Grocery app helps users save money and the planet

Billions of pounds of food end up in landfills each year in North America but one company is helping decrease that number while helping shoppers save money.

Flashfood is an app that lets shoppers browse local grocery stores for food that is about to expire, and purchase it at a heavily discounted price.

Shoppers like Lisa Vandepol.

“It was like 18 chicken thighs I got for 8 dollars,” says Vandepol. “Ground beef, I’m getting for 4 bucks.”

She’s not only saving money, she’s saving food from being wasted.

“And you have to do it fast,” says Vandepol, “because there are so many other users like me on there who want to snap up those deals.”

There are new deals every day on all types of food. Pay for the items right on the app, and then pick up in store at the Flashfood counter.

“The savings alone are amazing,” says Vandepol. “I have single income, I live by myself. And with gas prices, car insurance and all that, any savings is good savings.”

The company has partnered with Loblaw Corporation in Canada and is now in more than 700 stores across the country.

“Our average user can save anywhere between 100 to 200 dollars per month,” says Eric Tribe, Flashfood Chief Marketplace Officer. “Food waste is a massive problem; 30 to 40 per cent of all food produced today ends up in a landfill. And it’s such a shame when you think, this is perfectly good food that’s not going to be used, and people aren’t enjoying.”

So far, they say they have kept 30 million pounds of food from being wasted over the last five years.

“Knowing that you’re doing something good, you’re saving stores from wasting food,” says Vandepol. “There’s so many people that can’t afford certain foods, and Flashfood gives those people the ability, and the availability to get them themselves.”

Tribe adds, “Flashfood is really a triple win. It’s great for the planet in reducing food waste; it’s great for Canadian families, helping them save money, especially at a time when food prices are rising; and it’s great for our grocers as well.”

Flashfood is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.