Tesco is using AI technology in a trial of healthier food to go layouts across 30 of its highest footfall convenience stores.
The supermarket said it was using insights from data arm Dunnhumby to replace sales space, which in many cases had been previously taken up by HFSS promotions, before the government ban came into force in 2022.
The city centre Express stores pilot is focusing on healthy food ranges including fruit, yoghurt and porridge, new protein ranges, as well as convenience meal ranges like meal pots and heat to eat meals.
The move has strong echoes of proposals developed a decade ago under Tesco’s then London chief Andrew Yaxley, which envisaged a nationwide launch of a concept billed as “Tesco Express Food to Go”, intended to take on the likes of Pret a Manger, Eat and Greggs.
The plan was later sidelined as Tesco jettisoned a number of non-core projects but the new trial comes on the back of major improvements in the use of AI and shopper insights.
The food to go trial comes with Tesco carrying out a much wider reset across its convenience offering under its Fit for Growth programme.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our customers’ shopping experience and use our insight to give them more of what they like, so we can serve them better,” said Tesco MD of UK stores Kevin Tindall.
He said the trial would “tailor the range and layout specifically for customers’ on the move”.
“This includes offering an expanded range of healthy, convenient snacks and meals in prominent positions in store – helping to make our stores even more relevant for our customers.”
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