By Lauren DeVol

SpartanNash

As part of its commitment to help customers save money and reduce in-store fresh food waste, SpartanNash is piloting a mobile app at five of its West Michigan Family Fare stores. The app was developed by Flashfood® and allows store guests and community nonprofits to purchase food nearing its best-by date at savings of up to 50 percent off. Eligible items include meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products.

The five participating Family Fare stores testing the Flashfood app are located at:

• 2245 84th St., SW in Byron Center
• 1415 E. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids
• 2755 Lake Michigan Drive, NW in Grand Rapids
• 1225 Leonard, NE in Grand Rapids
• 6127 Kalamazoo Ave., SE in Kentwood
  
  

Flashfood is a Toronto-based mobile app that operates in more than 440 grocery locations throughout Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin. The mobile app is free and available on iOS and Android.

After downloading the Flashfood app, customers can select a participating Family Fare store, choose the items they want to purchase and pay for them directly on the app, then pick up their items and confirm their order at the customer service counter. To make it even easier, the purchased food will be stored at the front of each participating Family Fare in refrigerators and on storage racks until the store guest picks them up.

“Customer convenience is key with the app – and so is our ability to reduce food waste while increasing access to lower cost fresh foods,” Director, Retail Consumer Innovation Matt Bennett said. “Our aisles are filled with a variety of perishable foods, and as we get near the best-by dates, we want to make sure customers know about the savings available to them. This app is a win-win for customers and the environment.”

The Flashfood app pilot is another way SpartanNash is fighting food waste and hunger in local communities. SpartanNash also partners with local food banks and food pantries throughout the company’s footprint, donating pantry staples and shelf-stable products as well as fresh dairy, meat and produce. In 2019, these efforts resulted in more than 5 million pounds of food donations, equivalent to more than 4 million meals to families. In addition to feeding families, SpartanNash also diverts food to area zoos, farmers and livestock producers, repurposing the diverted product into feed for animals.

“Reducing food waste and building stronger communities are both important parts of SpartanNash’s corporate responsibility commitment,” Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications Meredith Gremel said. “At SpartanNash, we are always looking for positive changes we can drive as we ‘take food places’ in more socially responsible, environmentally sustainable ways, and the Flashfood app is another way we can do that – all while benefitting our store guests and community partners.”