With fresh food prices at British supermarkets in early December 2022 a reported 15 per cent higher than the previous year, * food waste app, Gander, has experienced a surge in downloads and usage in store. The world first app is helping families across the UK and Ireland to save money by providing real-time information on reduced food items in local stores.

One Gander user remarked: “This app has completely revolutionised shopping for my family and I – great, reduced food and no wasted trips.”

Over the last four years, Gander has been urging retailers to tackle food waste and transform both the food chain and their bottom line by adopting its technology. However, as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and disposable incomes decrease, Gander recognises its potential to look beyond food waste prevention to support struggling families to maximise their shopping budget.

13.8 per cent of households surveyed experienced food insecurity in April 2022, with 4.6 per cent going an entire day without eating. **

Stacey Williams, Head of Customer Engagement and Business Development at Gander, says:

“Last year, we saw an increase in Gander users as food prices soared. Our service allows customers to purchase reduced food locally and save an average of 56 per cent on their weekly food bill. 

He continues, “The food that has been going to waste is reduced in price, not quality. Consumers often miss significant savings as these yellow-labelled foods are not always clearly marked or positioned in store.

“Gander has proven incredibly effective and our roll out across the UK and Ireland has benefited consumers and retailers alike, helping to mitigate the negative impact of the food chain on the environment.

“The technology is an effortless way to improve retailers’ bottom lines and puts the power back into the consumer’s hands.  It allows the consumer to manage their shopping budget and achieve significant savings by making real time decisions.”

Gander’s live feed shows thousands of marked down products and allows customers to filter by dietary requirements and preference.

Partnered retailers can track the life of a reduction from beginning to end, while receiving granular analytics on specific products and categories to better understand their pricing and shrinkage policies.

 “Value own brand ranges are in high demand and the technology is there for all retailers to offer their markdowns to a much wider audience.” concludes Stacey.

“We are passionate about averting food waste and about supporting households during these times of increasing food poverty. Last year, we developed a charity redistribution function that allows retailers to donate any unsold products to a local charity or food bank.”

To find out more about Gander, go to: https://www.gander.co