Walmart is introducing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology across its fresh food categories in partnership with Avery Dennison, aiming to reduce food waste and improve inventory management.
The retail giant said the rollout follows the successful testing of a new RFID solution designed to perform effectively in cold, high-moisture environments such as refrigerated display cases — a long-standing challenge for digital tracking systems.
By providing each product in departments such as meat, bakery, and deli with a unique digital identity, the technology will enable Walmart associates to track freshness more precisely, identify when to rotate stock, and determine when items should be marked down.
“We believe technology should make things easier for both our associates and our customers,” said Christyn Keef, vice president of front end transformation for Walmart US, in a statement.
“By cutting down on manual work, we’re giving our associates more time to focus on what really matters — helping our customers.”
The company expects the implementation to help significantly reduce unsold food and support its broader sustainability goal of halving global food loss and waste intensity by 2030.
The partnership with Avery Dennison, a leader in digital identification systems, comes amid growing industry adoption of RFID technology to enhance food traceability and supply chain visibility.
Avery Dennison’s digital use-by date tracking allows retailers to automatically monitor product freshness, enabling proactive stock rotation and markdowns before expiry.
Walmart has been at the forefront of RFID innovation for years and is now extending its application into perishable goods.
It comes as other major US retailers have also embraced the technology: Kroger began rolling out Avery Dennison’s RFID solution last year, while Chipotle completed its nationwide RFID deployment in 2024.
Walmart said the “first-of-its-kind” RFID system will make it easier for store teams to maintain freshness standards and improve operational efficiency, marking a major step forward in the retailer’s ongoing digital transformation of its grocery operations.
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