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      © 2025 Picnic

      Picnic blog

      Dive into the world of insightful articles, expert opinions, and the latest trends. Whether you’re here to stay updated, seek inspiration, or simply enjoy a good read, our diverse range of topics ensures there’s something for everyone. Join our community, share your thoughts, and let’s explore the endless possibilities together. Happy reading!

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      picnic-10-years-2020sudo-pick-me-a-sandwich

      Picnic 10 years: 2020 — Sudo pick me a sandwich

      Picnic 10 years: 2020 — Sudo pick me a sandwichIn this edition of the blog series about 10 years of Picnic, we take you back to December 2020, we’re i...
      Author avatar
      Sjoerd CranenTue Jun 17 2025
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      picnic-10-years-2020sudo-pick-me-a-sandwich

      Picnic 10 years: 2020 — Sudo pick me a sandwich

      Picnic 10 years: 2020 — Sudo pick me a sandwichIn this edition of the blog series about 10 years of Picnic, we take you back to December 2020, we’re i...
      Author avatar
      Sjoerd CranenTue Jun 17 2025
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      adding-eyes-to-picnics-automated-warehouses

      Adding Eyes to Picnic’s Automated Warehouses

      How computer vision can spot problems long before a customer noticesIn Picnic’s fully-automated fulfilment centre in Utrecht thousands of totes move o...
      Author avatar
      Sander LamWed Jun 11 2025
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      building-an-ai-first-company-lessons-from-scaling-from-a-small-start-up-to-a-machine-learning

      Building an AI-first company: lessons from scaling from a small start-up to a Machine Learning…

      Building an AI-first company: lessons from scaling from a small start-up to a Machine Learning powerhouseIn the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commer...
      Author avatar
      Jelmer BorstWed May 28 2025
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      building-a-real-time-analytics-platform-for-picnic
      Technology

      Building a Real-time Analytics Platform for Picnic

      In the fast-paced world of online grocery delivery, making data-driven decisions quickly can be the difference between delighting customers and losing...
      Author avatar
      David MischkeThu May 15 2025
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      picnic-10-years-2018hello-germany
      Technology

      Picnic 10 years: 2018 — Hello, Germany

      Picnic 10 years: 2018 — Hello, GermanyWith Picnic turning 10 this year, we are dedicating 10 blog posts, one for each year, to highlight our achieveme...
      Author avatar
      Marc MarschnerWed Apr 23 2025
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      adding-write-functionality-to-pages-with-self-service-apis
      TechnologyMobile

      Adding Write Functionality to Pages with Self-Service APIs

      (Written by Kirill Voloshin & Abdullah Abusamrah)In our previous blog posts, we have covered our server-driven UI framework called Picnic Page Pla...
      Author avatar
      Kirill VoloshinTue Apr 15 2025
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      solving-the-weekly-menu-puzzle-pt2-recommendations-at-picnic
      Technology

      Solving the weekly menu puzzle pt.2: recommendations at Picnic

      A little over a year ago, we shared a blog post about our journey to enhance customers’ meal planning experience with personalized recipe recommendati...
      Author avatar
      Giorgia TandoiMon Apr 07 2025
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      beyond-static-pages-bringing-ui-to-life

      Beyond Static Pages: bringing UI to life

      In the previous blog posts, we’ve explored how Picnic’s Page Platform has revolutionized the way we build our mobile grocery shopping experience. As...
      Author avatar
      Florencia BoschThu Apr 03 2025
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      a-decade-of-scaling-real-time-analytics-and-master-data-at-picnic

      A decade of scaling (real-time) analytics and master data at Picnic

      TL;DR Over the past decade, Picnic transformed its approach to data — evolving from a single, all-purpose data team into multiple specialized teams us...
      Author avatar
      Iliana IankoulovaFri Mar 28 2025
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      refaster-openrewrite-better-together
      Technology

      Refaster & OpenRewrite: Better Together

      OpenRewrite x Error Prone SupportLast year we explored Error Prone [1] and Picnic’s journey [2] developing an open source repository built around this...
      Author avatar
      Rick OssendrijverThu Mar 20 2025
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      experiences-of-a-first-year-java-developer-at-picnic
      Technology

      Experiences of a first year Java developer at Picnic

      It was a bit more than a year ago when I decided to move to The Netherlands and start a new chapter in my life. I was happy that Picnic helped me in...
      Author avatar
      Matteo ŠimićTue Mar 11 2025
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      picnic-10-years-2016the-milkman-routes
      Technology

      Picnic 10 years: 2016 — The Milkman Routes

      Picnic 10 years: 2016 — The Milkman RoutesPicnic turns 10 this year! To celebrate such an achievement we will highlight each year in a series of blog...
      Author avatar
      Joris van TatenhoveMon Mar 10 2025
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      java-meets-javascript-a-modern-approach-to-dynamic-page-rendering
      TechnologyQuality

      Java Meets JavaScript: A Modern Approach to Dynamic Page Rendering

      (Written by @masoud. alali.
      Author avatar
      João NogueiraFri Feb 28 2025
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      10-lessons-from-10-years-of-innovation-and-engineering-at-picnic

