Albert Heijn Utilizes AI for Sustainable Retail Innovations
Amsterdam, Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
Albert Heijn is integrating AI to enhance the shopping experience by optimizing pricing and meal suggestions, incorporating smart tech like fridges to reduce food waste and support sustainability.
AI-Powered Customer Experience
Albert Heijn, a prominent Dutch supermarket chain, is exploring artificial intelligence (AI) innovations to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. The retailer employs AI technology to make over one billion predictions each day, optimizing inventory and reducing food wastage by dynamically pricing products nearing their expiration date[1]. This AI-based approach ensures that inventory is utilized efficiently, aligning with sustainability goals.
Steijn: The Smart Shopping Assistant
Albert Heijn’s AI assistant, ‘Steijn’, leverages Microsoft Azure AI to provide meal suggestions and help reduce food waste. Integrated into the Albert Heijn app, Steijn offers personalized recipe recommendations based on over 20,000 available recipes. Customers can employ this assistant to take photos of their refrigerator’s contents, allowing Steijn to suggest meals based on available ingredients, thus minimizing food wastage[2].
Sustainable Retail through Smart Technology
The supermarket chain is also experimenting with smart fridges that monitor inventory to prevent spoilage. Start-up Husky is developing ‘intelligent refrigerators’ aimed at reducing food waste in locations with low foot traffic, such as gyms and daycare centers. This reflects Albert Heijn’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint[1].
Employee and Operational Efficiency
In addition to customer-facing innovations, Albert Heijn uses AI to support its employees. The company’s @AH Employee App, powered by Azure OpenAI, helps optimize labor-intensive tasks and improves customer service by assisting with immediate product information queries. Early feedback suggests a positive impact on employee efficiency and satisfaction with these AI-driven tools[3].
Future Prospects
Albert Heijn’s initiatives represent a significant step toward integrating AI in retail, focusing on customer satisfaction, sustainability, and employee support. With ongoing advancements and investments in digital technologies, the grocery chain aims to remain at the forefront of retail innovation, shaping a more sustainable and efficient shopping future for its five million weekly customers across the Netherlands[4].