Key takeaways
- The Save Mart Companies generated $500K–$1M in incremental sales per category/project, contributing to tens of millions in estimated annual sales through SymphonyAI’s AI-driven promotion and assortment optimization.
- TSMC expanded vendor collaboration from 25 to over 45 partners, with many committing to 3-year agreements due to the success of shared data and strategy alignment.
- TSMC leveraged CINDE’s AI insights to personalize promotions, boost customer engagement, increase basket size, and tailor assortments at the store level.
- Category managers at TSMC gained powerful, real-time tools, improving decision-making and deepening collaboration with vendors across multiple business areas.
- TSMC successfully shifted to a customer-centric model, using loyalty and behavioral data to craft more effective, targeted promotions that drive true incremental lift.
The Save Mart Companies Teams with SymphonyAI Connected Retail to Deliver a True Win-Win
Increased Shopper Engagement and Improved Business Results
About The Save Mart Companies
The Save Mart Companies operates 194 stores under the Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx banners, serving neighborhoods across California and Western Nevada. As California’s largest regional, full-service grocery chain, the company employs more than 12,000 associates who are committed to delivering the freshest quality products at great value.
Rooted in California’s Central Valley, The Save Mart Companies has proudly served its communities for over 70 years, prioritizing people and customer service. Its philanthropic arm, The CARES Foundation, has donated over $5 million to support children and families across local communities.
Strategic Goals
As a regional grocer with a strong community commitment, The Save Mart Companies (TSMC) prioritizes aligning product offerings with customer needs. Leading this transformation is Chief Digital Officer Tamara Pattison, who develops and oversees digital strategy across Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores.
“Ultimately, we want to empower every category manager with the tools to become the best in the business. At the same time, we want to ensure the customer remains at the heart of every decision.”
— Tamara Pattison, Chief Digital Officer, The Save Mart Companies
TSMC’s strategic focus includes:
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Embedding customer-centricity in every business decision
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Using shopper behavior data to enhance loyalty and drive lifetime value
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Strengthening vendor collaboration with shared insights into performance data
Business Challenge
Operating in a highly competitive Northern California grocery market, TSMC needed a solution to shift from transaction-based decisions to insights-led strategies powered by shopper data and AI. Pattison, a former Albertsons executive, recognized that leveraging connected AI could unlock growth, refine promotions, and boost profitability.
TSMC partnered with SymphonyAI to:
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Modernize category management and promotional planning
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Enable real-time insights and store-level optimization
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Syndicate data with CPG partners for better alignment
Solution
The Save Mart Companies and SymphonyAI crafted an end-to-and approach using the Category Management Suite with Assortment-as-a-Service and CINDE Insights, whose AI-powered models drive real-time retail insights into category and
brand performance.
In addition, SymphonyAI would help TSMC drive deeper CPG collaboration through data syndication, enabling the retailer and key supplier partners to align more strategically using current, comprehensive data to best meet the needs and expectations of shoppers. In addition, using Promotion Optimization would enable TSMC to continually invest in promotions that drive the desired business results and avoid promotions that don’t meet their intended goals. Assortment Optimization would also ensure that each store offered the right products to shoppers in each category.
Program Approach
The partnership launched with SymphonyAI’s Category Management Suite, including Assortment-as-a-Service, Promotion Evaluation, and CINDE Insights, enabling TSMC to:
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Phase in AI-based promotional analysis across categories
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Feed production data into CINDE for immediate insights
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Coordinate with 25+ manufacturer partners within six months
Through collaborative Category Action Projects, vendors and TSMC jointly optimized assortments and promotions. The results were immediate:
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$500K in average incremental sales per internal category review
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Up to $1M per vendor-partnered Category Action Project
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Vendor partnerships increased from 25 to 45, with many signing multi-year deals
“We’re seeing tangible value in both sales and profit. The SymphonyAI team has helped us progress in multiple areas simultaneously, bringing our associates up to speed on advanced tools.”
— Tamara Pattison
Results/Value
TSMC now benefits from:
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Deeper collaboration with vendors based on a single source of truth
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Granular performance insights by category, promotion, and store
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Personalized shopper engagement driven by real-time loyalty data
“The SymphonyAI platform not only tracks success metrics—it distinguishes between promoted item lift and true incremental sales. We’re now crafting promotions and assortments that meet both business goals and customer expectations.”
— Chris Hooks, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer
Customer Next Steps
TSMC will soon roll out SymphonyAI Personalized Marketing, offering:
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Targeted offers using loyalty data
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Tailored promotions by shopper cohort
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Custom assortments by store, reflecting local buying behaviors
“It’s all about scaling what we’ve proven in 2024 across every category and embracing deeper collaboration with suppliers to accelerate insights.”
— Tamara Pattison
“This partnership is a game changer. SymphonyAI helps us offer personalized, data-driven experiences to our shoppers while strengthening supplier collaboration.”
— Shane Sampson, Chief Executive Officer, The Save Mart Companies