Southern Co-op saved approximately 3.1 million meals from being wasted in the past year – a 16 per cent increase year-on-year – by leveraging WasteInsight from Retail Insight, a leading in-store execution software provider.
This significant reduction in food waste also prevented around 3,083 tonnes of food – equivalent to the weight of 257 double-decker buses – from entering landfill, avoiding over 8,323 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.
Southern Co-op said the achievement marks a major step forward in its journey toward a ‘waste-free future’. With a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and community welfare, the regional retailer, which operates 195 stores across the South of England, turned to technology to refine its food waste strategy and optimise markdown efficiency.
Previously relying on fixed-time markdowns, the Co-op’s approach did not fully account for variables like demand fluctuations, weather, or intra-day sales patterns. This traditional model often led to inconsistent sell-through rates (STRs) and unnecessary food waste.
To address these challenges, Southern Co-op adopted WasteInsight’s dynamic markdown solution, powered by cognitive-driven tech that evaluates diverse data points – from product type to seasonality – to recommend the best discount prices and timings. The shift allowed the retailer to make smarter, more responsive markdown decisions, increasing visibility into performance and store compliance.
“The markdown process is far more transparent and proactive than it was before,” said Simon Eastwood, chief operating officer of food retail at Southern Co-op. “Retail Insight’s solution enables us to steer our markdown strategy toward a more optimised way of working, with clear goals and improved visibility into outcomes. In-store teams have found it easy, and we now have much better oversight of how our stores comply with markdown values and timings.”
Kieran O’Brien, VP customer success EMEA at Retail Insight, added: “It’s great to see the strides that Southern Co-op is creating on their path to their waste-free future. With optimised markdowns, Southern Co-op not only reduces food wastage, stopping perfectly good food entering landfill, but it’s also able to sell more while delivering value to its customers.”
Looking ahead, Southern Co-op plans to launch several trials using the solution, including a markdown timing trial to ensure the retailer receives the best markdown window from an operational and performance perspective. Southern Co-op also plans to conduct several algorithm test pilots to further enhance the system and drive performance.