      10 Lessons from 10 Years of Innovation and Engineering at Picnic

      A decade ago, Picnic set out to reinvent grocery shopping with a tech-first, customer-centric approach. What began as a bold experiment quickly grew...
      Author avatar
      Daniel GeblerThu Feb 13 2025
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      tackling-configuration-creating-lego-like-flexibility-for-non-developers
      TechnologyQuality

      Tackling Configuration: creating Lego-Like Flexibility for non developers

      In our previous blogs, we explored how Picnic’s Page Platform transformed the way we build new features — enabling faster iteration, tighter collabora...
      Author avatar
      Joachim van SchothorstThu Feb 06 2025
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      server-driven-ui-in-picnics-page-platform
      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Picnic’s Page Platform from a Mobile perspective: enabling fast updates through server-driven UI

      After introducing our Page Architecture initiative in this previous post, we’ll now dive deeper into how we transformed the mobile app — the primary p...
      Author avatar
      Lucas TwiskThu Jan 30 2025
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      bridging-the-gap-a-future-proof-approach-to-identifier-migration-in-complex-systems
      OptimizationQuality

      Bridging the gap: A future-proof approach to identifier migration in complex systems

      Over the years, Picnic has achieved multiple milestones and overcome numerous challenges. Our warehouses continue to expand, our product assortment g...
      Author avatar
      Dima LegezaTue Jan 14 2025
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      enabling-rapid-business-use-case-iteration-with-apache-calcite
      TechnologyTools

      Enabling rapid business use case iteration with Apache Calcite

      Picnic increasingly follows a data-driven approach towards serving content. Every customer sees their own version of the store, fitted to their needs...
      Author avatar
      Danylo NaumenkoTue Jan 07 2025
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      define-extract-and-transform-inside-picnics-page-platform
      TechnologyTools

      Define, Extract and Transform inside Picnic’s Page Platform

      This blog post is part two of a seven-part blog series. We recommend reading the first part where Lars Lockefeer shares the motivation and introducti...
      Author avatar
      Phil WerliFri Dec 20 2024
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      spreading-holiday-cheer-at-picnic
      ToolsCultureTechnology

      Spreading Holiday Cheer at Picnic

      The holiday season is always special at Picnic! In this blog post we will take you on our journey to bring Christmas spirit to Picnic.
      Author avatar
      Pepijn van AkenTue Dec 17 2024
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      developing-a-java-plugin-that-automatically-fixes-code
      QualityTechnologyDevOpsAPIs

      Developing a Java plugin that automatically fixes code

      In one of our previous blogs we wrote an article that explains the tools Error Prone and Refaster, and how we use them within Picnic. Now we will div...
      Author avatar
      Rick OssendrijverThu Dec 05 2024
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      faster-features-happier-customers-introducing-the-platform-that-transformed-our-grocery-app
      TechnologyMobile

      Faster Features, Happier Customers: Introducing The Platform That Transformed Our Grocery App

      As an online grocery retailer, we operate in a complex environment that requires us to adapt on an ongoing basis to changes in customer behavior, our...
      Author avatar
      Lars LockefeerTue Dec 03 2024
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      solving-the-most-complex-task-of-grocery-shopping-meal-planning
      Technology

      Solving the most complex task of grocery shopping — meal planning

      We’re all familiar with grocery shopping. You venture into your nearby supermarket, walk down all the aisles and start filling your basket with the t...
      Author avatar
      Leslie ManTue Nov 12 2024
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      hill-climbing-towards-good-plannings-with-timefold
      OptimizationTools

      Hill-climbing towards good plannings with TimeFold

      Each day, Picnic delivers groceries to tens of thousands of customers. To do this as efficiently as possible, operations follow a plan created the da...
      Author avatar
      Daan GoslingaTue Oct 15 2024
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      how-tech-driven-workforce-planning-brings-better-balanced-outcomes-for-everyone
      TechnologyMobileDesignOptimizationCulture

      How tech-driven workforce planning brings better-balanced outcomes for everyone

      Picnic’s supply chain teams work with in-house recruited Runners (electric vehicle drivers) and Shoppers (order pickers). Investing in local talent h...
      Author avatar
      Toon BorrenTue Oct 08 2024
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      applying-continuous-integration-to-infrastructure
      TechnologyMobileDevOpsAPIsDesignQuality

      Applying continuous integration to infrastructure @ Picnic

      It is amazing to see how far we have ventured with a solid foundation for our infrastructure as code (IaC) building blocks, having developed various s...
      Author avatar
      Saul Ivan Rivas VegaTue Oct 01 2024
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      relocating-for-a-new-life-in-the-netherlands-with-picnic

      Relocating for a new life in the Netherlands with Picnic

      My wife and I are from India, and had been living in the United States for 10 years then, mostly in California. While life there was sunny and we had...
      Author avatar
      Abhilash NarayanaTue Sep 17 2024
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      the-hidden-complexity-of-online-supermarket-payments
      APIsFintech

      The Hidden Complexity of Online Supermarket Payments

      I don’t think I’ve ever underestimated the depth of a topic as much as I did with online payments. Like most people, I used to be just another custom...
      Author avatar
      Stan HennekesTue Sep 10 2024
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      leading-the-way-a-journey-from-the-first-delivery-driver-on-the-road
      Culture

