At SPAR, packages worth approximately $17 are offered for about $6.
Thrifty consumers will have a better way to scrounge for produce markdowns – and reduce food waste – with a little help from handheld devices.
A handful of retailers in Europe and here in the U.S. are turning to new technologies for unsold produce.
Morrisons in the United Kingdom and SPAR in Switzerland have launched new partnerships with the Too Good To Go app, which retailers use to offer close-date fresh produce at a discount. Consumers browse availability on the app, make their purchase, and pick up in-store.
The app, developed in Denmark, is now available in 55 SPAR stores and a total of 1,700 companies across Switzerland. At SPAR, packages worth approximately $17 are offered for about $6, according to a news release.
At Morrisons, the program offers goods beyond their “best before” date for about 1/3 of the original retail price. The company trialed the program in select stores before rolling it out nationwide, to nearly 500 stores, in late November.
With Too Good To Go, produce is offered pre-packed, which means customers do not know the contents until they’re picked up, according to an article in The Independent.
In 2020, Morrisons stores expect to sell more than 350,000 units of the “Magic Boxes.”
Here in the U.S., Grand Rapids, MI-based Meijer BB #:104887 has a different slant on a similar approach. The company is testing Flashfood, an app that offers food near its best-buy date at a discount.
The app, developed in Canada, allows customers to choose from foods available for purchase by going to the app, selecting a specific store, and browsing items before purchase. Then, they go to the store and pick up items from a designated refrigerated space and confirm with customer service.
“Food is at the core of what we do, and we are constantly looking at ways to minimize in-store waste because it’s the right thing to do for our communities and our customers,” said Don Sanderson, Group Vice President of Fresh for Meijer, in a news release. “We are excited to work with Flashfood and learn how much food can be spared from landfills.”
Meijer is testing the app at four stores: Brighton, Waterford, Commerce and Howell, MI.
Thrifty consumers will have a better way to scrounge for produce markdowns – and reduce food waste – with a little help from handheld devices.
A handful of retailers in Europe and here in the U.S. are turning to new technologies for unsold produce.
Morrisons in the United Kingdom and SPAR in Switzerland have launched new partnerships with the Too Good To Go app, which retailers use to offer close-date fresh produce at a discount. Consumers browse availability on the app, make their purchase, and pick up in-store.
The app, developed in Denmark, is now available in 55 SPAR stores and a total of 1,700 companies across Switzerland. At SPAR, packages worth approximately $17 are offered for about $6, according to a news release.
At Morrisons, the program offers goods beyond their “best before” date for about 1/3 of the original retail price. The company trialed the program in select stores before rolling it out nationwide, to nearly 500 stores, in late November.
With Too Good To Go, produce is offered pre-packed, which means customers do not know the contents until they’re picked up, according to an article in The Independent.
In 2020, Morrisons stores expect to sell more than 350,000 units of the “Magic Boxes.”
Here in the U.S., Grand Rapids, MI-based Meijer BB #:104887 has a different slant on a similar approach. The company is testing Flashfood, an app that offers food near its best-buy date at a discount.
The app, developed in Canada, allows customers to choose from foods available for purchase by going to the app, selecting a specific store, and browsing items before purchase. Then, they go to the store and pick up items from a designated refrigerated space and confirm with customer service.
“Food is at the core of what we do, and we are constantly looking at ways to minimize in-store waste because it’s the right thing to do for our communities and our customers,” said Don Sanderson, Group Vice President of Fresh for Meijer, in a news release. “We are excited to work with Flashfood and learn how much food can be spared from landfills.”
Meijer is testing the app at four stores: Brighton, Waterford, Commerce and Howell, MI.
Pamela Riemenschneider is the Retail Editor for Blue Book Services.
