EmpowerFresh and Loyalty Lane Announce Partnership to Bring AI-Driven Ordering and Inventory Management to Independent Grocers
Partnership pairs Loyalty Lane's shopper loyalty and engagement expertise with EmpowerFresh's total store ordering
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Kansas City, MO., Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EmpowerFresh, the AI-driven ordering and inventory management platform built for independent and regional grocery retailers’ perimeter departments, today announced a strategic partnership with Loyalty Lane, a longtime provider of loyalty, rewards, and customer engagement solutions for independent grocers. Through the partnership, Loyalty Lane will make EmpowerFresh available to its network of independent retail customers.
Loyalty Lane and EmpowerFresh Partnering to Serve Independent Supermarket Retailers
Independent grocers compete every day against national chains with far larger technology budgets. The partnership is designed to close that gap by connecting two capabilities that matter most to an independent operator: knowing and rewarding their shoppers and having the right product on the shelf, especially in fresh departments, when those shoppers walk in the door.
EmpowerFresh uses each store’s own sales and purchase history, daily data feeds, and in-store inventory counts to generate ordering recommendations in produce, meat, deli and center store. The platform is tablet-first for department managers on the sales floor, with a separate browser-based view for owners and executives, and it was designed intentionally to work within the IT environments independent grocers already have.
“I spent half of my career on the fresh/retail side of this industry and the other half delivering technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. We founded EmpowerFresh because independent grocers deserve tools built for the way they actually operate,” said Robert Austin, President and CEO of EmpowerFresh. “Loyalty Lane has earned the trust of independent retailers by helping them build real relationships with their shoppers. Through this partnership, more independent grocers can bring that same intelligence to their ordering and inventory. The result is fresher shelves, less waste, and one more reason for loyal shoppers to keep coming back.”
“I’ve spent more than 20 years at Loyalty Lane helping independent grocers compete, and we are always looking for ways to help them grow their business,” said Bill Gray, President of Loyalty Lane. “What excites me about EmpowerFresh is how naturally their technology fits with what we do at Loyalty Lane. Helping retailers order smarter, keep fresh products moving, and reduce waste is a big win on its own. But when you combine that with our ability to reward shoppers and deliver personalized offers, you have an opportunity to turn those savings into stronger loyalty programs, more shopping trips, bigger baskets, and higher margins. That’s good for the retailer and good for the shopper.”
Retailers interested in learning more about EmpowerFresh through Loyalty Lane can contact their Loyalty Lane representative or visit empowerfresh.com or loyaltylane.com to request a demonstration.
About EmpowerFresh
EmpowerFresh provides an AI-driven total store ordering and inventory management platform for independent and regional grocery retailers. Founded by a former grocery retailer, EmpowerFresh helps operators order with confidence across perishable and center store departments through a tablet-first experience for store teams and a browser-based view for leadership. EmpowerFresh works with wholesale partners including AWG and AFI and supports retailers with white-glove implementation and a 100% U.S.-based support team. Learn more at empowerfresh.com.
About Loyalty Lane
For more than 20 years, Loyalty Lane has been a leading provider of loyalty, rewards, customer relationship management and digital engagement solutions for independent grocery and convenience retailers across the United States. The company is headquartered in Marietta, Ga., and features teams dedicated to point-of-sale data collection, targeted promotions, customer service, websites and community rewards programs. Learn more at LoyaltyLane.com.
Press Inquiries
EmpowerFresh
Rob Austin
President and CEO
raustin [at] empowerfresh.com
816.915.3000
Loyalty Lane
Kurt Kloeblen
Marketing and Business Development Manager
Kurt.kloeblen [at] loyaltylane.com
816.441.3603
