Whole Foods adds "surprise bags" of discounted food
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Too Good To Go aims to reduce food waste and is now available at Whole Foods stores nationwide. Photo: Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go, an app that allows consumers to snag cheap eats and helps businesses reduce food waste, is expanding into Whole Foods stores nationwide.
Why it matters: Food waste in the U.S. accounts for 30 to 40% of the food supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- More than 92 billion pounds of food or 145 billion meals are wasted annually in the U.S., Feeding America estimates.
Driving the news: More than 450 Whole Foods Market stores are now offering "surprise bags" of surplus food on the Too Good To Go app.
- The partnership is expected to save millions of meals annually and bolster sustainability efforts, the companies said in a news release Wednesday.
Whole Foods surprise bags on Too Good To Go
The big picture: There are two different surprise bags at Whole Foods stores through Too Good To Go — a prepared food bag and a bakery bag.
- The $9.99 prepared foods bag has a retail value of $30 and may include soups, ready-to-eat meals and protein salads.
- The $6.99 bakery bag has a retail value of $21 and can contain various bakery items like breads, muffins and scones.
Yes, but: There are only four prepared foods bags and two bakery bags per store each day, Too Good To Go told Axios.
- Pickup windows to pick up the bags are usually the hour before stores close but can vary.
Too Good To Go expands to more states
State of play: Too Good To Go has "officially launched" in 27 cities including Washington D.C., Chicago, Miami, Denver, Minneapolis, Detroit and several Texas cities, such as San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Austin, the company told Axios.
- The app offers discounted food from both stores and restaurants.
- The Whole Foods partnership brings Too Good To Go into 24 new states.
How it works: People can download Too Good To Go and search for stores and restaurants that are selling surprise bags filled with leftovers at the end of the day.
- You reserve and pay for the surprise bags through the app where you will see the pickup window times.
- Discounts are usually two-thirds of regular prices.
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