With the fresh produce sector standing out as one of the main pillars of the industry, online supermarkets continue to gain more and more space in people's daily routines. The scenario has driven investments in technology and logistics. To give an idea, according to McKinsey data, investments in technology in logistics are expected to grow exponentially, reaching US$3 trillion by 2025, representing an annual increase of 10%. These solutions have made Brazil the 9th largest logistics market in the world, moving around US$250 billion per year.
It is in this context that the category of fresh produce and food delivery consumption continues to show significant growth. According to Kantar, the sector experienced a 13% increase in frequency in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023, reflecting the public's preference for convenience and quality in fresh food shopping.
For Rafael Pinto, Fulfillment Director at Daki, a complete online supermarket app that has become a reference in the country with ultra-fast deliveries, logistics and technology are essential to sustain delivery efficiency, especially in the perishable foods category, such as fruits, vegetables, and greens.
“To ensure fresh, quality food, we need to have a well-structured logistics cycle, which begins with the selection of suppliers and extends to the transportation and storage of products. At Daki, we use a DarkStores model, which ensures that customers have access to products delivered to their homes in a very short time – on average in 15 minutes –, guaranteeing quality and thus avoiding food waste. In this context, strict quality control is carried out as soon as the product arrives at the distribution center, where aspects such as freshness, appearance and compliance with technical standards are evaluated,” he comments.
The data confirm the preferences of Brazilians. According to a proprietary survey, the fresh produce category grew by approximately 33.10% in the past year, directly impacting consumers' purchasing frequency. Furthermore, the research also indicates that Wednesday and Sunday are the days of the week with the highest product sales.fresh.
In these distribution centers and dark stores, temperature-controlled storage areas are used, which help to extend product shelf life and reduce waste. All of this structure, combined with technological solutions and a verticalized operation, allows the handling process of fresh items to be controlled, delivering quality and reducing food waste, with a significantly lower discard rate than traditional markets.
One of the main factors for this is that, when operating without access to physical clients, the products are not handled frequently, preserving their integrity. Furthermore, another aspect that contributes to the low loss rate is the absence of the "stack effect," common in markets, where products are stacked to attract consumers' attention but end up being damaged and discarded more frequently.
It is with this in mind that many companies invest in demand planning systems specific to perishables, which allow for more accurate forecasting of necessary quantities, reducing the risk of stockouts or excess waste. These planning tools allow companies to organize their inventories and quickly direct products to strategic points of sale, minimizing losses.
Agile logistics in the sector involves a series of coordinated steps focused on quality. From the moment the order is placed, suppliers and partners are activated to ensure that the products arrive fresh at the distribution centers. In many cases, like at Daki, fresh produce products go from the producer to the consumer in less than 48 hours, allowing quality to be maintained at all stages.
“The combination of advanced technology applied to demand planning and operational management with good logistics practices not only improves operational efficiency, but also increases consumer satisfaction. When customers receive fresh, quality products in a timely manner, confidence in online shopping is solidified, resulting in a very positive loyalty cycle,” he concludes.