      Leading the Way: A journey from the first delivery driver on the road

      Hi! My name is Jeroen, I’m an Area Lead in the distribution team at Picnic.
      Author avatar
      Jeroen BoumeesterWed Aug 28 2024
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      improving-maven-build-times
      MobileDesign

      Improving Maven build times

      Before our recent improvements to the Maven build process, our developers had mixed experiences with slow build times. For some, it was an opportunit...
      Author avatar
      Oksana EvseevaWed Jul 24 2024
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      picnic-x-workleap-officevibe
      Culture

      Harnessing the power of meaningful conversations: Picnic x Workleap Officevibe

      At Picnic, we believe that the best teams are well connected and intrinsically motivated. To ensure that we can keep track of our employee engagement...
      Author avatar
      stefanievanvelthovenMon Jul 15 2024
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      cultivating-change-picnics-food-forest
      TechnologyAPIs

      Cultivating change - Picnic's Food Forest

      9 years ago, Picnic embarked on the journey to create a less resource-intensive grocery delivery model, cutting out physical stores, helping to take c...
      Author avatar
      Sofia CassutiWed Jul 03 2024
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      automating-large-scale-refactorings-with-error-prone
      OptimizationTools

      Automating large-scale refactorings with Error Prone

      When it comes to writing good computer programs, avoiding mistakes is key. To prevent errors, several processes are generally put in place, such as t...
      Author avatar
      Rick OssendrijverTue Jun 25 2024
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      open-sourcing-dbt-score-lint-model-metadata-with-ease
      Mobile

      Open-sourcing dbt-score: lint model metadata with ease!

      With the rise of tools like dbt, it has become much easier to document, test and create data models in a data warehouse. In a previous blog post we h...
      Author avatar
      Jochem Mathijs van DoorenMon Jun 10 2024
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      driving-change-how-the-supermarket-on-wheels-reduces-environmental-impact
      Technology

      Driving change: how the supermarket on wheels reduces environmental impact

      Symbolized by our iconic electric delivery fleet, our sustainability commitment has been part of Picnic since day 1. In honor of World Environment Da...
      Author avatar
      Anna KrotovaWed Jun 05 2024
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      how-picnic-migrated-ml-architectures-without-sacrificing-operational-security
      Technology

      How we broke customer support language barriers without breaking production

      Ever since we first started with a single vehicle in one city nine years ago, Picnic has always taken our end-to-end user journey very seriously, and...
      Author avatar
      Carlos ArcenasTue May 28 2024
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      mental-well-being-for-all-how-we-openup
      Culture

      Mental well-being for all – how we OpenUp

      We are committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle for our employees with a strong emphasis on mental health. And we believe a healthy mind starts wit...
      Author avatar
      Lezaan SchoenmakersWed May 22 2024
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      enhancing-search-retrieval-with-large-language-models-llms
      TechnologyMobile

      Enhancing Search Retrieval with Large Language Models (LLMs)

      When people think of Large Language Models (LLMs), generative AI often comes to mind, especially with models like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other tools...
      Author avatar
      Maarten SukelWed Apr 24 2024
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      yaml-developers-and-the-declarative-data-platforms-cloned-7241
      TechnologyOptimization

      Under the hood of Picnic's demand forecasting model: A Deep Dive into the Temporal Fusion Transformer

      Demand forecasting is critical for any retail company, but even more so for Picnic, an online supermarket selling perishable products with a just-in-t...
      Author avatar
      Daniela SolisMon Apr 22 2024
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      yaml-developers-and-the-declarative-data-platforms
      MobileDesign

      YAML developers and the declarative data platforms

      The declarative paradigm is becoming ubiquitous in data engineering, to the point we sometimes feel we became YAML developers. Yet, I’ll argue it’s a...
      Author avatar
      Matthieu CaneillTue Apr 02 2024
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      python-picnic
      TechnologyQualityTools

      Python @ Picnic

      From Machine Learning to black box testing of Java services, Picnic uses Python throughout its tech stack. Picnic has grown to serve hundreds of thou...
      Author avatar
      Sven ArendsWed Mar 20 2024
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      how-picnic-uses-slack-to-revolutionise-the-world-of-online-groceries
      Tools

      How Picnic uses Slack to revolutionise the world of online groceries

      Our focus on making online grocery shopping simple, fun, and affordable has propelled us to become the fastest-growing online supermarket globally. W...
      Author avatar
      Pepijn van AkenFri Feb 16 2024
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      from-cloud-native-to-hybrid-and-back-again-picnics-on-premises-computing-journey
      TechnologyMobileDevOps

      From Cloud-native to Hybrid and back again: Picnic’s on-premises computing journey

      Many companies are working on their digital transformation, transitioning their traditional on-premises deployment to a cloud setup. Other companies,...
      Author avatar
      Tyko KieskampTue Feb 06 2024
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      solving-the-weekly-menu-puzzle-recommendations-at-picnic
      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Solving the weekly menu puzzle: recommendations at Picnic

      Figuring out what’s for dinner is that daily question we can all relate to. Not only does it require effort, it can also be hard to get creative, so...
      Author avatar
      Giorga TandoiMon Jan 15 2024
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      recommendations-from-the-modern-milkman
      Technology

      Generating your shopping list with AI: recommendations at Picnic

      Introduction At Picnic, we’re not just an online supermarket; we’re the modern milkman. This means that we want to make the shopping experience of ou...
      Author avatar
      Thijs SluijterTue Jan 09 2024
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      2023-in-a-nutshell-ride-along
      MobileCulture

      2023 in a nutshell —ride along!

