British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has rolled out a machine learning forecasting platform across its entire food range, marking a significant step in its push to become the UK’s leading AI-enabled grocer.
The announcement came as part of the retailer’s preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 28 February 2026.
According to the results, all food products are now live on the machine learning forecasting platform, which is now a core component of availability and inventory management. This has contributed to the highest food availability levels since the start of its Food First strategy, alongside reduced waste, the group said.
Sainsbury’s has been progressively migrating its food forecasting to advanced machine learning capabilities, building on partnerships with technology providers like Blue Yonder for AI-powered demand forecasting, replenishment, and supply chain optimisation.
The full rollout means the system now handles forecasting for every food product across its supermarkets and convenience stores.
This aligns with broader AI investments at Sainsbury’s, including an AI Centre of Excellence to drive responsible adoption across the business.
AI tools are also supporting colleague productivity, vehicle routing, stock management, customer targeting, and personalisation initiatives, the group said.
Accurate forecasting is critical in grocery retail, where perishable goods, seasonal demand, weather, and shifting consumer preferences create constant challenges.
Over-forecasting leads to waste and lost margins; under-forecasting results in empty shelves and frustrated customers. By applying machine learning at scale, Sainsbury’s aims to thread the needle more effectively than traditional methods.
In its results, Sainsbury’s reported grocery sales up 5.2%, with food volume growth ahead of the market for the sixth consecutive year, alongside retail free cash flow of £574 million.
The AI forecasting platform is credited with helping sustain strong availability and competitive positioning amid cost pressures and market challenges.
UK supermarkets are increasingly turning to AI for waste reduction, efficiency, and customer experience. However, achieving full coverage across all food products positions Sainsbury’s as a leader in operational AI deployment.
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