That's me 😁
Reimagined the warehouse surplus food recovery process into a digital donation workflow.
Partnering with Kroger, this sponsored project explored sustainability opportunities in warehouse operations to support the company’s “Zero Hunger | Zero Waste” goal.
We built ReSKU, a progressive web app that streamlines food donation management with an enterprise dashboard for warehouse employees and a mobile app for donation representatives.
Starting from an initial stakeholder brief, the work evolved into a research-driven proposal presented at the 2024 ECO Hackathon, validated by Kroger stakeholders to double donation efficiency in warehouse operations.
ROLE
Design & Research
TEAM
7 UX Designers, 1 Sr. UX Designer, 1 UX Researcher
CONTRIBUTION
UI design, Service design
UX research, Prototyping
TIME
5 months project
Digitizing food donation management
Kroger warehouses process large volumes of unsellable goods; digitizing donation process improves coordination with food banks, reduces waste, and helps surplus food reach those in need.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Initially, Kroger aimed to repurpose unsellable yet consumable
ambient foods to associates via warehouse distribution
Being completely new to supply chain and warehousing, our first goal was to understand the domain's complexities, processes for unsellable inventory, and to align our design with Kroger’s sustainability goals.
However, a shift in business priorities reframed the focus,
leading the project to unfold in two phases.
Research & Alignment
We studied Kroger’s supply chain, and sustainability goals.
The Strategic Pivot
Building on insights, we reframed the challenge to “optimizing food rescue.”
RAPID RESEARCH 1
Studying competitors that already manage surplus inventory
and benchmarking features to guide our design.
We examined post-damage inventory management workflows, analyzing the services used and
identifying the factors that enable teams to manage these processes effectively.
Union Standards
Labor had to be optimized without adding extra duties, ensuring no additional steps.
Backstock resale
Backstock was minimized by selling excess inventory at discounted prices.
Product Presentation
Even for internal sales, items needed to look appealing to encourage purchase.
Transparent Marketing
Damage and safe use periods had to be disclosed clearly to build trust.
IDEA 1
Based on our research insights, we proposed a service design framework for a Second Chance Store (SCS) within Kroger warehouses.
An integrated physical–digital store inside Kroger warehouses that flags unsellable items,
displays them in an accessible way, and enables easy employee pickup.
Over stock
Damaged
goods
Close to
expiration
Associate
market place
Warehouse
displays
Aisle
walks
Yammer
chats
In-person
pickup
Store-like
experience
Product In-flow
When inventory is salvaged
Product Discovery
Creating inventory visibility
Product Outflow
Inventory sold to associates
But our idea got a crucial redirection
Three major concerns were raised as the idea didn't align with Kroger stakeholders.
A marketplace would work to show visibility for unsellable inventory.
Warehouse space is constrained, and relocating inventory increases the risk of damage. There is also potential for system misuse if employees intentionally damage items.
Limiting unsellable goods to internal distribution does not fully support Kroger’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste mission centered on broader food access.
Stakeholders highlighted the importance of strengthening community partnerships and expanding the initiative’s impact beyond employees to serve a broader audience.
THE PIVOT
How might we repurpose unsellable inventory to drive community impact, aligning with Kroger’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste goals?
With four weeks to redefine the scope, we focused on reducing waste by redirecting surplus inventory to communities in need. We built on existing donation workflows in warehouses, transforming an informal process into a structured digital system.
But that meant building a solution around two new stakeholders
Warehouse Staff
Inventory and logistics staff who oversee the tracking, storage, and efficient movement of donated goods.
Food Bank Operators
Operational partners who collaborate with Kroger to streamline the intake, organization, and distribution of donations.
RAPID RESEARCH 2
By engaging in stakeholders interviews and observing warehouse operations, we identified key inefficiencies in Kroger’s donation process.
Stakeholder Needs
Better Communication Channels
Automate systems (reduce manual effort)
Consistent Quality Checks
Field Observation
Outdated systems (legacy tools, pen & paper)
No real-time tracking
Inefficient reporting causing delays
DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
How might we help Kroger warehouses digitize unsellable goods management to streamline coordination with food banks?
During ideation, we explored both the product journey from warehouse to food bank and the request experience for food banks, designing a solution that supports both user groups.
SERVICE MAP IDEA 2
With the research and insights gathered so far, we were able to map out
product journeys from the warehouse and foodbank perspective.
Warehouse Perspective
Product Journey
Warehouse
Damaged products
are flagged
Created by Mila Karmila
from the Noun Project
Flagged as
donate
Recoup or
Recycle
Donation
Marketplace
Communication
Created by HideMaru
from the Noun Project
Report
Foodbank Perspective
Product Journey
Foodbanks
Identification
of needs
Warehouse inventory
marketplace
Place Order
Schedule
Pickup
Receive
Donation
Documentation
& Feedback
SERVICE DESIGN MAPS
From idea to prototype in two weeks while leveraging Kroger's AX design system.
With limited time to ship, we focused on rapid prototyping, working closely with Kroger’s inventory control managers and design ops team to test concepts while ensuring alignment with Kroger’s design language.
Under NDA
FINAL SOLUTION
Introducing ReSKU
A digital donation system which provides visibility into daily throughput, enabling inventory control managers to push unsellable inventory to be visible to foodbanks and allowing them to have streamlined coordination through scheduling, chat and decision making interface.
But why a web-app dashboard?
Tracking relied on manual processes prone to errors, while the existing portal was slow and cumbersome. A centralized web app, integrated with scanning and mobile tools, offers a faster and more efficient workflow.
IMPACT
Contributing to Kroger's vision
We pitched our idea at the Eco-Kroger Hackathon, competing against internal Kroger teams. And our forward-thinking approach earned an honorable mention for aligning with Kroger’s ZHZW mission.
The IU team 🤙🏻
My key learnings
When designing new products!
Working in operational environments taught me that new solutions can’t just chase efficiency. They need to feel familiar, reduce friction, and build confidence for the people using them every day.
Business first mindset
Regularly checking back with the strategic vision helped us make informed design choices. Understanding that vision turned constraints into opportunities instead of roadblocks.
Context & people > everything
Spending time in the warehouses surfaced pain points we’d never hear in a meeting. It also built trust with managers, making them active partners in shaping the solution.
Thank you!