In 2025, Morrisons and Focal Systems won the Grocer Gold award for technology initiative of the year. Several Morrisons leaders met with us in-store and at the company’s headquarters to share more detail on the ways Focal Systems has become a ‘game-changer’, helping Morrisons cut waste, improve efficiency and better serve its customers.
Smart cameras keep shelves stocked
Stock inventory and customer satisfaction are constant challenges. So it’s no surprise that retailers are turning to artificial intelligence ti help them establish smarter, easier ways to operate. Focal Systems’ computer vision technology represents a transformational shift from manual to automated shelf monitoring.
Across each Morrisons supermarket, 400 to 600 AI-powered cameras capture real-time images of every shelf throughout the day, providing instant inventory checks and identifying any gaps in stock. “Since we have had the Focal cameras, it has been a game-changer in our stores for our teams,” explains Rami Baitiéh, chief executive officer at Morrisons.
The technology eliminates time-consuming manual gap-scanning, which had colleagues walking entire stores daily. Instead, the cameras provide continuous, accurate monitoring.
A simple, scalable way to streamline operations
Keeping shelves stocked used to demand significant colleague time because the manual gap-scanning process was prone to errors. Focal Systems eliminated this – it ensures “the system won’t send a colleague to a task that has zero stock record”, explains Gordon Macpherson, productivity director at Morrisons.
Now, the colleagues don’t have to gap-scan and are directed only to high tasks that are going to add value and improve the customer shopping trip. The implementation across ca. 500 stores in just six months demonstrates the scalability of this productivity enhancement. “This shift has allowed colleagues to focus on the customer experience and getting stuff on shelf for the customers, which is what really matters,” says Matt Caunt, store manager at Morrisons.
Instant impact on product availability
Unlike manual gap-scans that provide only a snapshot view, Focal’s cameras deliver “in-day insight as opposed to a moment in time”, reveals Ross Eggleton, Morrisons’ group director: logistics, supply chain & technology. This comprehensive survey occurs every hour across all stores, providing unprecedented visibility into shelf conditions.
The technology addresses a critical retail challenge: phantom inventory, where systems indicate that stock exists when it’s actually unavailable to customers. Being able to correct such discrepancies immediately means stores can “course-correct in the moment” rather than react to gaps following customer complaints, says Eggleton.
Accurate data keeps stock aligned to demand
“With Focal Systems, because the data is a lot more accurate, it means that the amount of stock that we send is more appropriate,” explains Eggleton. This accuracy allows availability to be maintained with less inventory, making stock “work a lot harder and a lot more efficiently”, he says.
The system is especially valuable in managing fresh food inventory, helping managers see if products with short shelf lives reach customers at optimal times. By identifying cases where stock arrives but doesn’t make it to shelves promptly, retailers can intervene to reduce waste.This comprehensive approach means “we are getting more of our stock and fresh food in front of customers for them to consume while reducing the amount of food waste,” he adds.
As Morrisons’ experience shows, AI-powered shelf monitoring isn’t just a tech upgrade, it’s a strategic shift that can redefine how retailers manage inventory, empower staff and serve customers. For grocery leaders navigating the pressures of availability, efficiency and sustainability, embracing intelligent automation is becoming a strategic imperative for staying ahead in a fast-evolving grocery landscape.
To learn more about how Focal Systems can help your business, visit: https://focal.systems/
