Loblaw Companies Limited is partnering with food waste reduction platform Too Good To Go to sell surplus prepared meals at discounted prices through participating grocery stores across Canada, offering customers food valued at about $24 for prices starting at $11.99.
The national collaboration, allows customers to use the Too Good To Go app to reserve Surprise Bags containing surplus, ready-to-eat food from participating Loblaw banner stores, including Real Canadian Superstore, Real Atlantic Superstore, Loblaws, Zehrs and stores in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The program is intended to provide another sales channel for prepared foods that might otherwise go unsold while giving customers access to discounted meals. It also supports Loblaw’s stated goal of sending zero food waste to landfill by 2030.
Jonathan Carroll, senior vice-president of Superstore Operations at Loblaw Companies Limited, said the initiative responds to customers seeking lower-cost food options while supporting the company’s sustainability objectives.
“Our customers are looking for practical ways to find value without compromising on quality,” said Carroll. “Working with Too Good To Go is another step towards our goal of sending zero food waste to landfill by 2030. By finding more ways to connect customers with quality surplus food, we’re keeping good food in people’s hands instead of letting it go to landfill.”
Surprise Bags available through app
Customers can access the program through the free Too Good To Go app, available for iOS and Android devices. The app allows users to identify participating stores, view available Surprise Bags, make a reservation and collect their purchases during a designated in-store pickup window.
The contents of the bags will vary depending on the surplus prepared meals and ready-to-eat products available at each location on a given day. Each bag is expected to contain approximately $24 worth of food, with prices starting at $11.99.
Customers must collect their purchases from the corresponding department at the participating store during the scheduled pickup period.
Chris MacAulay, vice-president of Operations for North America at Too Good To Go, said the partnership expands the company’s food rescue program through a national grocery retailer.
“When a grocer the size of Loblaw takes surplus food rescue nationwide, it changes what’s possible for reducing food waste in Canada,” said MacAulay. “Whether you’re grabbing dinner after a long day or feeding a family on a budget, more Canadians now have a Surprise Bag close to home and an easy way to get a good meal for less.”
The collaboration is available at participating Loblaw banner grocery stores across Canada, with Quebec and the Northwest Territories excluded from the rollout.
Loblaw’s sustainability strategy
The partnership adds to Loblaw’s efforts to address food waste through its grocery operations. The company’s stated objective is to divert all food waste from landfills by 2030.
Loblaw operates more than 2,800 locations and employs more than 220,000 full- and part-time workers through its corporate operations, franchisees and associate-owners.
The retailer operates more than 1,100 grocery stores across its various banners, spanning discount and specialty formats, as well as nearly 1,400 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix locations.
Too Good To Go connects consumers with food businesses to sell unsold food that might otherwise be wasted. The company says its platform has 120 million users and more than 200,000 active business partners in 21 countries across Europe and North America.
Since launching in 2015, the company says it has helped save more than 600 million meals, avoiding an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
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