Stop & Shop expands its efforts in New York to tackle food waste

Stop & Shop is expanding its efforts to tackle food waste in New York.

Through a partnership with digital marketplace Flashfood, which offers shoppers the opportunity to buy food that is heavily discounted and nearing its best-by date, Stop & Shop is increasing the program to include more than 60 of its New York stores, the grocery retailer announced on Monday.

The Ahold Delhaize USA banner rolled out Flashfood's marketplace across stores on Long Island, New York City, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley to further decrease food waste throughout the Northeast.

“Providing value and variety to our customers with a focus on reducing our carbon footprint is at the forefront of what we do,” said Tarik Stewart, regional vice president of operations for Stop & Shop, in a statement. “We’re proud to now offer the Flashfood marketplace to our New York customers to help offer sustainable shopping options with ways to also save significantly on groceries.”

Since its debut in 2021, the partnership has diverted nearly 233,280 pounds of food from landfills, Stop & Shop said.

Flashfood currently operates in 170 Stop & Shop stores in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The grocer said that, for the remainder of the year, it plans to make Flashfood available at more than 300 Stop & Shop locations across the Northeast.

“Our mission has always been to reduce food waste, while helping families eat healthy food at an affordable price,” said Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Flashfood, in a statement. “With one in 10 New York residents facing food insecurity, our expansion across over 60 Stop & Shop locations will be an incredible resource to New Yorkers, bringing more fresh options to dinner tables across the region.”

Quincy, Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop, Ahold Delhaize USA’s largest retail banner, operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.