Minimal waste, maximum efficiency

K-Citymarket Länsikeskus reduced waste of potatoes by 85 percent with the help of the Agripo lift system. At the same time, the efficiency of the employees increased.

Rudolph Järvinen, Head of Fruit & Vegetables and Juha Jylli, Merchant, K ‑ Citymarket Turku Länsikeskus.

The big renovation of K-Citymarket Länsikeskus in Turku was completed at the end of 2021. The old potato tables in the Fruit and Vegetables Department were replaced with Agripo lifting system.

– We used Agripo in my previous store, K-Citymarket Puuvilla Pori, and I have nothing but positive experiences. Thanks to Agripo, our customers always get root crops of the best quality, says K-Citymarket Länsikeskus store owner Juha Lylli.

The Agripo system is designed for efficient sale of root crops in grocery stores. The system improves efficiency, economy, logistics and significantly reduces wastage. In addition, Agripo significantly improves work ergonomics as no heavy lifting is needed.

Previously, potato sacks were traditionally emptied by hand into large, open display units in Länsikeskus. The filling work alone engaged one to two staff per day. It was a hard and dirty work that wasn’t exactly anyone’s favorite task. Agripo’s electrical lift lifts 250 kilos of potatoes at a time to an ergonomically height in a light-protected container. The transition to the new system has streamlined the Fruit and Vegetables Department and the results were already noticeable after a few weeks of use.

– One of the most important changes has been the reduction in wastage. Previously, every morning we removed tens of kilos of potatoes that had turned green due to the light in the open containers. Now the amount of waste in a week is equivalent to what we previously threw in a day, says Rudolph Järvinen, head of the Fruit and Vegetables Department.

At Länsikeskus, customers quickly became accustomed to the new appearance of the potato displays. Thanks to Agripo, the department is kept cleaner, and the potatoes are neatly laid out for the customers to pick.