For New Jersey shoppers, the era of “one-size-fits-all” weekly circulars is officially coming to an end. Birdzi, the Bridgewater-based retail intelligence pioneer, launched Journey, an AI solution designed to transform how grocery stores interact with their customers.
While the technology is complex, the impact on the typical Garden State shopper is simple: your grocery store will now “listen” to your habits and reward you with deals that actually matter to your household.
For customers at major New Jersey retailers like Wakefern Food Corp. (the cooperative behind ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, and The Fresh Grocer), Birdzi’s technology is already at work. The new “Journey” platform takes this a step further by automating a customized path for every individual shopper.
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Deals That Find You: If you typically buy organic milk but haven’t visited the store in two weeks, Journey might automatically trigger a “Welcome Back” discount on your favorite brand.
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Support for Life Changes: For shoppers who suddenly start buying diapers or gluten-free pasta, the system recognizes the shift and immediately adjusts your digital coupons to match your new “journey.”
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Bigger Savings, Less Searching: Birdzi’s existing tech has already shown a 30% increase in basket size, suggesting that shoppers are finding more of what they need at better prices without having to hunt through thousands of irrelevant sales.
In a state with rigorous consumer protections, Birdzi is emphasizing a “privacy-first” approach. Unlike older models that might share your data broadly, Journey is built to connect shopper behavior directly with Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) partners (like PepsiCo or Kraft Heinz) without compromising personal identity.
“Journey was designed to break down existing barriers to provide true personalization,” Shekar Raman, CEO and co-founder of Birdzi. This means you get the manufacturer’s best discounts because the brand knows you are a loyal fan, but they don’t necessarily need to know who you are.
For the 70,000+ employees at Wakefern-affiliated stores across the region, this technology simplifies the backend, but for the shopper, it manifests in the digital wallet and the mobile app.
Birdzi’s rise from a Bridgewater startup to a national industry leader is a testament to New Jersey’s growing tech corridor. As the company prepares to showcase Journey at NRF 2026 in New York City later this month, New Jersey residents are already seeing the benefits in the checkout aisle.
By moving from “data” to “action,” Birdzi is ensuring that the next time you walk into a ShopRite or Fresh Grocer, the store already knows how to help you save time and money.
