Costcutter pilots food waste app Too Good To Go  

Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) has announced a new partnership with food waste app Too Good To Go.

The symbol group has rolled out the app at 20 stores as part of an initial trial.

Too Good To Go said the on-boarding process for the app in the trial stores has been the fastest ever with a symbol group or independent retail business globally. The pilot was live in just 18 days across both the company-owned and independent retailer outlets after the launch in early September.

“It normally takes between four and six weeks to recruit a retailer with CSG’s business model, with a store estate made up largely of independent retailers. CSG’s enthusiasm meant that the entire process, including set-up and training staff, took just 18 days from initial conversation to the pilot going live,” commented Paschalis Loucaides, UK country manager of Too Good To Go.

Loucaide said one of CSG’s company-owned stores alone saved nearly 1,000 ‘magic bags’ of food in just two weeks. “This is astounding and underlines CSG’s dedication to making a change to tackle food waste.”

Too Good To Go enables food retailers and food to go outlets to reduce their food waste by helping them sell ‘Magic Bags’ of surplus fresh food and groceries on the day of expiry that would otherwise risk going to waste.

Shoppers can search for participating stores in the free app and place their order. They will be allotted a collection window to get their Magic Bag in store.

Costcutter said the trial stores have collectively saved over 1,000 meals already, equating to 2,575kg of CO2e, in the pilot’s first month. 321 magic bags of food were rescued from participating stores in the first week alone.

Sean Russell, CSG marketing director, said: “We recognise the role we have to play in helping our retailers reduce food waste in stores and Too Good To Go offers the perfect solution, distributing food in the most environmentally friendly way, feeding local communities at a considerably reduced price, and supporting  our stores to reduce their waste and the financial cost that goes with that.”

Nisa and SPAR operator James Hall & Co also have partnerships with the app.