Meijer to support SNAP benefits on Flashfood

In a move to make fresh food more accessible, Meijer has expanded its Flashfood program, making it the first retailer nationwide to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through the app that allows customers to purchase surplus close-dated food at a deep discount.

In partnership with Flashfood, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer is now accepting the payment capability at all its Midwest supercenters and Meijer Grocery stores, which allows customers with SNAP benefits to pay for their Flashfood orders using an Electronic Benefits Transfer card in the Flashfood app.

"As a company committed to enriching lives in the communities we serve, we're pleased to be the first retailer to expand our Flashfood program in this way," Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a news release. "Feeding people has always been at the heart of what we do, and this is another way Meijer is working to provide extra value to those customers who need it most."

Meijer initially launched Flashfood as a sustainability program focused on minimizing food waste in November 2019 at a handful of its supercenters in metro Detroit. The service is now offered at all Meijer supercenters and Meijer Grocery stores and is used by more than 500,000 shoppers, according to the release. Meijer customers can now use their SNAP benefits on their Flashfood orders; they simply need to add their EBT cards as a payment method in the app.

While also cutting down on in-store food waste, Flashfood allows customers to purchase food nearing its sell-by date — like meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products — at up to 50% off on the Flashfood app, and then pick them up from a designated refrigerator or storage rack located at the front of Meijer stores. To date, Meijer customers have diverted nearly 5.6 million pounds of food nearing its sell-by date at a discount and preventing it from potentially entering landfills, the release said.

"We want to make healthy, high-quality groceries an affordable reality for every American family and adding SNAP benefits to Flashfood gets us one step closer to that vision," Flashfood Founder and CEO Josh Domingues said in the release. "We're incredibly grateful to Meijer for being our first partner to expand access to Flashfood with SNAP EBT, and for their industry-leading commitment to reducing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food."

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SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of families in need through an EBT card, an electronic system that allows a participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits. When a participant shops at a SNAP authorized retail store, their SNAP EBT account is debited to reimburse the store for food that was purchased.

Applying EBT benefits to Flashfood purchases marks the latest initiative in the retailer's ongoing commitment to providing value for families in need, the company says. Last month, Meijer announced discounts on qualifying produce for SNAP customers, made possible by a USDA waiver. In April, the retailer extended SNAP benefits to Meijer pickup and home delivery shopping services.

Meijer operates 501 supercenters, neighborhood markets, Meijer Grocery and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Flashfood is an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date. The mobile app operates in over 1,600 grocery locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. To date, Flashfood says it has diverted over 65 million pounds of food.

Flashfood is currently working with Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, The Giant Co., Loblaw, Martin's Markets, VG's, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren's Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop. Flashfood is a free app available on iOS and Android.