      With operations in full swing to pull us through the busiest time of the year, the code slush we apply in some of our teams allow us to take a step ba...
      Author avatar
      Paulo GeusauFri Dec 15 2023
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      running-demand-forecasting-machine-learning-models-at-scale
      TechnologyMobile

      Running demand forecasting machine learning models at scale

      Forecasting at PicnicPicnic is proud to deliver groceries to our customer’s doorstep in a sustainable manner and with great service. Using data scien...
      Author avatar
      Maarten SukelTue Dec 12 2023
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      meet-the-trainers-of-picnics-tech-academy
      TechnologyToolsCulture

      Meet the Trainers of Picnic’s Tech Academy

      Picnic’s Tech Academy plays a pivotal role in upskilling our tech team. We’ve previously written about how the Academy’s Java Learning path accelerat...
      Author avatar
      Sander MakTue Nov 14 2023
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      picnics-migration-to-datadog-pavel-storozhenko
      TechnologyMobileDevOpsCulture

      Picnic’s migration to Datadog Pavel Storozhenko

      Every team wants to deliver new features to delight their users but if the application is not available even the best feature won’t have the intended...
      Author avatar
      PavelStorozhenko and HarkeetBajajTue Oct 31 2023
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      the-art-of-master-data-management-at-picnic
      TechnologyMobileDesignTools

      The Art of Master Data Management at Picnic

      The Importance of MDMIn the fast-paced world of technology, it’s easy to be captivated by the allure of artificial intelligence. As organizations see...
      Author avatar
      Hidde SchwietertThu Oct 05 2023
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      creating-an-engaging-security-awareness-program

      Creating an Engaging Security Awareness Program

      In today’s digital world, businesses are increasingly dependent on technology, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. According to a recent study by...
      Author avatar
      Ali AbdollahiWed Sep 27 2023
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      the-tech-team-behind-the-most-customer-friendly-supermarket
      MobileDesignCulture

      The tech team behind the most customer-friendly supermarket

      At Picnic, we dream of being the best milkman on earth. While we believe we still have a long way to go, we’re definitely on our way: Picnic was rece...
      Author avatar
      Ilonka CornelissenThu Jul 27 2023
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      using-transformers-to-cut-waste-and-put-smiles-on-our-customers-faces
      Technology

      Using Transformers to Cut Waste and Put Smiles on Our Customers’ Faces!

      IntroductionTransformer models have revolutionized natural language processing with their human-like text generation capabilities. At Picnic, we’re u...
      Author avatar
      Maarten SukelTue Jul 25 2023
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      adding-automatic-logout-to-angular-applications
      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Adding Automatic Logout to Angular Applications

      At Picnic we have a clear goal: make the online supermarket of tomorrow available today. In our journey to change the way people do their groceries,...
      Author avatar
      Luis Enrique Acedo HerreraThu Jul 20 2023
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      why-using-gpt-may-not-be-the-best-option-for-customer-feedback-classification

      Why Using GPT May Not Be the Best Option for Customer Feedback Classification

      How we explore and benchmark new technologies for customer feedback classification. Large language models like GPT have garnered a lot of attention i...
      Author avatar
      Maarten SukelWed May 24 2023
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      using-change-data-capture-for-warehouse-analytics
      APIs

      Using Change Data Capture for Warehouse Analytics

      IntroductionWe continue our story on the Analytics Platform setup in Picnic. Last time, we looked at the internal services data pipeline.
      Author avatar
      David MischkeMon Apr 03 2023
      image
      how-to-find-dead-code-in-your-java-services
      MobileDesignTools

      How to find dead code in your Java services

      When building solutions, the code we write can last many years. While casually browsing legacy code we might wonder; is this still used?
      Author avatar
      Pieter Dirk SoelsMon Apr 03 2023
      image
      the-journey-to-product-ownership
      MobileDesignCulture

      The Journey to Product Ownership

      Here at Picnic, we have more than 30 teams that are building the cool products that we love. But while the product teams build the future — who empow...
      Author avatar
      Jarmila KaiserThu Mar 16 2023
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      replicating-a-multi-million-euro-automated-warehouse-in-python
      Tools

      Replicating a multi-million Euro automated warehouse in Python

      In our previous part of this blog series we have talked about the challenges we faced developing our very first Warehouse Control System (WCS). This...
      Author avatar
      Dylan GoldsboroughThu Mar 16 2023
      image
      how-we-built-the-supply-chain-matrix
      TechnologyMobileDesignOptimization

