Toronto is now home to part of LEAFIO AI’s global footprint as the retail tech company continues its rapid expansion across the globe. Originally founded in Estonia, LEAFIO’s Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Max has relocated to the Greater Toronto Area as the company strengthens its North American presence.
“We actually originally from Europe, from Estonia,” said Max. “But two years ago I moved here and some parts of my team moved here to Toronto, GTA. We already signed some contracts in the US and in Canada.”
Max emphasized that his move to Canada was driven primarily by family reasons, not necessarily business expectations. “A retail world is quite conservative here and small and already aggregated in some few big players but for me personally, it’s much better to live in Canada than in the US with family, with kids.”
Despite initial modest expectations, interest in LEAFIO’s AI-powered retail automation solutions has grown steadily. “We signed already three contracts, three projects — Marché Leo’s in Toronto, Healthy Planet in Ontario, and TG Appliance Group also in Ontario — just because they found us somehow. They requested demo sessions through a website.”
LEAFIO’s reach now spans over 30 countries with active clients across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. “We have already customers in Brazil and Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Morocco. United Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Malaysia,” Max noted. “We just recently signed a new contract in Australia.”
Despite regional differences in retail operations, Max stressed the universal nature of the challenges LEAFIO helps solve: “It’s the same issue.”
With over 55 active clients acquired in just two years of global expansion, LEAFIO’s AI-driven retail solutions are designed to address core retail challenges, including inventory management, assortment optimization, space planning, demand forecasting, and more.
“We’re just in the beginning of expansion.”
The company’s tech platform is entirely cloud-based and does not require software installation. “Everything is working through web browser as like Facebook or LinkedIn,” he said.
Among the tools LEAFIO offers are purchase order generation, promotion intelligence, and automated shelf planning. “We are making purchase orders. We’re sending them to suppliers. We are preparing and managing promotions.”
The system can keep track of sales data and inventory on shelves.
He explained how the system ensures promotional products are in stock when customers expect them.
On the shelf optimization front, LEAFIO uses AI to maximize sales and profit per metre. The platform also includes loyalty tools akin to what large Canadian retailers offer.
In addition to retail chains, consumer packaged goods manufacturers are increasingly using LEAFIO’s platform. “They don’t have the stores. But they have been cooperating with some big retail chains like Walmart.”
Currently employing 200 people worldwide, the company is steadily increasing its Canadian headcount. “Most of them are based in Europe but more and more we are hiring here in Canada. ”
As LEAFIO continues to expand and refine its global operations, Max welcomes collaboration with retailers and media partners alike.
With rapid adoption from both retailers and manufacturers, and a growing list of successful case studies — including Toronto-based Marche — LEAFIO is poised to become a key player in Canadian retail automation.
“We are, uh, like we are getting money from retailers. Mostly from retailers, but it’s also interesting case. We have more and more CPG manufacturers at our portfolio.”
Marché Leo’s, a well-known grocery chain in Canada, recently underwent a significant transformation by adopting LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency, its advanced retail optimization software. This case study highlights how they modernized their operations, achieved substantial improvements in shelf management, and enhanced the shopping experience for their customers.
You can find the full case study in PDF here: Marché Leo’s Case Study
Key highlights of the transformation include:
- Automated planogram creation: The implementation established a data-based process for creating automated planograms.
- Improved planogram execution: The system enhanced planogram execution with the help of the LEAFIO AI mobile application for store employees.
- Organized assortment management: More organized assortment management makes it easier to define and arrange the assortment for new stores.
- Efficient new store openings: The retailer successfully opened a new store in Toronto using the solution, with plans to open more locations faster and more efficiently.
- Digitized planograms: All planograms for shelf-stable products were digitized with LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency.
This success story underscores the growing importance of retail technology in tackling challenges faced by grocery retailers today, such as inventory management and planogram optimization.
As the company continues its mission to modernize retail through intelligent automation, Max remains committed to helping retailers worldwide thrive in an increasingly complex marketplace.
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