UK Retailer Waitrose has announced that it plans to use Irish IT platform FoodCloud in all of its full-size stores by the end of 2018 after a successful trial.
FoodCloud is a food redistribution application that gives Waitrose and other supermarkets an online platform to tell participating charities about surplus food in stores.
The store uploads a description of the food using either a store scanner or the FoodCloud smartphone app. Any participating charities will receive a notification letting them know that food is available for collection. The charity will then accept the food and go to collect it.
Waitrose launched the trial last year in 25 stores. Since then, the retailer reports almost 70,000 meals have been donated to over 100 charities. Waitrose state that by the end of 2018 it will be used in 300 of its stores.
Mark Gifford, Director of Shop Trading, said, “This is a big step towards ensuring that all edible surplus food is consumed and doesn’t go to waste.
“Our shops across the country will be able to communicate better with local groups via FareShare Go. This, as well as our funding support, will help boost their support for vulnerable people.”
Waitrose is using the FoodCloud application to extend its participation in the FareShare Go Programme, and it joins other retailers like Tesco, Aldi and Lidl who also use the app to donate surplus food to various charities.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
