After our Flashfood pilot test in our Detroit stores reduced in-store food waste by 10 percent in late 2019, we’re excited to roll it out to all our stores in 2021. COVID-19 caused delays in expanding the program to our stores across the Midwest in 2020, but we’re pleased to be on track to complete implementation of the food waste reduction program this year.
Flashfood is an app-based food waste reduction program. While also cutting down on in-store food waste, the initiative allows customers to purchase food nearing its sell-by date – like meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products – at up to 50 percent off on the Flashfood app, and then pick it up at Meijer stores.
"Minimizing in-store food waste is the right thing to do for our communities and our customers," said Don Sanderson, Group Vice President of Foods for Meijer.
To date, an estimated 240 Meijer supercenters have Flashfood.
Here's how it works:
- Our stores upload surplus close-dated foods to the Flashfood app where items are available for purchase at a deep discount.
- Customers go to the app, select a Meijer store, choose the items they want to purchase and pay for them directly on the app at up to 50 percent off.
- Then, they go in store to pick up their items from the Flashfood case and confirm their order with customer service. The purchased food is stored in a refrigerator or storage rack located in the front of the story until picked up by the customer.