Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), the nation’s largest bakery company and maker of iconic brands such as Sara Lee®, Entenmann’s®, and Thomas’®, set out to improve demand forecasting to reduce food waste while maintaining product freshness and availability.

Operating 59 bakeries and 11,000 delivery routes, BBU faced a difficult balance between minimizing overstocks and preventing out-of-stocks in a highly variable, perishable goods market.

To modernize operations and empower its 20,000 associates, BBU deployed Zebra’s AI-powered demand intelligence solution—integrating real-time data, predictive analytics, and machine learning to deliver more accurate forecasts and optimize production and delivery planning. The platform provided granular visibility across every SKU, store, and week, enabling planners and route operators to collaborate seamlessly and make data-driven decisions faster.

As a result, BBU achieved up to a 30% reduction in forecast errors, improved order accuracy, and maintained more than 80% forecast accuracy even through the unprecedented volatility of the pandemic. By transforming its forecasting process and uniting its frontline and production teams through a single intelligent platform, Bimbo Bakeries strengthened its ability to deliver fresher products, minimize waste, and enhance customer satisfaction across its nationwide network.