Produce retailers struggle to manage perishable fruit inventory across short seasonal windows

Retailers and distributors face significant waste and lost revenue when they can't accurately predict demand for highly perishable seasonal fruits like California figs, which have compressed selling windows of just a few weeks. Current inventory management systems fail to account for the rapid ripening cycles, weather variability, and consumer preference shifts that occur during peak season, forcing retailers to either overstock (leading to spoilage) or understock (losing sales opportunities).