UK convenience retailer One Stop is rolling out a partnership with Sweden-based food technology company, Whywaste, to help it tackle food waste.
Having started a trial in four stores last year, the Tesco-owned retailer is now set to implement the Whywaste tech in all of its 1,000 shops.
The Whywaste technology allows retailers to combine precise product expiration data together with smart markdown recommendations, helping them to optimise the number of soon-to-expire products that are sold, and reducing the items which are wasted.
One Stop views the Whywaste tie up as a key part of its efforts to tackle food waste, supporting its ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions across its full value chain by 2050. In the four-store trial, One Stop reported an average of 14.3% waste reduction in fresh and ambient areas.
Richard Turton, head of supply chain at One Stop, commented: “We’re committed to reducing food waste and our environmental impact as much as we can, where we can.
“The Whywaste software will enable us to discount products which are close to their sell by date at fair prices, giving our customers another great way to save money when they visit our stores.”
Ben Holden, head of business development at Whywaste, remarked: “It is always wonderful to see that retailers are embracing the idea that sustainability is an important part of their business.
“In announcing this partnership with One Stop we are delighted that they have shown their continued commitment to reducing food waste and giving their customers the best offers, together with Whywaste.”
Whywaste also secured a partnership with Spar International, last year. The convenience chain is using the technology to tackle food waste across its operations, with stores embedding the supplier’s digital tools in their day-to-day work.
Tom Rose, head of international operations at Spar International, said at the time of the partnership: “Technology to support the green agenda is becoming a permanent fixture in retail, and Spar International is wholeheartedly behind this trend.”
[Image credit: One Stop/Whywaste]
