Giant Food provides mobile discounts on soon-to-expire items

A Washington, D.C., regional grocer is collaborating with a digital marketplace offering access to heavily discounted food nearing its best-by date.

Giant Food is piloting the Flashfood app at three select Maryland and Virginia stores. The pilot program continues the expansion of Flashfood's partnership with Giant's parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, and its regional store brands. In addition, retailers including Meijer and Hy-Vee have been using the Flashfood app to help reduce food waste. Meijer is expected to roll out Flashfood chainwide by the end of 2021.

The Flashfood app enables customers to browse deals on fresh items like meat, produce boxes, dairy and bakery items, as well as center-store foods and snacks that are nearing their best-by dates. Purchases are made directly through the app, and customers then pick their order up from the Flashfood zone located inside their participating Giant store.

Flashfood is currently available for shoppers at three Giant Food locations in Catonsville and Ellicott City, Maryland, as well as in Falls Church, Virginia.

Ahold Delhaize USA, parent company of regional grocery chains including Food Lion, The Giant Company, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop, as well as Giant Food, seeks to enable customers to make healthier choices, create greater product transparency, eliminate waste and take climate action, all in support of developing a more sustainable food supply chain. By 2025, Ahold Delhaize USA is committing to reduce food waste by 32%, and 50% by 2030. Ahold Delhaize USA will continue work toward zero waste by achieving 90% waste diversion.

[Read more: Ahold Delhaize sets ambitious sustainability, health goals]

Furthermore, Ahold Delhaize USA companies have also announced investment in artificial intelligence-based supply chain technologies that through enhanced forecasting capabilities will reduce waste by better predicting demand and supplying only the right amount of products to stores and e-commerce distribution points.

"Giant is committed to supporting our communities in making choices that are good for them as well as the environment and reducing food waste is a key part of that," said Steven Jennings, stakeholder relations and brand lead for health and sustainability supporting Giant Food. "We're excited to roll out this pilot program with Flashfood to offer our customers valuable savings on fresh foods, while also decreasing food waste and working toward our goal of achieving zero waste diversion by 2025."

"We're thrilled to further our work with Ahold Delhaize USA through this new pilot program with Giant Food," said Josh Domingues, founder and CEO, Flashfood. "Food waste is a massive contributor to climate change and about $37 billion worth of food is thrown out each year in the U.S. at the retail level. Sustainability-focused retail leaders like Ahold Delhaize USA and Giant Food are helping us work toward tackling this complex issue and in turn, bring more affordable fresh food options to shoppers."

Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 152 full-service pharmacies, 82 full-service PNC Banks, and 24 Starbucks locations.