Revolutionizing Retail: Too Good To Go unveils AI is to tackle food waste in supermarkets

DENMARK – The innovative company Too Good To Go has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to facilitate supermarkets in verifying the expiration dates of food products, thereby curbing the prevalence of expired items on store shelves.

This digitalized process is positioned as a proactive measure to mitigate the pervasive issue of food waste.

Recent studies have underscored that despite being a widely acknowledged concern within the Food and Beverage (F&B) sector, food waste remains inadequately addressed, giving rise to significant ethical, ecological, and economic challenges.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has flagged that almost one-third of food, still suitable for human consumption, is discarded globally.

Too Good To Go Platform’s algorithms play a pivotal role by generating and presenting a “near-expiry product shortlist” for store personnel.

This dynamic list is organized by shelf location on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Depending on the product’s shelf life, the data may be updated on a daily or weekly basis.

Consequently, manual checks are drastically reduced to a mere 1-7% of all products, resulting in substantial time savings of up to one hour per employee per day. This not only streamlines operational efficiency but also diminishes the likelihood of human errors.

The company has collaborated with prominent supermarket chains, including Carrefour, Auchan, SPAR, ALDI, and Coop, among others.

Mette Lykke, CEO of Too Good To Go, asserts that this collaboration aids these supermarkets in not only generating revenue but also increasing footfall through the efficient management of surplus food.

The AI-powered processes of Too Good To Go Platform extend beyond waste reduction by optimizing discount levels and implementing granular discount rates at a stock-keeping unit (SKU) level.

This meticulous approach systematically enhances revenue from close-to-expiry discounted products.

Geertje Zeegers, Country Director at Too Good To Go Belgium & The Netherlands, elucidates that the integration with a mobile printer facilitates the instant creation of discount stickers, featuring product details, new prices, discounted amounts, and a new barcode for seamless checkout.

The surplus food items, duly discounted, can be allocated to “Too Good To Go Surprise Bags,” which are then uploaded onto the marketplace for consumers.

Testing its new tool with French retail chain Monoprix across 250 locations, Too Good To Go observed successful outcomes.

The conventional challenges associated with discounting, such as fixed rates and potential revenue loss due to expiration date-related actions, were effectively addressed.

Highlighting the global concern of consumers misunderstanding date labels, Zeegers emphasizes Too Good To Go’s advocacy for trusting one’s senses.

The company encourages consumers to adopt a three-step approach – look, smell, and taste – to ascertain the edibility of products beyond their ‘Best Before’ dates.

In an effort to reduce household food waste, Too Good To Go has collaborated with major consumer goods companies, including Unilever, Danone, Carrefour, Nestle, and Bel Group, to incorporate a bespoke ‘Look-Smell-Taste’ label on their ‘Best Before’ product packaging.

Food waste holds global ramifications, contributing to approximately 8%-10% of greenhouse gas emissions, with the United Nations estimating that around 30% of food produced for consumption is wasted.

Beyond environmental concerns, food waste significantly impacts supermarket revenue, as damaged food costs supermarkets an average of 1.6% of net sales, according to the European Retail Institute.

In the pursuit of sustainable practices, some supermarkets are taking proactive measures. For instance, Lidl has eliminated “Use By” dates on key dairy products’ packaging to prevent the unnecessary disposal of edible food.

Sainsbury’s is also transitioning from “Use By” to “Best Before” dates on its own-brand milk range. Additionally, Asda in the UK has removed “best before” dates from nearly 250 packaged fresh fruit and vegetable products based on research indicating that the average family discards £60 (US$69) worth of food and drink each month.

These initiatives underscore the industry’s commitment to combating food waste and fostering a more sustainable future.

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