The global retail industry, especially in the grocery and perishable goods sector, is undergoing one of the most disruptive shifts in its history. Once centered around traditional brick-and-mortar models, the industry is now being reshaped by the rapid growth of e-commerce, shifting consumer expectations, and the increasing need for supply chain transparency.
While digital transformation has opened new opportunities, it has also amplified long-standing challenges ranging from food waste and inventory inefficiencies to the absence of real-time freshness visibility. These issues not only impact profitability but also carry broader implications for sustainability and food security.
Amid this evolving landscape, Lucas Piccinin, Founding Partner at NETCONV SHOP, identified an opportunity to bridge the gap between technology and retail operations. In 2015, he launched Netconv Delivery, a dark store concept designed to address the complexities of online grocery fulfillment.
However, a pivotal moment soon revealed a deeper systemic issue: consumers lacked transparency about product freshness, particularly with perishable goods. Rather than treating this as an isolated challenge, Piccinin recognized its broader implications and, in 2018, pivoted the company into Netconv Shop—a technology-driven platform focused on providing real-time freshness visibility, dynamic pricing, and AI-powered insights for retailers.
Since its transformation, Netconv Shop has achieved significant milestones that underscore its role as an industry innovator. The company was recognized as a GS1 Solution Partner, leveraging next-generation barcodes to tackle global supply chain challenges. Its solutions have been adopted by large retail chains worldwide, using their networks to accelerate implementation and scale impact.
By combining transparency, efficiency, and sustainability, Netconv Shop has positioned itself not just as a technology provider but as a catalyst driving the future of retail.
The Inspiration Behind Netconv Shop
As Founding Partner of Netconv Shop, Lucas Piccinin has transformed his vision of transparent online grocery shopping into a cutting-edge SaaS solution that’s transforming retail standards. His journey from banking to tech entrepreneurship began with a simple observation: the e-commerce sector lacked transparency around perishable goods freshness – a gap that would become his life’s work to solve.
In 2015, Piccinin launched Netconv Delivery, a dark-store operation in Cuiabá, Brazil, laying the groundwork for what would become a retail tech breakthrough. The pivotal moment came in 2016 when customer complaints about near-expired products revealed a systemic industry challenge.
Partnering with lead software engineer Fabian, Piccinin developed an innovative dynamic pricing tool that automatically adjusted costs based on expiration dates – technology that would form the foundation of Netconv Shop when it officially launched as a SaaS platform in 2018.
What began as a solution to one frustrated customer’s complaint has grown into a comprehensive freshness transparency platform that helps retailers reduce waste, optimize pricing, and build consumer trust. By turning expiration dates into actionable data points, Lucas Piccinin and his team have created a new standard for perishable goods management in e-commerce.
Today, Netconv Shop stands at the intersection of retail technology and sustainability, proving that transparency isn’t just good ethics – it’s good business. From its humble beginnings in rural Brazil to its current status as a GS1 Solution Partner, the company continues to expand its global footprint while staying true to Piccinin’s original vision: making every grocery purchase as trustworthy online as it is in person.
The Pivot that Changed Everything: Grocer to Tech Pioneer
The development of Netconv Shop’s real-time expiration tracking system was one of Lucas Piccinin’s greatest challenges. While Fabian, the lead engineer, built the complex coding, Piccinin manually conducted stock counts for three years until the system became operational. This period highlighted the importance of perseverance, trust, and resilience in solving complex retail technology problems.
A pivotal earlier moment came in 2015 during Netconv Delivery’s operations, when a customer complained after buying discounted sausages close to expiry. Lucas Piccinin saw this not as a minor service issue but as evidence of a systemic flaw in e-commerce grocery transparency.
The incident drove the strategic pivot from Netconv Delivery to Netconv Shop in 2018, evolving from direct retail to scalable technology solutions. These experiences shaped Netconv’s philosophy: Innovation must solve real supply chain pain points, especially in perishables and transparency.
