Giant teams up with Flashfood to reduce food waste

Giant Company supermarkets in the Reading area have collaborated with Flashfood, an app which aims to increase profits and reduce food waste.

The app has set up “Flashfood Zones” in Giant stores,which are full of foods nearing their sell-by date and at discounts up to 50%. These foods, which would normally be unceremoniously thrown out, now have one last chance of purchase. The app shows users meat, dairy, produce and baked goods that are available at a discount.

“Thanks to our partnership with Giant,” said Flashfood’s Chief Marketplace Officer Eric Tribe, “we’ve been able to divert over 650,000 pounds from landfill by getting it to the hands of shoppers while it’s still fresh.”

Toronto-based Flashfood has 23,000 active users in Pennsylvania. Tribe describes users being “converted” to the app and considering it a “game-changer.”

Customers use the app to shop for the discounted food items at a local store, then pay with a credit or debit card. They then go to the store and pick up their order in the Flashfood Zone cooler.

“All of a sudden, they’re able to invest in other areas of their lives,” Tribe said, “like their kids’ activities, or better manage their health conditions, because Flashfood cuts their grocery bills in half and gives them access to more fresh food.”

In an era where more and more businesses are embracing sustainability and conservation, the partnership is a savvy business move. According to a 2020 survey by IBM and the National Retail Federation, 70% of American and Canadian consumers believe that it is important for a brand to be sustainable. And 69% are willing to pay higher prices for a brand they know is sustainable.

According to the Flashfood website, CEO Josh Domingues was inspired to start the company after a chef friend complained during a telephone call about having to throw out $4,000 worth of food.

“Sustainability leaders like the Giant Company are tackling this problem with a number of strategies,”  Tribe said. “Flashfood is just another tool in the toolbox.”

“Flashfood is an important part of our efforts to help increase access to fresh foods, while also helping to divert more food waste away from landfills,” Giant spokeswoman Ashley Flower said in a statement. “Our introduction of the Flashfood program in Reading is well underway, and we’re seeing traction with new customers coming in each week.”

Representatives of Giant visited Flashfood’s home country of Canada to see the app at work in grocery stores. Impressed by what they saw, they tested out a Flashfood pilot program at four Lancaster County locations in 2020. When those were successful, Giant decided to put Flashfood zones in all of its stores, including the six locations in Berks County.

“The Giant Company is a major leader in sustainability and a great partner,” Tribe said. “They’re always looking for ways to provide value to their customers and to the communities they operate in, which is why Flashfood is such a great fit.”

Source: Berkshire mont