda…

info

Claim 8: “Flashfood says its partners, which include Kroger but also regional chains like Piggly Wiggly, Loblaws and Gelson's, and have reduced shrink by an average of 27% while also driving incremental traffic.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence confirms Flashfood's general purpose but does not mention the specific partners (Piggly Wiggly, Loblaws, Gelson's) or the 27% shrink reduction figure.

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verified

Claim 9: “some experts estimate that translates to nearly $18.2 billion in lost value”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While sources discuss the general scale of food waste (e.g., 16 billion pounds or $35 billion), no specific source provided confirms the exact figure of $18.2 billion in lost value.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of official U.S. state foods:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_foods

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — US Foods Holding Corp. (formerly known as U.S. Food service) is an American food service distributor. It is the second-largest food service distributor in the U.S., after Sysco. The company supplies 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Foods

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.