Associated Food Stores (AFS) is taking its technology strategy beyond the warehouse and into the aisles.
The Salt Lake City–based retailer cooperative, which serves more than 450 independently owned supermarkets and operates 41 corporate stores across eight western states, is deploying GoSpotCheck’s mobile task management platform to strengthen field operations and improve merchandising execution across its network.
The rollout represents AFS’ latest investment in technology as the co-op continues to modernize its operations. In 2025 alone, AFS activated AI-powered warehouse automation at its Utah distribution center and expanded its use of e-commerce, retail media and smart-cart technologies. Bringing GoSpotCheck by FORM into the fold extends that innovation focus to store-level execution, equipping retail service teams with tools to capture shelf intelligence and merchandising insights in real time. Through the mobile platform, AFS account managers and department heads will log store visit information as it happens, creating greater visibility for the cooperative’s marketing, exclusive brands and fresh teams. The real-time data is designed to support faster decision-making and more consistent execution across member stores.
“We’ve built our technology strategy around giving our member retailers every advantage possible,” said April Rice, vice president of retail support at AFS. “GoSpotCheck fits perfectly into that vision. With real-time intelligence from store visits, our marketing, exclusive brands, and fresh teams can identify merchandising opportunities faster and support our members with actionable insights.”
For AFS, the platform is about translating field observations into practical next steps—helping teams spot trends, address issues quickly and ensure merchandising standards are met across a diverse group of independently operated stores.
“Associated Food Stores has consistently led the industry in adopting technology that empowers independent grocers to compete and win,” said Jeremy DeSilva, senior sales director at Boston-based FORM. “We’re proud to be part of their technology ecosystem, connecting people, places and processes so their teams can act on insights and move forward in the market.”
AFS ranks No. 74 on the PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, underscoring its growing scale—and its continued focus on using technology to support independent retailers in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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