What Sets Netconv Shop Apart
At the intersection of technology and sustainability, Netconv Shop, founded by Lucas Piccinin, is reshaping how retailers handle perishables in the digital age. With a mission to bridge supply and demand, reduce waste, and combat hunger, the company has carved a unique position in the retail technology landscape.
Its pioneering focus on freshness and transparency in e-commerce operations delivers transformative benefits. Retailers gain real-time visibility of product freshness, the ability to apply dynamic pricing for perishables, and significantly reduce waste. The platform also enhances working capital efficiency, lowers reverse logistics costs, and enables more accurate replenishment planning.
Powered by AI-driven insights, Netconv Shop empowers businesses to autonomously detect sales trends and make smarter, data-backed decisions, bringing together transparency, efficiency, and innovation in one powerful solution.
Recognition & Global Presence
From a startup vision in Brazil to a recognized innovator on global stages, Netconv Shop’s journey has been marked by consistent international recognition. The company’s pioneering work in freshness transparency and retail technology has earned it opportunities to showcase its solutions across some of the world’s most prestigious platforms.
Here are some of the Recognitions and Media Presence:
- SWITCH Singapore – Selected by the Brazilian government from a pool of over 1,000 startups to represent the nation, standing among just 12 chosen companies.
- Web Summit Portugal – Exhibited as part of Brazil’s innovation programs, gaining visibility among international tech leaders and investors.
- Tech for Retail Paris 2025 – Scheduled to present at this premier retail innovation event, hosted at the historic Versailles in November 2025.
- GS1 Events – A regular exhibitor at GS1 forums in both Brazil and the United States, reinforcing strategic partnerships and advancing global supply chain conversations.
Through these recognitions, Netconv Shop has not only showcased its technology but also positioned itself as a thought leader driving the future of retail transparency worldwide.
The Secret Sauce Behind Netconv’s Innovation Engine
Netconv Shop’s success stems from a carefully crafted culture that mirrors the resilience and precision of its technology. The company operates on core principles forged during its three-year development marathon: resilience to power through uncertainty, ambidextrous thinking to balance immediate tasks with long-term vision, and a learn-by-doing philosophy that transforms setbacks into breakthroughs.
Collaboration isn’t just encouraged – it’s engineered, with cross-functional teams working in concert like sections of an orchestra. This cultural framework enables calculated risk-taking and continuous R&D in uncharted retail tech territory. Just as their technology reveals expiration dates with clarity, Netconv’s values bring transparency to how disruptive innovation gets built – through equal parts grit, teamwork, and visionary thinking.
Retail Trends Shaping the Next 1-3 Years
The retail sector stands at the cusp of significant transformation, driven by several key technological advancements. The mandatory transition to new GS1 barcode standards by 2027 will fundamentally reshape global retail logistics and inventory management systems. Concurrently, artificial intelligence is poised for expanded integration across supply chain operations and e-commerce platforms, offering unprecedented optimization capabilities.
A particularly impactful development will be the widespread adoption of real-time freshness tracking in online grocery operations. This emerging standard will enable retailers to implement dynamic pricing strategies while dramatically reducing perishable waste. The convergence of these trends – standardized data capture through next-gen barcodes, AI-driven analytics, and freshness transparency – will create a new paradigm for efficient, sustainable retail operations.
These innovations collectively address critical industry pain points: reducing operational costs, minimizing food waste, and enhancing consumer trust in e-commerce grocery platforms. As adoption accelerates, early implementers like Netconv Shop are positioned to lead this retail revolution.
Building Trust through Transparency and Compliance
Netconv Shop’s approach to customer trust is built on two foundational pillars: rigorous data governance and proactive feedback integration. The company’s architecture ensures retailers maintain complete ownership of their customer databases and sensitive information, with strict adherence to global privacy standards and compliance requirements. This decentralized data model provides inherent security while enabling partners to maintain direct customer relationships.
