How AI Is Helping Grocery Shoppers Save Money

TL;DR

Kroger partnered with Flashfood's dynamic pricing AI to discount near-expiry items in real time, cutting food waste and saving shoppers money.

Key Points

• 1.Inflation is forcing traditional grocers to rethink strategy. A March survey found most shoppers' incomes can't keep up with rising prices, causing them to split trips across stores — benefiting discounters like Dollar General and Costco while pressuring chains like Kroger.
• 2.Flashfood's AI platform turns food waste into revenue by dynamically discounting near-expiry items. About 30% of U.S. grocery store food is thrown away annually, representing ~$18.2 billion in lost value; Flashfood monitors best-by dates and adjusts prices in real time, with partners reducing expired-goods losses by an average of 27%.
• 3.The technology is scaling rapidly but faces competitive limits. Kroger began a broader rollout across 100+ stores in March–April 2026, and Flashfood now operates in 2,000 North American retail locations; however, dominant price-setters like Walmart and high-end grocers have yet to feel pressure to adopt similar tools.