Tops Pilots Flashfood at 6 Stores
This month, Tops Markets LLC will begin piloting an interactive in-store food waste program at six of its stores in New York state, allowing customers to buy food nearing its sell-by dates at significant discounts. Such items as produce, meat, deli, bakery and dairy can be listed at up to 50% off on the Flashfood mobile app, and then made available for pickup at one of the six locations.
Under the program, Tops will post flash sales of its surplus food items on the app, which is available on Google Play or at the Apple Store. Shoppers can search for and purchase food directly on the app, and then collect the items at the designated Flashfood area at the store.
“At Tops, social responsibility and sustainability have always been at the core of our mission, upholding standards that ensure we reduce environmental waste and energy consumption while providing customers with sustainably sourced, high-quality products at a great value,” said Jeff Culhane, Tops’ SVP of sales and merchandising. “The Flashfood program fits right into our business model, and we’re excited to bring this unique money-saving opportunity to our customers.”
“Adding Tops to our portfolio of innovative grocer partners is a huge step as Flashfood continues to scale across America,” noted Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Toronto-based Flashfood. “The effort and willingness to provide shoppers with a great digital experience has been really evident working with Tops. Reducing food waste while affordably feeding shoppers is at the core of our mission, and we intend to drive great results through this initial pilot.”
The pilot program will offered at Tops stores in West Seneca, Amherst (two locations), Cheektowaga, Buffalo and Alden, New York.
“We are always working on ways to leverage technology to create a better shopping experience for our customers,” observed Ed Rick, director, consumer marketing and digital for Tops. “Partnering with Flashfood is a win for our shoppers and a win for the environment.”
Flashfood is available in more than 450 grocery locations in North America, including Loblaws, Meijer, Hy-Vee, SpartanNash and The Giant Co.
Williamsville, New York-based Tops operates 157 supermarkets, with five additional franchise stores, and employs 14,500 associates in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western Vermont. The company is No. 63 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