      How we built the supply chain Matrix

      The story of building an automated warehouse without having one — Part II In the blockbuster movie The Matrix, Neo, the main character, is asked to ch...
      Author avatar
      Manuel LombarderoTue Mar 07 2023
      image
      how-we-got-robots-to-do-your-groceries
      MobileDesign

      How we got robots to do your groceries

      The story of building an automated warehouse without having one — Part IA wintery day It is a cold, dark, wintery day. You are at your desk, it is yo...
      Author avatar
      Manuel LombarderoTue Feb 21 2023
      image
      deploying-data-pipelines-using-the-saga-pattern
      TechnologyAPIsOptimization

      Deploying Data Pipelines using the Saga pattern

      Delivering the right events at low latency and with a high volume is critical to Picnic’s system architecture. In our previous blog, Dima Kalashnikov...
      Author avatar
      Shibi RamachandranThu Feb 09 2023
      image
      bye-travis-ci-hi-teamcity
      MobileDevOpsAPIsDesignQualityCulture

      Bye Travis CI, hi TeamCity!

      Continuous integration forms the backbone of every tech company. Without a smooth build and test setup teams lose productivity and everything grinds...
      Author avatar
      Ivan BabiankouWed Feb 08 2023
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      making-our-apps-festive-with-christmas-decorations
      MobileCulture

      Making our apps festive with Christmas decorations

      Do you like the holiday season? At Picnic we love it!
      Author avatar
      Tyko KieskampWed Dec 21 2022
      image
      why-picnic-picked-java
      Tools

      Why Picnic picked Java

      Picking a tech stack for your startup isn’t something to do lightly. It’s a choice that will shape the future in many ways: how will the tech enable...
      Author avatar
      Sander MakWed Dec 21 2022
      image
      transitioning-from-aiohttp-to-fastapi
      TechnologyAPIsTools

      Transitioning from aiohttp to FastAPI

      Written by: Dylan Goldsborough While we love using Java in Picnic, we also adore Python. Over the years, our tech landscape has been enriched with nu...
      Author avatar
      Dylan GoldsboroughWed Nov 30 2022
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      picnic-open-sources-error-prone-support
      OptimizationTools

      Picnic Open-sources Error Prone Support

      We’re excited to announce that Picnic’s Error Prone Support project is now open-source! Last week, we already shared an in-depth overview of how Picni...
      Author avatar
      Sander MakWed Nov 30 2022
      image
      picnic-loves-error-prone-producing-high-quality-and-consistent-java-code
      OptimizationTools

      Picnic loves Error Prone: producing high-quality and consistent Java code

      Error Prone Support is now open source! Check out the announcement.
      Author avatar
      Rick OssendrijverWed Nov 30 2022
      image
      mlops-principles-to-build-picnics-data-science-platform
      TechnologyMobileDevOpsDesign

      MLOps Principles to build Picnic’s Data Science Platform

      Here at Picnic, we love data. Over the last years, Picnic has grown into a data-driven online supermarket that is active in three countries.
      Author avatar
      Tom SteenbergenWed Nov 30 2022
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      internal-services-pipeline-in-analytics-platform
      Technology

      Internal services pipeline in Analytics Platform

      We continue our story on the Analytics Platform setup in Picnic. In the “Picnic Analytics Platform: Migration from AWS Kinesis to Confluent Cloud” we...
      Author avatar
      Dima KalashnikovWed Nov 30 2022
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      qa-picnic-data-engineering-series

      Q&A Picnic Data Engineering Series

      The most important thing for a successful analytics strategy. Data Mesh, or Hub-and-Spoke?
      Author avatar
      Iliana IankoulovaTue Jul 12 2022
      image
      adopting-sfdx-for-salesforce-deployments
      TechnologyDevOpsTools

      Adopting SFDX for Salesforce Deployments

      Small Talk SFDX is the most common buzzword among Salesforcies right now. If you know it, I am sure you would have been tempted to try it out an...
      Author avatar
      Bhushan PuriTue Jun 28 2022
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      picnics-tech-academy-through-the-eyes-of-recent-graduates
      TechnologyCulture

      Picnic’s Tech Academy Through the Eyes of Recent Graduates

      Pablo Picasso once said, “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ” For someone who spent so much time on th...
      Author avatar
      Ryan WhitmoreTue Jun 14 2022
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      shaping-a-full-fledge-procedure-by-streaming-salesforce-exception-emails
      TechnologyAPIsTools

      Shaping a Full-Fledge Procedure by Streaming Salesforce Exception Emails

      This blog post is the third in a series of blog posts about Picnic’s Salesforce Makeover Project. At Picnic, we use Salesforce to fulfil diverse purp...
      Author avatar
      nyrandonenoboudTue May 31 2022
      image
      making-it-all-work-picnics-qa-engineers
      Quality

      Making it All Work: Picnic’s QA Engineers

      Picnic is more than a grocery delivery company — it’s more accurate to say we’re a tech company. After all, the service we provide to our customers w...
      Author avatar
      Ryan WhitmoreTue May 17 2022
      image
      turning-shadow-it-into-sunshine-it
      Technology

      Turning Shadow IT Into Sunshine IT

      Not only software developers but also many employees in other roles help companies move forward by developing different kinds of software systems. In...
      Author avatar
      Max van RestMon May 02 2022
      image
      a-snapshot-of-our-tech-recruitment-team
      MobileDesignCulture

