Press Release 26th January 2021

MERKUR takes further action against food waste

In order to counteract food waste and at the same time guarantee customers constant availability of goods, MERKUR is currently testing a new digital solution that automatically initiates the re-production of bread rolls, Kornspitz, pretzels and the like as needed. For the time being, the "Smart Shelf" innovation will be used in the MERKUR store in Baden, at Vienna's Westbahnhof and in Leoben.

A bakery shop with wooden shelves displaying various breads, pastries, and baked goods. Two people are working behind the counter, one at the cash register and another handling products. A sign above reads "Backshop" and there are baked items on display in glass cases.

MERKUR takes further action against food waste and tests intelligent self-service shelving in the bakery shop. / Copyright: BILLA MERKUR Österreich / Christian Dusek, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

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The well-known self-service shelf for fresh baked goods in the MERKUR bakery shop is getting a digital update with the "Smart-Shelf": A precise weighing system automatically recognises when which piece of pastry has been taken from the shelf and sends this information to the connected, also automated oven, which then delivers the freshly baked supplies. This permanent digital stocktaking not only guarantees that customers always find fresh pastries, but it also relieves the employees in the bakery shop who were previously responsible for stock control.

Once the intelligent shelf system has collected enough data, the pastry production is adapted to the days of the week, times of day and even the weather - because the demand for fresh rolls and buns is known to vary depending on the course of the day. This avoids producing too much fresh pastry. In addition, the "Smart-Shelf" also has a dynamic automated price adjustment function. If there is still a large quantity of a certain type of pastry left towards the end of opening hours, the system automatically reduces the purchase price, which allows more customers to access it.

"With the conversion to the Smart Shelf solution, MERKUR is making a further contribution against the overproduction of food and is once again taking on the role of pioneer in terms of digital innovations in the food industry."

Harald Mießner BILLA MERKUR Austria CEO

"With the conversion to the Smart Shelf solution, MERKUR is making a further contribution against the overproduction of food and is once again taking on the role of pioneer in terms of digital innovations in the food industry. We are pleased to be able to further improve the daily shopping experience of our customers through modern solutions. At the same time, by knowing when which biscuits are in particular demand, we are able to always provide our customers with the fresh biscuits they want," explains Harald Mießner, BILLA MERKUR Austria CEO.

The "Smart Shelf" system was developed by the German company Bizerba SE & Co. KG, the world market leader in weighing, cutting and labelling technology.

The innovation is now in use at the following locations: