Dive Brief:
- Associated Wholesale Grocers has fully deployed its artificial intelligence-powered meal planning and shopping assistant, according to a Tuesday press release.
- Dubbed SmartMeals, the tool allows participating AWG independent grocery members to provide personalized AI shopping experiences for their customers.
- AWG said SmartMeals aims to help independent grocers compete alongside national chains, which are ramping up AI-powered tools and features for their customers.
Dive Insight:
AWG partnered with Breez AI, which powers SmartMeals, back in 2024 with the goal of creating an “easy-to-deploy” AI solution for independent grocers that was practical and could drive loyalty and revenue opportunities, according to the press release.
“SmartMeals enables our members to compete with national chains and provide consumers a smarter personal shopper assistant that matches or surpasses other AI tools in functionality and user experience,” Shelly Moore, AWG’s chief information officer, said in a statement. “We now have nearly 100 stores onboarded, with a strong pipeline including some of our largest members.”
For shoppers, the AI-powered tool gives personalized meal planning based on dietary needs and health considerations, tailored “budget-smart” recommendations and step-by-step recipes. For retailers, it allows them to create custom-branded experiences and tap into retail media opportunities through personalized product recommendations, according to the announcement.
Breez AI founder and CEO Tal Zlotnitsky noted that SmartMeals integrates directly into grocers’ existing online platforms while protecting customer privacy.
SmartMeals has already produced strong results, including a 22% increase in average basket size and a 72% increase in loyalty sign-ups at participating stores, according to James Neumann, AWG’s senior vice president of sales and support.
