Innovative Partnership to Tackle Food Waste
In an inspiring initiative that aims to curb food waste, Too Good To Go and Hanshow have formed a global partnership. Too Good To Go, known for operating the world’s largest surplus food marketplace, teams up with Hanshow, a recognized leader in IoT and digital store solutions. Their joint efforts focus on the integration of Too Good To Go’s surplus food management platform with Hanshow’s advanced electronic shelf label (ESL) technology.
Streamlining Surplus Food Management
This powerful combination is designed to add real value for grocery retailers. By effectively managing product expiry checks, this partnership stands to benefit food retailers significantly. Six test stores in a certain region have already adopted Hanshow's ESLs, which come with LED-flashing pick-to-light functionality, usually accompanied by the Too Good To Go platform. Together, they enable stores to efficiently manage excess inventory by ensuring easy tracking and redistribution of surplus food.
Efficiency and Sustainability at the Forefront
At the heart of this collaboration is a commitment to enhance operational efficiency while promoting sustainability. The Too Good To Go platform generates a list of nearly expired products, which is made available directly to store employees on their handheld PDAs. This method reduces the workload of checking nearly all items. Instead, employees now only need to check a mere 1-5% of products daily, which saves an impressive amount of time, estimated at up to one hour per employee each day.
Enhancing Accuracy in Product Management
Whenever employees utilize the product detail page on the Too Good To Go application to check expiration dates, the ESLs flash rapidly within two to three seconds. This feature simplifies the identification and location of products on store shelves. The result? A significant time-saver that also improves the accuracy of identifying items, enriches operational efficiency, enhances customer satisfaction, and of course, plays a vital role in reducing food waste.
Insights from the Pilot Program
The outcomes of the pilot program reveal compelling data about the impact of this partnership. According to insights gathered from retailers, food waste accounts for nearly 2% of total grocery sales, equating roughly to average profit margins. By integrating Too Good To Go’s platform with Hanshow’s ESLs, grocery stores can boost efficiency, profitability, and decrease food waste substantially.
The aim of this integration is not just to automate processes but to cut down the time spent locating products by at least 20%. Preliminary results from the test sites show a commendable 12% time-saving per product compared to other stores lacking this integration. One participating location even noted a remarkable 56% decrease in time spent tracking items down.
Voices from the Leadership
Mateo Rando, Chief Product Officer at Too Good To Go, emphasizes the transformative potential of this collaboration: "By combining the Too Good To Go platform with Hanshow’s cutting-edge technology, we empower grocery retailers to streamline surplus food management. This alliance not only saves time and resources but also plays a crucial role in combating food waste."
On the other side, Liangyan Li, SVP and Head of Global Sales at Hanshow, elaborates on their commitment: "Our partnership with Too Good To Go showcases Hanshow's dedication to advancing sustainability and operational efficiency within the retail sector. The integration of our ESL technology with the Too Good To Go platform exemplifies our vision of using digital advancements to provide significant benefits to retailers and the environment alike."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main goal of the partnership between Too Good To Go and Hanshow?
The primary objective is to reduce food waste by enhancing surplus food management in grocery stores through technology integration.
How does the Too Good To Go platform assist grocery stores?
It provides a shortlist of nearly-expired products that employees access via handheld PDAs, streamlining the checking process.
What improvements have been reported from the pilot program?
Participating stores have experienced time savings, with one location noting a 56% reduction in time spent locating items.
How do LED-flashing ESLs simplify the product-checking process?
The ESLs flash when items are checked, making it quicker and easier for employees to find the right products on shelves.
What impact does reducing food waste have on grocery retailers?
By decreasing food waste, retailers can improve their profitability, as food waste costs nearly 2% of their net sales, matching average profit margins.
