Blockchain is Ready to Transform the Retail Experience

Blockchain is swiftly emerging as an elixir to many industries worldwide. Major corporations realize the potential of the technology to improve supply chain operations. Listen to this letter from rmin Nehzat, Digital Technology Manager, Nestlé Oceania, to AWS. “Transparency in supply chains is increasingly important to consumers, who want to know what is in their food and where it comes from. While Nestlé has begun to release information on its supply chains for its 15 key commodities, using blockchain technology enables more precise tracking. With Amazon Managed Blockchain, we are able to set up our Hyperledger Fabric network and easily invite our partners to collaborate in our supply chain transparency efforts. Amazon Managed Blockchain will enable our customers to track their products on the blockchain from the farm all the way through to consumption.”

Nestlé uses a blockchain to trace the growing origins of its Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee brand. This helps the brand guarantee the sustainability practices of the coffee growing. On the other hand, the consumer can simply scan a QR code on the packaging to view real-time information on farmers, the time of harvest, the roasting period, and even the transaction certificate for their coffee’s specific shipment.

Nestlé, indeed, is not alone; the American multinational retail corporation Walmart has been using blockchain technology not only to digitally transform its supply chain but also to reduce the time it takes to track the source of food contamination. Walmart now requires all suppliers of leafy green vegetables to upload data onto a blockchain. This helps the company real-time track produce right back to the farm it came from. In batch contamination, the company can trace contaminated food within seconds versus the weeks-long manual process. This is invaluable during product recall.