PROVIDENCE, R.I.– United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) (“UNFI”) announced today the expansion of its relationship with Too Good To Go, the innovative food waste reduction app and the largest business-to-consumer marketplace for surplus food. What began as a pilot program in UNFI’s Atlantic region has become one of the fastest growing solutions offered by UNFI Professional Services, with the number of retailers offering the program nearly doubling after the first year.
“A core value underpinning UNFI’s ESG priorities is our long-standing commitment to doing what’s right for people and the planet while working to assure a safe and nutritious food supply for everyone,” said Matt Whitney, UNFI’s Chief Growth Officer. “We embrace the opportunity to use our expertise, influence, and scale to be a force for positive change within the food system, and we strive to help retailers implement simple solutions that make a real, lasting impact.”
Too Good To Go uses technology to connect people with businesses that have surplus food so it can be enjoyed instead of wasted. When grocers have soon-to-expire or extra food, they bundle it into “surprise bags,” which are reserved by shoppers on the Too Good To Go mobile app. The shopper is then given a time window to pick up the bag in store. Consumers benefit by getting delicious food at greatly discounted prices, and businesses benefit by reaching a new customer base while recovering the cost of food that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.
“We are excited to work with UNFI to expand our ability to save more food by connecting our users with uneaten, extra products at independent retail stores. By working together, we can help ensure delicious food doesn’t go to waste. That’s a big win for people, businesses, and our planet,” said Tyler Simmons, Head of U.S. Key Accounts at Too Good To Go.
Currently available to UNFI retailers in select cities across the United States, including New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Portland, the expansion of Too Good To Go into additional cities in 2022 will help independent grocers take actionable steps to combat climate change and food insecurity. Green Zebra Grocery, a UNFI-supplied retailer in Portland, Ore. fills its surprise bags with prepared food items as well as breads, dairy products, and produce at the peak of freshness. Their mixed grocery bags offer $15 worth of food for only $4.99, and their shoppers love it. Ninety-nine percent of users have given their experience an average of 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting Green Zebra’s friendly staff, tremendous value, and large amount of food.
“Our customers love getting fresh, healthy food at drastically reduced pricing through the Too Good To Go program and we feel good about reducing food waste,” said Lisa Sedlar, founder and CEO of Green Zebra Grocery. “The more natural and organic food that gets consumed by our community members, the better!”
UNFI is on a mission to make the world a better place, not just for one–but for all. In 2020, the Company established goals to reduce food waste by 50 percent in its distribution centers by 2025 as well as eliminate all waste to landfills from distribution center operations by 2030. Now, the Company is focused on making even bigger strides by bringing food loss and waste reduction tools like Too Good To Go to its network of approximately 30,000 independent grocery retailers and their shoppers. More information about UNFI’s ESG initiatives can be found in its 2021 Better for All report.
UNFI Professional Services offers the most comprehensive suite of services for independent retailers in the market today. With over 150 customizable solutions, UNFI Professional Services helps independent grocery retailers succeed by saving them money and simplifying their operations. Services offered range from e-commerce solutions to pricing support and store remodels, helping retailers to keep pace with the changing landscape of grocery and stay focused on what matters most: their competition and their customers.
About United Natural Foods
UNFI is North America’s premier food wholesaler delivering the widest variety of products to customer locations throughout North America including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce retailers, and food service customers. By providing this deeper ‘full-store’ selection and compelling brands for every aisle, UNFI is uniquely positioned to deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers everywhere. Today, UNFI is the largest publicly traded grocery distributor in America. To learn more about how UNFI is Fueling the Future of Food, visit www.unfi.com.
About Too Good to Go
Too Good To Go is the certified B-Corp and tech-for-good company powering the world’s #1 marketplace for surplus food. The app connects consumers to extra food that would otherwise be thrown away from local restaurants, cafes, bakeries and grocery stores, such as pastries, fresh produce, sushi and more. Too Good To Go provides a simple way for food businesses to redirect their surplus, and consumers to help fight climate change in a fun, delicious way. Founded in 2016, Too Good To Go has saved over 133 million meals across 17 countries, which is the equivalent to 532 million pounds of food. Visit https://toogoodtogo.com/en-us for more information and follow Too Good To Go on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
