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Meijer aiming to reduce food waste with app rollout in all stores

Shoppers can use the app to buy food nearing its sell-by date for up to half-off original prices.
Credit: WTHR Photo/John Whalen
A sign is seen outside the Meijer location at 5349 Pike Plaza Rd. in Indianapolis on June 28, 2018. (WTHR Photo/John Whalen)

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Grocery chain Meijer announced on Tuesday its plans to expand an initiative to reduce food waste in all of its stores by the end of 2020.

The initiative allows shoppers to purchase food items nearing their sell-by date at discounted prices through an app called Flashfood.

Stores can upload meat, produce, seafood and other products nearing their sell-by dates and users can select them in the app, then pick them up from their nearest Meijer location for as much as 50 percent off the original price.

Meijer tested the program in three of its Michigan stores and reported a reduction in food waste by more than 10 percent. More than 1,000 users tried the initiative, according to a news release issued by Meijer.

"In just a few months, we diverted thousands of pounds of food from landfills," said Don Sanderson, Group Vice President of Fresh for Meijer. "Minimizing in-store food waste is the right thing to do for our communities and our customers. We're excited to expand upon these efforts and offer this opportunity to all our customers."

Meijer says it plans to expand the program to all 246 stores by the end of the year. Rollout will begin in late February.

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