In today’s grocery landscape, curbside fulfillment has evolved from a pandemic-era necessity to a strategic differentiator—especially for perishable goods. As digital adoption accelerates and customer expectations for convenience, freshness, and reliability soar, grocers face a unique set of operational challenges. The stakes are high: even a single bruised apple, a missing staple, or a delayed handoff can erode trust and send customers to competitors. For grocery executives and operations leaders, optimizing curbside fulfillment for perishables is not just about efficiency—it’s about building loyalty, protecting margins, and driving sustainable growth.
Unlike general merchandise, grocery fulfillment must deliver on three non-negotiable promises:
Research and real-world results show these are the top drivers of customer satisfaction—and, conversely, the leading causes of churn when expectations are not met. In a high-frequency, high-churn sector, the ability to consistently meet these demands is essential for building lasting customer relationships and protecting margins.
At the heart of successful curbside fulfillment is real-time inventory visibility. Grocers must know, with precision, what is available to promise (ATP) across all channels—whether in a central fulfillment center, a local store, or a micro-fulfillment hub. Integrating data on current stock, incoming supply, and committed demand—and making this information accessible to both customers and associates in real time—prevents overselling, reduces substitutions, and ensures customers receive exactly what they ordered.
A robust ATP system enables:
Grocery demand is notoriously volatile, influenced by seasonality, promotions, local events, and even weather. Traditional forecasting methods often fall short. Advanced forecasting—powered by AI and machine learning—enables grocers to sense demand earlier and more accurately, incorporating signals from order backlogs, marketing campaigns, and external factors. This approach reduces out-of-stocks and overstocking, optimizes the online product range, and helps limit substitutions, all of which are critical for both customer satisfaction and profitability.
To meet the demands of rapid, accurate curbside fulfillment, leading grocers are turning to micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs). These small, automated facilities—often attached to existing stores—enable high-speed, high-accuracy order picking for online orders. MFCs:
Hybrid models, blending manual and automated picking, and dark store conversions in high-demand areas further scale capacity and efficiency. Results from leading grocers include a 35% improvement in order picking rates, a 4% increase in on-time delivery, and the ability to handle over 1 million orders per day.
The final moments of curbside fulfillment are where brands can truly differentiate. A seamless, immediate, and friendly handoff—enabled by technology such as geofencing, real-time order status updates, and scheduled pickup windows—turns a routine transaction into a loyalty-building interaction. Training associates to proactively present substitutions, assist with loading, and personalize the experience can leave a lasting positive impression.
Curbside fulfillment in grocery is a complex, cross-functional challenge. Siloed teams and disconnected systems often lead to inefficiencies, higher costs, and broken promises. The path to profitability lies in integrating inventory, forecasting, and fulfillment operations around a single source of truth, powered by intelligent decision-making frameworks. By investing in:
grocers can not only meet but exceed the expectations of freshness, accuracy, and speed—turning fulfillment into a true competitive advantage.
Publicis Sapient partners with leading grocers to design and implement intelligent, integrated curbside fulfillment solutions that drive loyalty and profitability. Our deep experience in grocery transformation, combined with proven frameworks and digital capabilities, enables grocers to deliver on the promise—every time. From real-time inventory visibility and advanced forecasting to micro-fulfillment and tailored handoff experiences, we help grocers optimize every step of the curbside journey.
Ready to transform your grocery fulfillment? Connect with Publicis Sapient to discover how we can help you meet the demands of today’s—and tomorrow’s—grocery shopper.