PEMBROKE, N.H. — Associated Grocers of New England (AGNE) is deepening its investment in retail technology by adding GoSpotCheck by FORM to its operational portfolio, a move intended to strengthen shelf-level visibility and standardize merchandising execution across its network of more than 630 independently owned supermarkets in the Northeast.
The Pembroke, N.H.-based cooperative said the mobile-first platform will be deployed across its field and member service teams, enabling real-time data capture during store visits and providing a continuous feedback loop from the shelf to headquarters. The system is designed to improve AGNE's monitoring of in-store conditions, execution of promotional programs, and consistency across its geographically dispersed base of independent retailers.
From an operational standpoint, AGNE will use the platform to gather store-level insights from account managers and department heads, providing its marketing, retail services, and category management teams with immediate visibility into merchandising conditions. This includes planogram compliance, promotional execution, and out-of-stock identification, all of which are increasingly critical as independent grocers compete with national chains on both price and the in-store experience.
The deployment also introduces more structured task management across the cooperative’s field operations. Teams will follow standardized workflows during store visits, ensuring more consistent execution and reducing reliance on manual reporting. In turn, leadership gains access to centralized dashboards and analytics that accelerate decision-making and improve responsiveness to store-level issues.
The technology layer reflects a broader industry shift toward digitizing retail execution, particularly among grocery cooperatives that must balance local autonomy with systemwide consistency. By equipping field teams with real-time tools, AGNE is tightening the feedback loop between strategy and execution, a key lever for driving performance across independent banners.
“At AGNE, our mission has always been to give our independent grocers the tools and support they need to succeed in this competitive market,” said Eric Aguiar, vice president of sales at AGNE. “GoSpotCheck gives our field teams a smarter, faster way to capture what’s happening at the shelf and act on it. That kind of real-time visibility helps us serve our members more effectively, and ultimately helps them win in their local markets.”
The platform, developed by FORM, serves as a digital assistant for frontline teams, guiding store visits, streamlining data collection, and facilitating communication between the field and headquarters. Its image recognition capabilities add an additional layer of intelligence, enabling teams to visually assess shelf conditions and, in some cases, use augmented reality tools to support compliance in high-complexity areas such as fresh and perishable departments.
Those capabilities are especially relevant in grocery, where execution gaps in perishables can directly affect shrink, food safety, and customer perception. By improving visibility in these categories, AGNE aims to help its members improve both operational efficiency and the shopper experience.
FORM executives positioned the partnership within a broader trend toward data-driven retail execution. “Independent grocers are the backbone of their communities, and cooperatives like AGNE play a vital role in helping them compete at scale,” said Jamie Oschefski, senior sales director at FORM. “We’re proud to partner with an organization that shares our belief that better data from the field drives better outcomes for everyone, from cooperative leadership to the store shelf.”
The rollout follows recent momentum in GoSpotCheck adoption among grocery cooperatives, including a deployment with Associated Food Stores, signaling growing demand for scalable field execution platforms that can operate across decentralized retail networks.
Founded in 1946 by 21 independent grocers seeking to pool resources and compete with larger supermarket chains, AGNE has grown into one of the region’s most established grocery cooperatives. Today, the organization supports more than 1,000 employees, operates a 484,000-square-foot distribution center in Pembroke, and offers a broad suite of services, including wholesale distribution, private-label programs, marketing, and retail technology solutions.
With the addition of GoSpotCheck, AGNE is reinforcing its role as both a supply chain partner and a technology enabler for independent grocers, equipping its members with more advanced tools to compete in an increasingly data-driven, execution-focused retail environment.
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