Fresh thinking transforms the grocery business.

Grocery stores might seem an unlikely place for cutting-edge technology, but H‑E‑B and Apple are transforming how fresh food is sold, and improving the lives of their employees, also known as Partners, who keep it on the shelf. With thousands of iPhones and iPads deployed across hundreds of stores, custom Apple apps, and a team of inspired developers, H‑E‑B is improving the grocery business aisle by aisle.

At a glance

120KEmployees
400 Supermarkets
14KiPhone and iPad devices deployed

Ripe for innovation.
Transforming the grocery business from the back of the store to the bag.

Workforce

H‑E‑B Partners have some powerful help.

Workforce

A custom enterprise iOS app makes Partners’ lives easier by allowing them to check schedules or pick up shifts from anywhere. It’s the most used feature, and replaces a legacy system that required Partners to drive to the store. The app is also essential and powerful during a shift, and can manage maintenance requests, facilitate product feedback, display store performance, and more.

Digital Innovation

Taking groceries beyond the grocery store.

Digital Innovation

iPhone and custom iOS apps make it possible to deliver food to a customer’s home or prepare it to be picked up curbside, ensuring freshness and efficiency. When a new order comes in, Partners in the store begin gathering items, scanning each product with the iPhone camera. For deliveries, drivers receive all of their orders for the day and are provided the most optimal routes.

Food Safety

iPad is many things. Including a meat thermometer.

Food Safety

A custom iPadOS app uses Bluetooth technology to monitor and log the temperature of items produced in store, like rotisserie chickens. It also ensures that prepared food is cooked properly and maintains the correct temperature on the shelf. And helps reduce food waste by sending notifications when something should be refrigerated.

Only with Apple

Custom apps

With Apple, businesses can build solutions to get any job done — all on a single device. H‑E‑B is taking advantage of custom apps for iOS and iPadOS to streamline store operations, remove redundant devices, and allow for new business opportunities to serve customers even better.

Partnership

Our partnership with Salesforce allows H‑E‑B developers to create powerful experiences on iPhone and iPad for their employees. The apps are built using the Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS and powered by Salesforce Service Cloud, to improve how groceries are sold to customers even if they are not in the store.

Bluetooth

Apple devices are engineered with close-proximity Bluetooth technology built in. Custom iOS and iPadOS apps can leverage Bluetooth in powerful ways to solve a variety of challenges in the store, like recording and logging food temperatures.

Results

Storewide improvements.

Powerful solutions streamline store operations for partners.

iPad is helping increase food safety and reduce waste by regulating food temperature.

Custom apps allow food to be delivered or picked up across Texas.

H‑E‑B has been inspired to hire more than 500 developers to innovate their stores.

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