      A Snapshot of Our Tech Recruitment Team

      (Left to right: Jan, Pia, Jana, Pablo, Carolina)At Picnic, we’re more than a grocery delivery company. The app that our customers use to buy their gr...
      Author avatar
      Ryan WhitmoreWed Apr 20 2022
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      creating-a-rule-engine-for-real-time-action-automation

      Creating a Rule Engine for Real-Time Action Automation

      At Picnic, we strive to offer a personal, proactive, helpful, and friendly service. It’s why many of our customers choose to shop with us and it’s es...
      Author avatar
      Frans BookholtWed Apr 06 2022
      image
      introducing-the-picnic-sneakernet
      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Introducing the Picnic Sneakernet

      In The Netherlands, Germany, and France, Picnic has built a backbone of electric vehicles driving from hubs to thousands of customers on a daily basis...
      Author avatar
      Matthieu CaneillFri Apr 01 2022
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      vendor-selection-from-tech-radar-to-tech-stack

      Vendor Selection: From Tech Radar to Tech Stack

      “Tech Radars: the best thing since sliced bread! ” Okay, that might be an over-exaggeration, but they are on the rise, and for a good reason.
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      Tyko KieskampTue Mar 22 2022
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      7 Antifragile Principles for a Successful Data Warehouse

      The best of two worlds — the structure and quality of a centralized data warehouse combined with the agility of antifragile practices Data Warehousing...
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      Iliana IankoulovaWed Mar 09 2022
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      ETags: Saving Bandwidth 1Kb at a Time

      At Picnic, we do our best to ensure that the information we provide to our customers is relevant and up to date. In order to do so, we provide most o...
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      Joao NogueiraThu Feb 24 2022
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      Tools

      Supporting Developers’ Growth With Salesforce Certifications

      Here at Picnic, we often say we’re more than a grocery delivery company. We like to let people know how we’re fundamentally a tech company — we shout...
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      Bhushan PuriTue Feb 08 2022
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      Getting People to Love Queues With Java, Python, and JavaScript

      Do you like standing in queues? I bet you don’t.
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      Anastasiia NykolaichukTue Jan 25 2022
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      Technology

      Picnic Analytics Platform: Migration from AWS Kinesis to Confluent Cloud

      Picnic is an online-only supermarket operating in 3 countries and providing the lowest price guarantee. We heavily rely on data-driven decisions to a...
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      Dima KalashnikovTue Jan 11 2022
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      Spreading Christmas Cheer at Picnic: Decorating Our Apps During the Holiday Season

      Work during the holiday season can be quite hectic. Many people are on vacation, and especially in companies like supermarkets, demand rises.
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      Simon BaarsThu Dec 23 2021
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      TechnologyMobileDesign

      M1 Pro MacBooks: Building a Tech Foundation

      On June 22, 2020, CEO Tim Cook announced Apple’s two-year transition plan to their own silicon in his WWDC keynote speech. This marked the 3rd time i...
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      Philip LeonardTue Dec 14 2021
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      Scaling Cyber Security Awareness

      As the reliance on digital infrastructure to provide collective resilience increases, it makes sense that the importance we place on cyber security sh...
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      Nuray AkdemirWed Dec 08 2021
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      Tech Radar on Event Streaming Platforms

      Making the right business and tech decisions isn’t an easy process in our ever-changing world. To accomplish this, it’s best to rely on facts and tru...
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      Dima KalashnikovWed Nov 24 2021
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      Picnic’s Service Coach: Building Data-Driven Tech to Enhance the Delivery Experience

      Picture the local milkman doing his rounds in days gone by: climbing out of his truck and walking up to your door with a broad smile on his face, lade...
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      Richard van der BylWed Nov 10 2021
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      Embracing Java 17: Here’s What We Learned

      Java 17? Count us in!
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      Sander MakTue Nov 02 2021
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      MobileDesign

      Using State Machines in Front-End Development

      Here at Picnic, we’re in the process of building our first automated warehouse. When you think of an automated warehouse, your first thought might be...
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      Danielle RichterWed Oct 27 2021
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      MobileDesign

      The Milkman Van of the 21st Century

      Picnic makes grocery delivery effortless for the customer, and even makes the whole process seem effortless. However, behind the scenes we have built...
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      Joris WoltersWed Jun 23 2021
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      TechnologyTools

      Picnic’s data archiving strategy in Salesforce

      Picnic is a data-driven company. We rely on it for forecasting, fulfilling deliveries, doing analyses to support decision making, and this list goes...
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      Gonçalo MoreiraSat Jun 05 2021
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      TechnologyMobileTools

      Quest to the OS: Java Native Memory

      As developers we want to spend most time on new features and improvements, providing value to our users or customers. However, all software inevitabl...
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      Geert KonijnendijkWed May 26 2021
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      TechnologyCulture

      Why you should make leaders of your team

      An operational environment is a challenging workplace. There are multiple daily deadlines, unexpected issues and the constant pressure of keeping ord...
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      Katherin SchuppenerTue May 25 2021
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      DevOpsOptimizationTools

