Walmart to Use RFID Labels to Track Fresh Food Inventory
Walmart to Use RFID Labels to Track Fresh Food Inventory
Walmart is implementing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology in its fresh food supply chain to increase efficiency and reduce food waste. The company announced a strategic partnership with technology provider Avery Dennison to support the initiative.
The new system will use RFID labels, particularly on meat, bakery, and deli products, to enable freshness tracking through digital expiration dates on products.
Digital freshness tracking begins
According to Walmart's announcement published on October 22, 2025, the RFID labels will digitally track products' shelf life and freshness. This will enable store employees to manage product rotation (stock replenishment and removal of older products) more efficiently.
The system will also accelerate price reduction decisions for products approaching their expiration dates. This will both offer customers attractive pricing and reduce the amount of unsold food.
Christyn Keef, Senior Vice President of Front-End Transformation at Walmart, stated:
"We believe technology should make things easier for both our associates and our customers. By reducing manual workload, we're creating more time for our associates to focus on serving our customers."
Goal: Cut food waste in half
The RFID project is being carried out as part of Walmart's target to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030. The company is integrating inventory management, data analytics, and supply chain digitalization to achieve this goal.
Walmart has made significant progress in its current efforts to reduce food waste:
As of 2022, 78% of unsold products, packaging, and materials were redirected to food banks and local relief organizations rather than being sent to landfills or incineration facilities.
The company developed specialized digital tools to measure and report food waste at every stage of the supply chain.
Additionally, by investing in reprocessing technologies, the company is redirecting unsold food for reuse to reach those in need.
Advantages of RFID technology
RFID labels enable automatic product identification without requiring visual scanning. By using this technology, Walmart will:
Achieve real-time inventory visibility,
Reduce waste on short shelf-life products,
Eliminate manual inventory tracking,
Improve inventory accuracy to prevent stockouts or overstock situations.
Additionally, the system will enhance traceability across the supply chain, enabling Walmart to digitally oversee freshness, quality, and food safety processes from suppliers to stores.
Transition to sustainable retail
Walmart views RFID use not only as operational efficiency but also as part of its sustainability goals. The company highlights the potential of digitalization to reduce energy consumption in supply chains, prevent waste, and optimize resource use.
According to experts, this move will accelerate the "smart food management" trend in the retail sector. Thanks to RFID technology, the journey of food from farm to table will become more transparent.
Walmart's new project is regarded as a pioneering step in the industry, given that 14% of food loss occurs at the retail stage.
Walmart plans to expand RFID use in the coming years to include cold chain logistics, supplier shipments, and e-commerce distribution centers.
Key Takeaways:
Walmart is partnering with Avery Dennison to begin using RFID labels on fresh food products.
The system will provide digital expiration date tracking in meat, bakery, and deli sections.
Objective: Reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030.
In 2022, 78% of unsold products were redirected to relief organizations instead of landfills.
RFID technology will increase inventory visibility, reduce manual controls, and accelerate product rotation.
The project serves as an example of sustainable food management and digital supply chain optimization in retail.
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Author: SedatOnat.com
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