SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Afresh recently made its platform available across the full store, bringing fresh perimeter and center store together in one solution. To learn more about how this expansion is not only a win for retailers but also for the growers supplying them with fresh items, I turned to Matt Schwartz himself.

“What we’re enabling is for retailers to operate the store as one connected system—one that actually reflects how demand shows up in the real world.” Matt, Co-Founder and Chief Executive, explained. “That level of coordination drives in-stocks, freshness, and margin. And strategically, it simplifies a major decision retailers face: do you keep layering on tools or standardize on a platform? We’re seeing more retailers choose the latter—one system that gets smarter as it expands across the business, rather than more point solutions that create more work.”

Afresh believes that if retailers continue to make decisions in silos—fresh, center store, and the distribution center—operating on different data and solutions, they’re losing out on the potential to drive a higher overall basket ring.

“The customer doesn’t shop in silos,” Matt added. “For example, a retailer runs a ‘family dinner for $15’ promotion built around pasta, sauce, and a baguette: all center store. On paper, there’s no fresh component. But in reality, that trip drives demand for produce—bagged salad, cherry tomatoes, maybe a cucumber. When your store operates on disconnected systems, you can’t plan for that.”

Matt noted that Afresh’s availability across the full store is about running a tighter, more responsive operation and delivering a better shopper experience.

For suppliers, the benefits of their retail partners using Afresh come down to better data, which in turn enables better planning.

“We make store-level demand far more accurate, which translates directly into cleaner, more predictable orders at the DC. Suppliers see fewer swings, better lead times, and less last-minute noise. That’s the immediate benefit: consistency,” Matt said. “The bigger unlock is visibility. When a retailer runs on one system, buying decisions are based on what’s actually happening across the entire store—not just within produce. That means orders reflect real demand, including substitution effects and cross-merchandising.”

Afresh knows that retailers can create volatility for its suppliers by over- or under-ordering or making last-minute changes. This leads to shrink on one side and missed sales on the other, an outcome neither party wants.

Afresh stabilizes that.

“Instead of reacting to spikes and pullbacks, suppliers can plan against a more reliable signal,” Matt noted. “Over time, that changes the relationship. You’re not just fulfilling orders; you’re partnering with a retailer that’s easier to forecast with, easier to promote with, and ultimately more profitable to grow with.”

ANUK will continue to report on how the innovator is delivering a solution that benefits both buyer and supplier.