Canadian food company Empire is expanding its partnership with a Montreal app dedicated to reducing food waste.
FoodHero announced Tuesday that the partnership significantly expands its reach into new regions, including Ontario, Atlantic Canada and Western Canada.
The company says in a press release that shoppers will have access to “significant discounts” on surplus food from more than 500 participating stores in those areas.
FoodHero emphasizes that its application connects merchants and consumers by offering discounts of 50% in English Canada and up to 60% in Quebec on certain products.
The app was launched in Quebec in 2019 and currently has 100,000 active customers at approximately 500 retailers in the province.
FoodHero says items available on the app include bakery, meat, prepared foods and dry goods.
Since the beginning of July, FoodHero has been gradually rolled out to stores across Canada, starting with participating Sobeys stores in Ontario on July 2.
On July 8, Sobeys and Foodland stores in Atlantic Canada joined the effort, and on Monday, Sobeys, Safeway, IGA West and Thrifty Foods in Western Canada followed suit.
FoodHero isn’t the only app looking to connect Canadian consumers with food that might otherwise go to waste, with Too Good To Go and Flashfood running their own operations.
Shoppers are increasingly turning to discount stores and looking for sales and promotions in an attempt to save money on their grocery bills after prices have increased by more than 20% in just a few years.