      Scaling Business Intelligence with Python and Snowflake

      Three big migration projects brought Picnic’s self-service Business Intelligence to new heights — speeding up the development cycle with lightweight t...
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      Iliana IankoulovaTue May 18 2021
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      Culture

      Accelerating Developer Growth with the Picnic Tech Academy

      Continuous learning is at the heart of every tech company. At Picnic we recently launched our Tech Academy.
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      Phil WerliTue May 04 2021
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      ToolsCulture

      Becoming a multiplier: on our Java developer platform

      The Picnic backend tech stack is polyglot in nature, comprising mostly Java and Python. To support the majority of our developers we have two platfor...
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      Nathan KooijWed Apr 28 2021
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      Picnic Tech Radars

      Opinionated tech radars have been on the rise as of late. The Lindy effect postulates that the future life expectancy of non-perishable things like a...
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      Philip LeonardWed Apr 21 2021
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      TechnologyMobileDesignOptimizationCulture

      Building a Scalable Caching Platform

      The assortment of a grocery store app business is a dynamic thing. A team of category managers, striving to meet the needs of the customer, add and r...
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      Dylan GoldsboroughWed Apr 07 2021
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      MobileDesignTools

      How we built our Lakeless Data Warehouse

      Welcome to the third part in a series of five blog posts about Data Engineering at Picnic. It is inspired by Guy Raz’s awesome podcasts “How I Built...
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      Iliana IankoulovaWed Mar 31 2021
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      Fintech

      Payments @ Picnic

      This interview was co-authored together with paymentspaymentspayments. com About you Hello, I’m Jelmer Borst.
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      Jelmer BorstWed Mar 31 2021
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      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Building a distributed ETL pipeline for a monolithic data warehouse

      The Parkinson’s Law of Data states that Data expands to fill the space available for storage. Now, this poses serious challenges when...
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      Matthieu CaneillWed Mar 17 2021
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      MobileAPIsDesign

      Tracking events inside React(-Native) applications using HOCs

      Tracking user interactions inside of applications and web pages is of great importance for data-driven companies such as Picnic. Applying analytics t...
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      Elias el KhaldiWed Mar 17 2021
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      TechnologyOptimization

      Data vault: new weaponry in your data science toolkit

      Picnic is an online grocer, where we aim to bring grocery shopping and the traditional Milkman model into the 21st century. Easy and frictionless ord...
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      Bas VlamingWed Mar 17 2021
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      TechnologyAPIsCulture

      Leveraging domain sponsorship to organize product teams at scale

      Picnic is growing at a rapid pace in all of its departments. As a tech company with big aspirations for the future, the teams concerned with technolo...
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      Jakob LöhnertzThu Feb 25 2021
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      Quality

      Reinventing the QA process

      Adapting QA processes for the automated fulfillment In the near future Picnic will launch its first automated fulfillment center (AFC). With its l...
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      Julia ZarechnevaThu Feb 25 2021
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      TechnologyMobileDesign

      Code in Unix while using Windows

      You have probably wondered at some point why most developers choose Unix based operating systems such as Linux distributions or macOS over Windows. T...
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      Seleme TopuzThu Feb 25 2021
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      MobileDesignCulture

      Rebuilding the team spirit with Discord

      At Picnic, all of the teams working on technological components of our product can freely choose how they handle their internal communication. By thi...
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      Jakob LöhnertzThu Feb 25 2021
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      MobileDesign

      Brownfield React Native development at Picnic

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      Lucas TwiskFri Feb 05 2021
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      TechnologyCulture

      Remote onboarding at Picnic

      Picnic is the fastest growing online supermarket in the world. To enable this growth while giving our customers an unmatched experience, we have to t...
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      Willem EversThu Jan 28 2021
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      TechnologyDevOpsDesignOptimization

      It’s in our DNA: Solving logistics problems using Genetic Algorithms

      What do designing an aircraft wing, packing boxes into a container and making timetables have in common? They’re all optimization problems.
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      Geert KonijnendijkWed Dec 09 2020
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      MobileDesign

      Staying Ahead Of The Competition With Executable Specifications

      Any company wants to adapt quickly because of new or changed business ideas, or because of changes in the market. Only by adapting quickly, you can s...
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      Simeon van der SteenWed Dec 09 2020
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      Data Engineer’s Role in the Future of Groceries

      How Data Engineers collaborate with other roles at Picnic? What are some real business challenges solved by using the Data Warehouse?
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      Iliana IankoulovaWed Dec 09 2020
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      OptimizationTools

      Picnic’s Lakeless Data Warehouse

      At Picnic, we are proud of having a Data Warehouse (DWH), which covers all aspects of our business and is widely adopted in the organization. We achi...
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      Iliana IankoulovaWed Dec 09 2020
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      MobileAPIsCulture

      A Microservice Success Story

      Picnic “went microservices” a while ago. The migration happened around the same time the growth of the tech team started picking up, and the previ...
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      Ernir ÞorsteinssonWed Dec 09 2020
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      TechnologyMobileOptimization

