Giant Food, Flashfood Partner to Reduce Food Waste

Giant Food, Ahold Delhaize USA's Landover, Md.-based banner, is launching a pilot program meant to help customers buy food that's nearing its best-buy date online at a deep discount.

Giant Food shoppers at three stores in Maryland and Virginia will be able to purchase the discounted perishables and nonperishables through app-based online platform Flashfood, which also has partnerships in place with the likes of Meijer, Price Rite, and Stop & Shop as well as fellow Ahold banner The Giant Co., based in Pennsylvania. 

Through the Flashfood app, online shoppers can buy meat, dairy items, produce boxes, bakery goods and center-store foods from their participating Giant Food location for pickup in designated Flashfood cases inside the store. "Giant is committed to supporting our communities in making choices that are good for them as well as the environment, and reducing food waste is a key part of that," said Steven Jennings, brand lead for health and sustainability for Giant Food, in a news release. The collaboration with Flashfood, he said, will support Giant Food in its work toward a goal of Zero Waste Diversion by 2025.

"Food waste is a massive contributor to climate change and about $37 billion worth of food is thrown out each year in the U.S. at the retail level1," added Flashfood founder and CEO Josh Domingues. "Sustainability-focused retail leaders like Ahold Delhaize USA and Giant Food are helping us work toward tackling this complex issue and, in turn, bring more affordable fresh food options to shoppers."

The three initial Giant Food locations to roll out Flashfood availability are: