Wynshop Case Study
United Supermarkets Takes a Fresh Approach to Online Grocery Fulfillment with Wynshop
Wynshop Case Study
United Supermarkets Takes a Fresh Approach to Online Grocery Fulfillment with Wynshop
Background ↓
United Supermarkets
United Supermarkets is a North American supermarket grocery store chain headquartered in Lubbock, Texas.
Its first store opened in 1916, and it has since grown to include 95 stores in 30 Texas cities. In 2013, United Supermarkets was acquired by Albertsons, the second-largest supermarket chain in North America.
95 Stores
18,000+ Team Members
Pick Rate: 150 Units/Hour
Journey ↓
United Supermarkets’ Digital Transformation Journey
In 2016, United Supermarkets had a list building solution for shoppers to plan their grocery lists, and shoppers could not order groceries online.
They were seeking an in-house digital commerce solution that could provide complete control over the customer experience and drive costs out of their operations with efficient order fulfillment. United Supermarkets selected the industry-optimized Wynshop platform in order to offer an exceptional click and collect experience for shoppers while maximizing margins and maintaining ownership over their ustomer data and customer loyalty.
Upon the successful implementation of Wynshop Commerce, they launched a pilot program with
Wynshop Fulfillment at four stores before rolling out the picking application to 55 locations to expand
their pick-up and delivery services. Their team engaged with the Wynshop consulting team to prepare for
their anticipated rapid growth, including what it would take to scale a single location to 1,050-1,400 orders
per week.
In 2019, they elected to upgrade to the latest version of Wynshop to take advantage of its artificial
intelligence capabilities, extensible technology architecture, and growing partner network.
Timeline:
2016
- Implemented Wynshop for Commerce and Fulfillment
- Picking at 4 stores
COVID-19 Impact
The order volume United Supermarkets anticipated to do five years down the road became their reality seemingly overnight in March 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Overall sales and order volume increased by 2.5X compared to the year prior and staffing in stores quickly doubled to fill online orders. Fortunately, with scalable systems in place, they were able to keep up with the demand and meet shoppers’ expectations of a seamless, convenient shopping experience.
2020
- Picking at 55 stores
- Scaling stores to1,050 - 1,400 orders/store/week
2023
- 75% of stores with curbside pickup
- New store locations
- Expanding existing locations
- Advanced AI on Wynshop platform
Journey ↓
United Supermarkets’ Digital Transformation Journey
In 2016, United Supermarkets had a list building solution for shoppers to plan their grocery lists, and shoppers could not order groceries online.
They were seeking an in-house digital commerce solution that could provide complete control over the customer experience and drive costs out of their operations with efficient order fulfillment. United Supermarkets selected the industry-optimized Wynshop platform in order to offer an exceptional click and collect experience for shoppers while maximizing margins and maintaining ownership over their ustomer data and customer loyalty.
Upon the successful implementation of Wynshop Commerce, they launched a pilot program with
Wynshop Fulfillment at four stores before rolling out the picking application to 55 locations to expand
their pick-up and delivery services. Their team engaged with the Wynshop consulting team to prepare for
their anticipated rapid growth, including what it would take to scale a single location to 1,050-1,400 orders
per week.
In 2019, they elected to upgrade to the latest version of Wynshop to take advantage of its artificial
intelligence capabilities, extensible technology architecture, and growing partner network.
Timeline:
2016
– Implemented Wynshop for Commerce and Fulfillment
– Picking at 4 stores
COVID-19 Impact
The order volume United Supermarkets anticipated to do five years down the road became their reality seemingly overnight in March 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Overall sales and order volume increased by 2.5X compared to the year prior and staffing in stores quickly doubled to fill online orders. Fortunately, with scalable systems in place, they were able to keep up with the demand and meet shoppers’ expectations of a seamless, convenient shopping experience.
2020
– Picking at 55 stores
– Scaling stores to1,050
– 1,400 orders/store/week.
2023
– 75% of stores with curbside pickup
– New store locations
– Expanding existing locations
– Advanced AI on Wynshop platform
Outcome↓
Efficient Order Fulfillment
Efficient Order Fulfillment
United Supermarkets relies on Wynshop Fulfillment to achieve pick rates of up to 150 units/hour. The
typical manual pick rate of 60-80 picks per hour can be multiplied when automation and intelligence are
applied. United Supermarkets attributes their high pick rates to:
Multi-Order Picking
Multi-order picking allows United Supermarkets to fill more orders without increasing headcount. Team members pick up to eight orders simultaneously.
Area Mapping
Pickers are trained to pick across the entire store rather than specific zones to ensure efficient picking across any section or zone of the store. Items are mapped to a section of the aisle and pickers are guided by a handheld device that directs them to the area with a picture of the item to help them quickly and easily locate the item.
Picking Path Optimization
United Supermarkets feeds data into Wynshop Fulfillment, and the system optimizes the pick paths accordingly. This ensures pickers pick items throughout the store in the most efficient manner for the multiple orders they fill at once.
Reports and Dashboards
Management relies on reports and dashboards to oversee operations and identify areas of improvement. Real-time reports provide visibility into picking performance at the store/sector/employee level to ensure items are being picked correctly and efficiently.
Intuitive Mobile Tools
Wynshop Fulfillment provides pickers with intuitive tools at their fingertips that boost productivity, picking accuracy, and speed. Pickers are able to adopt the tools in a matter of hours.
With the Wynshop platform and the support of the Wynshop team, United Supermarkets is well-positioned to continue to innovate and thrive in the digital economy. They are preparing for their next phase of growth with plans to open new store locations, expand existing locations, and roll out curbside pickup at 75% of their stores by 2023. They continue to set the industry standard for operational excellence, digital profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Customer Testimonial ↓
“Managing the sudden and massive increase in order volume would not have been possible without the scalable Wynshop software.”
Director of E-Commerce, United Supermarkets
Wynshop Solutions
We Help You Scale Without Limits
Retailers can deploy sophisticated digital storefronts, personalize their shopper's journey, monetize digital ad space, and optimize in-store picking and fulfillment with Wynshop. With the ability to easily integrate with other industry solutions, Wynshop’s modular, scalable, and intelligent technology makes it the preferred platform for leading grocers.
Wynshop Commerce
Wynshop Commerce is a complete e-commerce solution. You can now engage shoppers with revenue-boosting recommendations and complex promotions with Wynshop’s easy-to-use content management system!
Wynshop Fulfillment
Wynshop Fulfillment profitably manage online order picking and fulfillment with the most scalable, adaptable, and reliable solution. Wynshop Fulfillment is an intuitive tool designed for complete visibility over fulfillment operations.
Wynshop Personalization
Wynshop Personalization delivers cutting-edge e-commerce personalization through Halla Intelligence, the only AI-powered technology uniquely designed for the food industry.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ↓
Discover More Wynshop Commerce Resources
Discover the Latest Innovations
Discover the latest innovations revolutionizing the grocery industry. From smart inventory management systems to AI-driven customer service solutions, explore cutting-edge technology trends empowering efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced customer experiences with Wynshop Commerce.
