Supermarket chain Iceland Foods is offering mystery bundles of food for £2 via the anti-food waste app Olio.
In an effort to reduce waste, the retailer is using Olio’s ‘Lucky Dip’ feature that allows consumers to purchase reduced to clear items for around 75% off their typical value. It’s the extension of a seven-store trial that has proved successful already, and is viewed as a way of helping consumers get a good deal while also supporting the retailer’s environmental goals.
Some 14 stores are currently involved in the Lucky Dip initiative. Iceland Foods said its store staff can manage customer orders in the same system they already use for arranging Olio donations to local communities.
Indeed, Olio is first and foremost set up to help people collect would-be waste food to distribute to communities in need. Iceland began its Olio journey in 2022.
The environmental impact of this collaboration between Iceland Foods and Olio has been significant, according to a joint statement from the businesses, with seven million meals prevented from going to waste. Since the platform launched with Iceland, Olio has reportedly seen 33,928 volunteers rescue surplus food 1,013 stores which has helped to share 9.5 million food items with communities across the UK.
Stuart Lendrum, Iceland Foods director of product, process & sustainability, said: “As a part of our ‘Doing It Right’ philosophy, we’re committed to reducing food waste while supporting our customers and communities.
“The expansion of our partnership with Olio through the Lucky Dip scheme is a great example of how we can combine innovation and sustainability to make a real difference, ensuring good food is never wasted.”
Saasha Celestial-One, chief operating officer & co-founder at Olio, added: “We’ve loved developing another way for retailers to fight food waste through Olio, streamlining discounting and surplus redistribution into one simple system, and taking the operational burden off store colleagues.”
[image credit: Iceland Foods/Olio]
