The Save Mart Cos., which operates 194 stores under the banners of Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx, has become the first California grocer to partner with Flashfood, a free app that connects shoppers with fresh produce, meat and other groceries at up to 50% off, diverting food waste from landfills and offering deals on groceries at the same time, according to a news release.
The Flashfood app is now available at 44 Lucky stores in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and is poised to expand to all 194 of The Save Mart Cos.’ banner locations in California and western Nevada to fulfill customer demand, the release said.
Using the Flashfood app, shoppers can select a Lucky store location, choose discounted items to purchase, pay directly on the app and pick up the order in store.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to innovation and leadership in the industry,” Tamara Pattison, senior vice president and chief digital officer at The Save Mart Cos., said in the release. “Together, we’re tackling food waste so that the bounty of California’s farms ends up on the dinner table, not in a landfill.”
More than 11 million tons of food went to waste in 2022 in California alone — the equivalent of 19 billion meals, says Flashfood. The Toronto-based company says its mission is to reduce the amount of food sent to landfill, while also helping consumers stretch their dollar further on nutritious, high-quality food.
“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,” Flashfood CEO Nicholas Bertram said in the release. “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 Cos., a retailer that has served shoppers in California for more than 70 years and continues to support the communities they serve.”
Additionally, Electronic Benefit Transfer payment capabilities are built into the platform, benefiting the 4.6 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program customers in California — the most of any state in the U.S., the release said.
Flashfood says it’s committed to adding SNAP EBT as a payment option in all retail partners by the end of the year in partnership with payments company Forage.
To date, Flashfood says it has rerouted more than 90 million pounds of food from landfills while saving its shoppers more than $200 million on their groceries. Flashfood is a remote-first company currently partnered with more than 2,000 stores across North America.
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