IN THE NEWS Unilever is Betting on Smart Freezers By Abasto ce cream is the ultimate on-the-go Work is underway to add the tech to 30% of their treat. With a fleet of 3 million ice top-selling ice cream cabinets for priority markets. To date, cream freezer cabinets strategically 100,000 freezers have been 昀椀tted with the technology. placed in shops, airports, and “We’re aiming to reach 350,000 in the next two years,” supermarkets worldwide, Unilever says Sarosh. Iis effectively leveraging technology 吀栀e software in each freezer unit is carefully positioned like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to meet only to take photos of the stock inside the freezer rather consumer demand. than general images of the shop. “To win those impulse sales, our 吀栀e images are periodically taken and automatically brands need to be available at the sent to the cloud, where they’re analyzed by AI trained to right place and the right time,” says identify only Unilever’s ice cream brands, analyze their Sarosh Hussain, Ice Cream’s Head of depth in the cabinet, and use an algorithm to generate an Digital Selling Systems. order for the distributor. Ensuring the retailers who host So far, the uptick in retail orders and sales has been these freezers always have bestsellers in signi昀椀cant, thanks to data from Unilever’s AI-enabled stock was a key driver in equipping ice freezers. cream cabinets with AI. H-E-B Opened a Second Store in Frisco By Abasto -E-B opened a 130,000-square-foot store in the inclusions such as Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, its second one CO2 refrigeration in Frisco. units and LED ligh- 吀栀e new store is located at 899 University ting. 吀栀e site also Drive in eastern Denton County. features extensive H“With our second store in the Frisco commu- native landscaping. nity, our H-E-B Partners remain committed to earning the Inside and out, trust of our neighbors, providing them the shopping expe- H-E-B designed the rience they’ve come to expect from us,” said Greg Bennion, Top store to reflect the Store Leader. “We look forward to serving even more custo- character unique to the mers in this dynamic and growing part of Texas.” Frisco community and Continuing its drive into the DFW area, H-E-B introduced emphasized environmental this community to a shopping destination committed to deli- sustainability, incorporating seve- vering unsurpassed freshness and quality at H-E-B’s everyday ral energy-e昀케cient inclusions such as CO2 refrigeration units low prices. and LED lighting. 吀栀e site also features extensive native lands- Inside and out, H-E-B designed the store to re昀氀ect the character caping.As the largest privately held employer in Texas, the unique to the Frisco community and emphasized environ- Hwy 380 and FM 423 H-E-B in Frisco employs more than 700 mental sustainability, incorporating several energy-e昀케cient Partners (employees), most of whom are from the local area. 1818 NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR/ D/ DECECEEMMBBEER 2R 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM