Bridging the Gap Between Food Waste and Accessibility – GWC Mag

Flashfood, renowned for delivering the best deals through its grocery app, announces a new partnership with The Save Mart Companies, a leading California-based grocery chain operating an extensive network of stores throughout California and Western Nevada, including Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx.

Flashfood’s Expanding Network

This new partnership builds on Flashfood’s success across North America and its existing network of more than 2,000 stores throughout Canada and the United States. The Flashfood mobile app allows stores to reduce food waste by offering consumers discounted food items nearing their best-by date, merging technology with sustainability to address critical food waste issues and accessibility.

The Flashfood app is now available at 44 Lucky stores in the San Francisco Bay Area and will soon extend to all 194 stores under The Save Mart Companies’ banners, including Save Mart and FoodMaxx. This expansion meets the increasing demand for sustainable and affordable grocery options. Through Flashfood, consumers can effortlessly purchase high-quality, discounted groceries, directly contributing to food waste reduction while receiving steep discounts. App users pick a store location, review and select the discounted products they wish to purchase, pay within the app, and schedule a pick-up from the store.

Addressing the Food Waste Crisis Head-On

California alone witnessed over 11 million tons of food waste in 2022, a stark contrast to the potential 19 billion meals this could have provided (ReFED). Flashfood addresses this gap by offering consumers nutritious yet affordable food options, thereby reducing landfill contributions. Significantly, the app integrates EBT payment capabilities, supporting over 4.6 million SNAP beneficiaries in California, the highest in the U.S., with plans to extend SNAP EBT payment options across all partner retailers by year-end.

A Unified Vision for Sustainability and Well-being

Nicholas Bertram, CEO of Flashfood, emphasized the synergy between technology and societal well-being, stating, “No one wants to live in a world where food goes to waste, while at the same time, families are forced to live with less. The Bay Area has long been a place where technology is used to solve humanity’s problems, which is why Flashfood desires to be part of this community. We’re proud to partner with The Save Mart Companies, a retailer that has served shoppers in California for more than 70 years and continues to support the communities they serve.”

The Save Mart Companies echoes this commitment. Tamara Pattison, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, highlighted the partnership’s dual focus on sustainability and customer value, saying, “Together, we’re tackling food waste so that the bounty of California’s farms ends up on the dinner table, not in a landfill.”