Online grocer Farmstead’s new Refill & Save program provides customers with recurring orders with significant discounts on certain staples, including fresh fruit and vegetables that bring the prices of those items down to below-average cost for the Bay Area. Farmstead automatically queues up customers’ recurring weekly orders — customers can then add or delete any items for the week, or cancel a weekly order entirely, up to an hour before their delivery window.

“Most households buy many of the same things every time they grocery shop,” said Pradeep Elankumaran, founder and chief executive officer of Farmstead. “In Farmstead’s case that helps us predict demand, reducing our costs and improving efficiency. In light of that, we were able to reduce our prices on certain staples while still making the business profitable. It’s another way Farmstead is delivering on its mission to make fresh, locally sourced food available to all.”

Typically, grocers — and nearly all grocery delivery services — charge a premium for fresh, locally sourced food, making it out of reach for the average family. Farmstead is turning that model on its head, using artificial intelligence powered predictive models to significantly improve efficiency and reduce costs, so it can pass the savings along to its customers while helping local growers increase sales. Its self-learning predictive models enable Farmstead to accurately predict demand so it doesn’t overstock, reducing food waste, while also optimizing delivery routes.