Maple Group notches up a first in Republic of Ireland as it reduces food waste with Gander

Irish retail group Maple Group has become the first in the Republic of Ireland to use AI powered technology from Gander across its estate to tackle food waste.

It piloted the integration in January 2025, going live simultaneously across all seven stores in Donegal. And it has now committed to a full contract until the end of 2026.

Through integration with its Station Master EPoS, back office and handheld systems, reduced price products are instantly visible to shoppers via Gander in real-time. During the pilot, Maple Group increased its sell-through rate of reduced products from 30% in March to 57% by October, saving almost 60% of reduced-to-clear food from going to waste.

The initiative has also helped the group recover an additional €13,000 in 2025 while keeping perfectly good food in the food chain.

“This pilot has been transformative for our business,” says Arthur McMahon, Managing Director at Maple Group. “From a purely operational perspective, we have further reduced food waste across all seven stores by more than 27 per cent, while the recovery of value has exceeded €13,000 in less than ten months. 

“The integration of AI technology has allowed us to optimise stock visibility and drive measurable improvements in efficiency, all without impacting our daily store operations. These results confirm that sustainability and commercial performance can go hand in hand, and we are proud to be leading the way in Ireland.”

“Working with Maple Group has been a fantastic experience,” says Adam Emerson of Gander Ireland. “The team embraced the technology from day one, helping refine the system during the pilot. Together, we have shown how AI can make a real difference to food waste reduction while also driving customer engagement and store performance.”

Brian Murphy, General Manager at Maple Group, adds: “We wanted to be proactive in addressing food waste while also creating real value for our stores and our customers.”

“By using AI to identify and promote reduced-to-clear products, we have not only significantly reduced waste but also engaged our communities in a positive and sustainable way. Being the first retail group in Ireland to implement this technology is a proud moment for Maple Group and a demonstration of our commitment to innovation and sustainability.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Sustainable retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.