Food X Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership to Develop Carrefour Group E-commerce Capabilities

Leader in end-to-end grocery e-commerce software technology integrates with global grocery leader to bolster commitment to technological advancements

Agreement encompasses development of Belgium market as a first step

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Food X Technologies, a leading scalable end-to-end software solution for profitable online grocery fulfillment, today announced a strategic partnership with Carrefour Group, a longstanding global leader in the grocery industry, to accelerate the development of its e-commerce capabilities. Furthering its technological evolution, this partnership will allow Carrefour to increase the productivity and profitability of its e-commerce operating systems while enhancing its digital customer experience, as the demand for online food orders continues to grow across the globe.

Under an exclusive agreement for the Belgium market as a first step, Carrefour will integrate Food X Technologies’ end-to-end software-as-a-service (SaaS) based system for online grocery management by mid-2021, encompassing the full range of point-of-order to point-of-fulfillment.

This first step will bring the leading Food X platform of online grocery ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery solution, including:

• A modular, SaaS-based platform that covers front-end applications, inventory, inbound, outbound, and logistics, as well as a best-in-class, front-end web site API
• Proprietary technology around freshness management, fresh fulfillment and machine learning based order planning/induction intelligence
• Intelligent packing algorithms that allow a state of the art vehicle space utilization combined with ensuring product integrity and compliance
• Consultation of Carrefour’s newest, state-of-the-art warehouse designed specifically for grocery e-commerce
• JIT (Just-in-Time) management capabilities for seasonal and local offerings
• Dynamic last-mile routing management technology to optimize delivery truck efficiency
• Sustainable business practices including reduction of waste through inventory distribution, reduced plastic and reusable packaging, and alignment with the Carrefour “Act for Food” objectives

Carrefour will develop its first Central Fulfillment Centre (CFC) in Belgium, which will service both click & collect and home delivery customers, covering the whole country and allowing Carrefour Belgium to acquire new customers.

In addition to this pilot, Carrefour and Food X will consider expanding their partnership to other markets as their technology fits not only CFCs but also micro-fulfillment centers. Carrefour and Food X Technologies will also partner to incorporate ongoing tech learning and innovation on sustainable business practices.

Food X will provide a comprehensive and customized suite of support and engineering services to enable efficient and sustainable e-commerce operations.

“We are very excited to start this tech partnership with Food X, which will boost the efficiency of our e-commerce operations. It will allow us, in one of our key markets, to pilot innovative ways to achieve a profitable, scalable and sustainable online business while delivering an outstanding experience to our customers,” said Amélie Oudéa-Castera, Head of the Customer, Data and Tech Division at Carrefour Group.

“We are very pleased to be working with Carrefour, one of the world’s leading grocery retailers. Carrefour is recognized for their innovation and focus on critical initiatives to support their customers, and we are proud that they have chosen us to develop an advanced, efficient online grocery business in Belgium at a time when the positive impact of our technology has never been more apparent,” said Peter van Stolk, CEO of Food X Technologies.

About the Carrefour Group
With a multi-format network of more than 12,000 stores in more than 30 countries, the Carrefour Group is one of the world's leading food retailers. Carrefour recorded gross sales of €80.7 billion in 2019. It has more than 320,000 employees who help to make Carrefour the world leader in the food transition for all, providing everyone with access to high quality, affordable food every day in all locations.

For more information, visit www.carrefour.com, or find us on Twitter (@GroupeCarrefour) and LinkedIn (Carrefour).

About Food X Technologies
Food X Technologies is the only scalable end-to-end eGrocery Management Solution (eGMS) designed to meet the needs of large and small grocery retailers while providing profitable unit economics. Food X's award winning eGrocery platform is the culmination of 20 years of experience in online grocery and has a proven track record of delivering efficiency, sustainability and profitability. Food X utilizes Microsoft as its technology partner, and has partnered with Canada’s Digital Technology Super Cluster in the advancement of its innovation pipeline. Food X Technologies is the software behind Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery’s (SPUD.ca) integrated food business eco-system that includes online retail, community retail locations, food preparation services, wholesale and last mile distribution. For more information, please visit www.foodxtechnologies.com.