Users of Flashfood get notified of new deals on surplus food via their phones, usually within three days to a month of the best before date. Payment can be handled through the phone with same-day pick up at a specified Flashfood zone in the store. Customers then check out normally.
Flashfood launched in January with Farm Boy at their Beaverbook location in London, Ontario, which is still running. Farm Boy has plans to add more stores with Flashfood in the next few weeks in London.
According to Flashfood, annualized savings for its top shoppers is approximately C$5,000.
In their partnership with Flashfood, Farm Boy and Longo’s have diverted over 1,500 meals from landfill — the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions to driving more than 1,800 km.
“We want to fundamentally change the way grocery chains are viewing their surplus food. Right now, perfectly good food is being thrown out well before the best before date. We’re providing our partners a profitable, seamless way to reduce the amount of food they discard while also making food more affordable for our users” said founder and CEO of Flashfood, Josh Domingues in a statement.
Domingues went on to add, “We’re working on ways to assist organizations and individuals who are dealing with food insecurity, we haven’t found the perfect solution yet, but we’re happy to work with any organization to help get food to anyone in need. There's a solution and collectively we can get there.”
