GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In an ongoing effort to make fresh food more accessible, Meijer announced today an expansion of its Flashfood program, making it the first retailer nationwide to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the app that allows customers to purchase surplus close-dated food at a deep discount.
In partnership with Flashfood, Meijer is now accepting the payment capability at all its Midwest supercenters and Meijer Grocery stores, which allows customers with SNAP benefits to pay for their Flashfood orders using an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card in the Flashfood app.
“As a company committed to enriching lives in the communities we serve, we’re pleased to be the first retailer to expand our Flashfood program in this way,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. “Feeding people has always been at the heart of what we do, and this is another way Meijer is working to provide extra value to those customers who need it most.”
Meijer initially launched Flashfood as a sustainability program focused on minimizing food waste in November 2019 at a handful of its supercenters in Metro Detroit. The service is now offered at all Meijer supercenters and Meijer Grocery stores and is used by more than 500,000 shoppers. Meijer customers can now use their SNAP benefits on their Flashfood orders; they simply need to add their EBT cards as a payment method in the app.
While also cutting down on in-store food waste, Flashfood allows customers to purchase food nearing its sell-by date – like meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products – at up to 50 percent off on the Flashfood app, and then pick them up from a designated refrigerator or storage rack located at the front of Meijer stores. To date, Meijer customers have diverted nearly 5.6 million pounds of food nearing its sell-by date at a discount and preventing it from potentially entering landfills.
“We want to make healthy, high-quality groceries an affordable reality for every American family and adding SNAP benefits to Flashfood gets us one step closer to that vision,” said Flashfood Founder & CEO, Josh Domingues. “We’re incredibly grateful to Meijer for being our first partner to expand access to Flashfood with SNAP EBT, and for their industry-leading commitment to reducing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food.”
SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of families in need through an EBT card, an electronic system that allows a participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits. When a participant shops at a SNAP authorized retail store, their SNAP EBT account is debited to reimburse the store for food that was purchased.
Applying EBT benefits to Flashfood purchases marks the latest initiative in the retailer’s ongoing commitment to providing value for families in need. Last month, Meijer announced discounts on qualifying produce for SNAP customers, thanks to a USDA waiver. In April, the retailer extended SNAP benefits to Meijer pickup and home delivery shopping services.
About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 501 supercenters, neighborhood markets, Meijer Grocery and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @Meijer and @MeijerPR or become a fan on Facebook.
About Flashfood: Flashfood is an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date. The mobile app operates in over 1,600 grocery locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Shoppers can buy items from grocery retailers through the Flashfood app and pick them up in-store at great prices while collectively reducing food waste. To date, Flashfood has diverted over 65 million pounds of food, saved shoppers over $170 million and more affordably fed hundreds of thousands of families. Flashfood is currently working with Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, The GIANT Company, Loblaw, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren’s Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop. Flashfood is a free app available on iOS and Android. For more information, please visit www.flashfood.com.
