It’s 2025. Why are grocers still stuck in the past—scribbling orders on paper, printing out Excel-based order forms, or plugging numbers into clunky systems that haven’t evolved in decades?

Manual ordering might have made sense a decade ago. But today, it’s slow, error-prone, and completely disconnected from the way modern grocery stores need to operate.

While industries around the world have embraced automation and AI to streamline operations, too many grocery stores are still relying on outdated, manual order writing and outdated inventory management software that wastes time, frustrates employees, and leaves money on the table.

But here’s the truth: the future isn’t coming, it’s already here. The leading grocers have already moved on. They’ve replaced clipboards and spreadsheets with connected, intelligent platforms that unify ordering and operations across the entire store. The results? Higher sales, less waste, more productive teams, and fresher shelves.

If you’re still relying on paper printouts and gut instinct, it’s time to ask: why? And more importantly, how much longer can you afford to?

The Shift: How Leading Grocers Are Already Doing It Differently 

For decades, grocery retailers have been stuck juggling siloed systems, spreadsheets, and manual workarounds just to keep shelves stocked. But that old way of working? It’s crumbling under today’s pressures: rising costs, labor shortages, unpredictable demand, and shoppers who expect fresher, fuller shelves. 

The leading grocers know it’s not enough to digitize one department or automate one task. The real advantage comes from connecting it all through a unified platform that powers ordering and operations across the entire store. And while some grocers are still stuck in the past, the ones who’ve embraced this shift are already seeing dramatic results: lower shrink, leaner inventory, higher sales, and more confident teams. 

Here’s how some of the most forward-thinking retailers made the shift, and what’s changed: 

The Fresh Market: Winning by prioritizing fresh

With 80% of its business driven by fresh departments, The Fresh Market knew improving processes in fresh wasn’t optional, it was essential to stay competitive and deliver on their brand promise. They began their transformation seven years ago by implementing production planning, then expanded into a connected ordering solution across fresh departments four years ago.

The results were immediate and significant. Shrink was cut nearly in half, and their fresh departments became more efficient, with better visibility through an integrated inventory management system and control over replenishment.

By focusing on the categories that mattered most, and tackling the hardest problem first, The Fresh Market turned their biggest operational challenge into a competitive advantage.

Wegmans: Building trust in the process

At Wegmans, connected ordering has been an ongoing journey for over 11 years. They’ve rolled out Upshop’s ordering solution across 112 stores, starting in center store categories and steadily expanding into produce, meat, and seafood.

Before connected ordering, their back rooms were overflowing with excess stock because teams didn’t have the data to forecast demand accurately. Order writers would hedge their bets by ordering extra “just in case,” leading to inefficiency, waste, and clutter.

Today, thanks to connected ordering, their back rooms are lean and intentional. Teams can trust the system to align inventory with actual demand, reducing unnecessary stock while keeping shelves full and fresh.

Harps Market: Scaling aggressively through consistency

In the past four years, Harps Market added nearly 70 stores through acquisitions, growing to 148 locations. With stores spanning both metro and rural communities, in addition to varying markets, their biggest challenge wasn’t just improving ordering, it was ensuring consistency across a rapidly growing footprint.

By adopting a connected ordering platform, Harps standardized their approach across every store. Regardless of size, location, or volume, every store could follow the same process, use the same data, and access the same insights. This gave leadership confidence in controlling slower-moving items, avoiding overstocks, and maintaining consistency even as they expanded.

Rather than each store reinventing the wheel, Harps created a repeatable, scalable system that worked everywhere and freed up teams to focus on customers instead of chasing inventory.

Every retailer’s journey looks a little different. But when you listen to the stories of those who’ve been there, patterns start to emerge. We talked to leaders at Harps, Wegmans, and The Fresh Market to understand what worked, what surprised them, and what they’d tell others looking to make a similar shift.

Here’s what we heard boiled down into a practical checklist you can use to plan your own path forward.

Lessons from the Leaders: A Checklist for Success

1. Start with a strong foundation

Successful transformation isn’t just about installing new tech. It starts with clean data, collaboration across teams, and setting the right groundwork.

  • Validate inventory data upfront to support your inventory tracking system and demand planning software. 
  • Bring operations and merchandising together early to align goals and standardize key processes like menus, assortments, and SKUs. 

2. A connected store is the future

Each retailer agreed: the path forward is a more connected, data-driven store. But getting there doesn’t happen immediately, it requires intentional planning and prioritization.

  • Take time to map your digital roadmap: What problems are you solving first? What areas of the store need attention now versus later? 
  • Assess your data and infrastructure readiness—laying this groundwork early will make it easier to scale and connect systems over time. 
  • Look beyond isolated tools and think holistically about how technology can work together across departments. 

3. Map out your rollout with intention

Rolling out across multiple stores takes more than a good plan—it takes a repeatable, scalable model.

  • Break the rollout into districts or regions to keep it manageable.
  • Use “host” or pilot stores in each district to work out kinks and serve as training hubs for nearby stores.

4. Don’t wait for the tech to start changing behaviors

Technology accelerates change, but culture and habits need to shift too. The most successful grocers started prepping their teams before the platform ever launched.

  • Mirror digital tools with manual processes first, so teams build familiarity with new workflows.
  • Measure current practices (like production days or label printing) to create a baseline before introducing new tools.

5. Change management is always the hardest part

Even with great tools, the human side of change can be the biggest hurdle. For many store teams, letting go of “the way we’ve always done it” takes patience, proof, and support.

  • Expect resistance from experienced team members who are used to relying on instinct.
  • Use data to show them the “why” behind the system. Walk them through the numbers so they can see its accuracy firsthand.
  • Build confidence by making it clear: the system isn’t replacing their expertise, it’s enhancing it with insights no one person could carry alone.

6. Keep the tools simple and the training practical

Simplicity matters, especially at store level, where turnover and competing priorities are real.

  • Train associates as close as possible to launch day so the learning sticks.
  • Pair up experienced employees from pilot stores with new users to offer hands-on support in the first days post-launch.

7. Look beyond day one: scale and integration should follow

The real payoff comes when tools work together, not just in silos. Retailers who planned for growth from the start were able to layer in new modules and functions more seamlessly. 

  • Build a roadmap that connects ordering, production planning, recipe management, and beyond. 
  • Aim for a unified platform experience, where store teams can manage tasks, orders, and inventory from a single app. 

Don’t Get Left Behind

The stories of Harps, Wegmans, and The Fresh Market make it clear: building a more connected, efficient, and data-driven store takes time, intentionality, and commitment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your capabilities, these lessons offer a roadmap for what’s possible. 

For many grocers, that first step is rethinking how they manage inventory management, demand forecasting, and replenishment—starting with Upshop’s Total Store Ordering. Or, if you’re ready to explore what this journey could look like for your business, talk to one of our experts to get started. 


Total Store Ordering