Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and its suppliers have streamlined their distribution models to reduce direct store deliveries, which the company says will help it save money on fuel and allow it to pass the savings to customers.
The innovative, simplified distribution method will also help the environment by triggering reductions in CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and neighborhood traffic congestion and noise from multiple store deliveries, the company said.
To eliminate extra and unnecessary delivery trips from suppliers, Fresh & Easy has created a new way to stock stores with products by using fewer deliveries; it’s asking suppliers to deliver directly to the company’s centralized distribution center.
“By keeping our distribution model simple, Fresh & Easy is able to save fuel and offer honest, everyday low prices on all our products,” said Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason. “Reducing fuel consumption is also consistent with our commitment to be a good steward of the environment.”
To further conserve fuel, Fresh & Easy said it’s using state-of-the-art technology in its shipping fleet. Fresh & Easy trailers feature a hybrid refrigeration vector unit that minimizes the amount of diesel used to safely cool and transport store products. The trailers also include automatic refrigeration shut-off when optimum temperature is reached inside the cooling chamber, as well as a complete engine shut-off once parked at the stores. Electrical stand-by technology also minimizes the impact on the environment by using no diesel fuel to run refrigeration units on the trailers while parked at the distribution center.
Last month, 7-Eleven chief Joe DePinto announced plans to change the direct-store delivery system used by his Dallas-based chain. DePinto said he is working with suppliers to construct a system that is more cost-effective and time-efficient. Among the early plans is an experiment in Southern California where rival brands will deliver to 7-Eleven stores from a single warehouse.