      Data Science As a Product

      At Picnic, we see ourselves as tech’s answer to groceries. From the app-only store, 20-minute delivery windows, and just-in-time supply chain, the te...
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      Tad SlaffWed Dec 09 2020
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      picnic-plays-it-cool-a-data-driven-cold-chain-for-groceries
      Technology

      Picnic plays it cool: a data-driven cold chain for groceries

      Delivering fresh groceries to customers is a challenge, even more so in the summer months when ice cream needs to remain perfectly frozen and the outs...
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      Floris BoekemaWed Dec 09 2020
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      Optimization

      Computational Logistics at Picnic

      Logistics is the science of efficiently moving items from one place to another. This sounds simple at first, but it serves as the gateway to some of...
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      Regan KoopmansWed Dec 09 2020
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      MobileDesignQualityTools

      Behavior driven UI test automation with Selenium

      The Warehouse Management System (WMS) is the software system that runs nearly all operations in Picnic fulfillment and distribution centers, enabling...
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      Simeon van der SteenWed Dec 09 2020
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      Culture

      Perks post 2

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      LarsTue Dec 01 2020
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      Culture

      Perks post 1

      Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas mattis auctor ullamcorper.
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      LarsTue Dec 01 2020
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      DevOpsTools

      Monitoring and Observability at Picnic

      What does a typical 24 hours look like at Picnic? Customer demand is predicted, tens of thousands of trading units are ordered from suppliers, and de...
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      Philip LeonardTue Oct 27 2020
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      DevOps

      Scaling Picnic systems in Corona times

      As an online groceries company, Picnic saw an enormous increase in demand during the start of the Corona crisis. Our systems suddenly experienced tra...
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      Sander MakSun Sep 27 2020
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      programming-a-safer-drive

      Programming a Safer Drive

      Picnic is in the business of delivering groceries. To do this, we operate a fleet of hundreds of small electric trucks, whizzing across the streets o...
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      Ernir ÞorsteinssonMon Jan 27 2020
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      FintechQuality

      Cryptocurrency Incentivised Code Reviewing, Open Sourced.

      Some time ago Picnic published a blog post about our cryptocurrency powered code review leaderboard. The general goal is simple: achieve code review...
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      Philip LeonardMon Jan 27 2020
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      TechnologyMobileDesignTools

      Incident Management at Picnic

      Nearly everyone has experienced the struggle of making an appointment with a service technician. Once you have waited for a good 20 minutes, listenin...
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      Steven van de RidderMon Jan 27 2020
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      MobileDesign

      Localizing native apps made easy with Localicious!

      Today we are officially releasing Localicious, our tool to manage localization of the copy in our apps. For those of you that are not well-versed...
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      Lars LockefeerMon Jan 27 2020
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      TechnologyMobileDevOpsAPIsDesignTools

      Hitchhiker’s Guide to HashiCorp Vault in Kubernetes Part 1: System integration

      Nowadays, we get a lot of benefits from the dynamicity and scalability of cloud environments. This dynamic nature makes the task of keeping confident...
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      Anh ĐạtMon Jan 27 2020
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      MobileDesign

      (Consistent) App Analytics with Snowplow

      To build the best app for grocery shopping, we determined that a robust analytics platform is critical for collecting the data needed for decision sup...
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      Dimitar NedevMon Jan 27 2020
      image
      optimal-drop-times-using-machine-learning
      Technology

      Optimal drop times using machine learning

      Picnic delivers groceries to thousands of customers every day. In order to do so both efficiently and effectively, Picnic’s distribution system needs...
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      Tom SteenbergenMon Jan 27 2020
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      MobileTools

      Making the Best Warehouse Management System One Flow at a Time

      To support the processes in Picnic fulfillment centers, we developed our in-house Warehouse Management System. This system made it possible to o...
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      Csaba JuhászMon Jan 27 2020
      image
      picnic-%e2%9d%a4%ef%b8%8f-open-source-2020-update
      Technology

      Picnic ❤️ Open-source (2020 update)

      Picnic loves open-source software, both using it and giving back to the community. We’ve said that before and even wrote a blogpost about i...
      Author avatar
      Arturs DrozdovsMon Jan 27 2020
      image
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      Technology

      Bringing knowledge to the lunch table

      Gaining knowledge is an essential part of learning and growing. However, reading articles, books, and following the latest tech news can’t teach you...
      Author avatar
      Robert CarosiMon Jan 27 2020
      image
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      Design

      Company-wide Spring 5 migration head on

      We at Picnic have always been at the frontier of new and exciting technologies. One such technology we adopted is reactive programming.
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      Nathan KooijMon Jan 27 2020
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      leveraging-domain-sponsorship-to-organize-product-teams-at-scale
      TechnologyAPIsCulture

      Leveraging domain sponsorship to organize product teams at scale

      Picnic is growing at a rapid pace in all of its departments. As a tech company with big aspirations for the future, the teams concerned with technolo...
      Author avatar
      Jakob LöhnertzMon Jan 27 2020
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      DevOpsOptimizationTools

      Micrometer and the Modern Observability Stack

      In the Picnic backend landscape, our monitoring stack looks like this. New Relic is our APM provider for tracing and performance monitoring of our Ja...
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      Philip LeonardMon Jan 27 2020