The organization institutionalizes customer feedback as a strategic innovation driver, most notably demonstrated when early consumer complaints about product freshness directly inspired their core technology solution. This incident established Netconv’s philosophy of treating customer concerns not as complaints, but as valuable market intelligence that fuels product development.
The company systematically analyzes feedback patterns to identify systemic issues and opportunities, transforming consumer insights into actionable technical improvements.
By combining ironclad data protection with a responsive innovation cycle, Netconv has developed a trust framework that serves both retail partners and end consumers. This dual approach addresses the modern retail landscape’s key requirements: uncompromising security and customer-centric adaptability.
Leadership & Professional Evolution
As Founding Partner of Netconv Shop, Lucas Piccinin pursues continuous leadership development through deliberate learning and strategic networking. His professional growth strategy combines extensive reading across business and philosophical texts, including biblical literature, with active participation in industry think tanks focused on retail innovation.
Piccinin prioritizes engagement with communities advancing supply chain transparency solutions, recognizing that meaningful industry change requires collaborative effort. This approach reflects his leadership philosophy: that transformative solutions emerge at the intersection of knowledge acquisition and purposeful relationship-building. By connecting with diverse thought leaders and practitioner groups, he gains insights that shape both Netconv’s strategic direction and broader industry practices in perishable goods management.
Professional Advice from a Retail Tech Pioneer
Lucas offers actionable guidance for emerging professionals in retail technology. He emphasizes two fundamental approaches: First, identifying significant industry problems and developing creative solutions, as demonstrated by Netconv’s freshness, transparency, and innovation. Second, for those still discovering their focus, Piccinin advocates for proactive engagement – encouraging professionals to immerse themselves in their field while maintaining acute observational skills.
His philosophy reframes challenges as opportunities, a perspective forged when customer complaints about perishable goods evolved into Netconv’s core value proposition. Piccinin stresses that groundbreaking solutions often emerge when professionals view apparent problems through an opportunistic lens, combining hands-on experience with strategic creativity.
2025 Vision: Transforming Global Grocery E-Commerce
“Imagine buying groceries online with the same confidence as hand-picking them yourself. This is the future Lucas Lucas Piccinin is building.” As the Founding Partner of Netconv Shop, Piccinin sees 2025 as the year freshness and transparency transform global e-commerce. His vision goes beyond profits; it’s about revolutionizing how the world shops for groceries by turning expiration dates into opportunities.
Through real-time tracking technology, Netconv aims to simultaneously boost retailer efficiency, reduce food waste by converting it to revenue, and combat global hunger. For Piccinin, true success means creating a world where every online grocery purchase comes with invisible confidence, knowing what’s fresh shouldn’t require a trip to the store.
Open Letter from Lucas Piccinin
Dear Budding Entrepreneurs,
The grocery retail sector is undergoing rapid transformation, with rising consumer expectations and increasing demand for transparency. Yet, challenges like food waste and inefficiencies continue to impact both businesses and society.
In 2015, I founded Netconv Delivery to explore online grocery through dark stores. A customer experience soon revealed a critical gap: the lack of freshness transparency, which led to the creation of Netconv Shop in 2018. Since then, we have focused on delivering real-time freshness visibility, dynamic pricing, and AI-driven insights to retailers worldwide.
Today, as a GS1 Solution Partner, we are working with global retail leaders to enhance supply chain efficiency and accountability. Our mission remains clear: to reduce waste, strengthen trust, and create smarter food systems.
Sincerely,
Lucas Piccinin
Founding Partner, Netconv Shop
Key Takeaways:
- Transforming challenges into opportunities through strategic pivots.
- Championing freshness transparency as the foundation of trust.
- Proving resilience is key to long-term innovation.
- Driving technology with a clear purpose to solve real problems.
- Expanding globally through GS1 partnerships and retail networks.
- Balancing profitability with responsibility for sustainable growth.
