Meijer Customers Divert 1M Pounds of Food Waste Through Flashfood

Meijer announced that its customers have diverted more than 1 million pounds of potential food waste through its partnership with Flashfood, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer said May 5.

Flashfood is a Canadian-based company that allows retailers to upload surplus close-dated grocery items to an app that customers can then purchase directly on the app. Then, they can go to the store to pick up their items and confirm their order with customer service.

Meijer launched Flashfood in 2019 as a pilot program at several of its supercenters in the Detroit metro area. After reducing in-store food waste by 10%, Meijer expanded the offering to all its stores in 2021. Meijer said to date, an estimated 255 Meijer supercenters have Flashfood.

"We're pleased to see that customers are taking advantage of the Flashfood program," said Todd Weer, SVP of stores for Meijer. "Making sure that good food doesn't go to waste at Meijer is the right thing to do for our communities and our customers."

Using the Flashfood app, shoppers can save on fresh items such as meat, produce, dairy and bakery, as well as nonperishable foods and snacks that are nearing their best-by dates.

“Minimizing food waste is a priority for us at Meijer, and we're constantly looking for ways to cut down on landfill use and the production of greenhouse gases,” said Erik Petrovskis, director of environmental compliance and sustainability for Meijer. "Flashfood has been an exciting addition to our stores, and I'm happy to see that the program is so effective in benefiting not just the environment but also our customers."

Looking to expand its sustainability initiatives further, Meijer will host its first Sustainability Supplier Summit next month. Meijer said the event, which will be held virtually June 20-23, gives vendors nationwide the opportunity to showcase their sustainable products—ranging from food to pets to home goods—for Meijer merchants to consider offering on shelves.