Too Good To Go, Whole Foods expand deal for discounted ‘surprise’ bags of groceries
Too Good To Go and Whole Foods Market are expanding its efforts to lessen food waste and provide affordable meals as grocery prices continue to rise.
Too Goods To Go, which connects users of its app with stores and restaurants that have surplus food which are sold in “surprise bags,” is launching seven new bag categories with Whole Foods Market. The expansion builds on the success of the existing bakery and prepared foods surprise bags available at Whole Foods and puts the grocer closer to its goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
The new categories include produce, seafood, meat, dry goods, frozen foods, refrigerated foods and floral items. Whole Foods is launching the new bags at its more than 530 stores across the U.S.
The bags are priced from $6.99 to $9.99, with each one valued between $21 and $30, or roughly one-third of the full retail prices. Both the meat and seafood bags, for example, costs $9.99 (for a $30 value). To purchase a bag, customers reserve it from a nearby Whole Foods store, and are given a designated time to pick it up.
"We believe every effort to reduce food waste is an opportunity to make a difference as part of our purpose to nourish people and the planet," said Caitlin Leibert, VP of sustainability at Whole Foods Market. "Expanding our collaboration with Too Good To Go into even more departments is a simple yet powerful way to bring value to our customers and communities while helping build a more sustainable food future, one meal at a time."
Too Good To Go operates the world's largest marketplace for surplus food, with 120 million registered users and 180,000 active partners, across 20 countries in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Since its launch in 2016, the company said it has helped to save over 500 million meals from going to waste.
“Whole Foods Market has long been at the forefront of authenticity and sustainability in grocery retail," said Chris MacAulay, VP of operations for Too Good To Go North America. "With this expansion, they are helping keep their portfolio of high quality food in circulation through the Too Good To Go App. It's a powerful example of legacy leadership in action, especially as affordability and sustainability become increasingly central to how Americans shop."
Too Good To Go is just one component of Whole Foods’ comprehensive strategy to reduce food waste, which is grounded in three pillars: decrease, donate, divert. The company has a legacy in reducing food waste, from upcycling imperfect foods to donating items to food banks and rescue organizations.
