Exclusive: Whole Foods expands Too Good To Go "surprise bags"
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Too Good To Go is expanding its partnership with Whole Foods Market, offering a wider variety of discounted food bags at all of the chain's stores, the company exclusively told Axios.
Why it matters: The goal is to stretch food budgets while reducing waste.
- Food waste makes up 30 to 40% of the U.S. food supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- That's 92 billion pounds of food — or 145 billion meals — wasted annually, per Feeding America.
Driving the news: Too Good To Go and Whole Foods Market are rolling out seven new "Surprise Bag" categories and expanding the program to all 530-plus stores nationwide.
- Shoppers can buy discounted groceries nearing their sell-by date, typically at about one-third of the retail price, through the Too Good To Go app.
State of play: Too Good To Go is active in all 50 states.
- Whole Foods launched on the platform in July 2024; major chains like Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven, Circle K and IKEA are also on the app.
Whole Foods surprise bags on Too Good To Go
Zoom in: Beginning Wednesday, Whole Foods will offer the following seven new "Surprise Bag" categories on the Too Good To Go app:
- Produce: mixed fruits and vegetables, $6.99 for a $21 retail value.
- Meat: premium cuts and proteins, $9.99 for a $30 value.
- Seafood: fresh or pre-packaged fish and shellfish, $9.99 for a $30 value.
- Dry grocery: pantry staples like pasta, grains or snacks, $6.99 for a $21 value.
- Frozen grocery: frozen meals and ingredients, $6.99 for a $21 value.
- Refrigerated grocery: dairy, deli and grab-and-go goods, $6.99 for a $21 value.
- Floral: bouquets and arrangements, $7.99 for a $24 value.
Of note: The number of bags per category depends on the surplus that day, so availability fluctuates.
Too Good To Go app
How it works: Users of the Too Good To Go app can search for stores and restaurants that are selling surprise bags filled with leftovers at the end of the day.
- They can reserve and pay for the surprise bags through the app; they will know the bag's category, but the exact contents are a surprise.
