Surplus food marketplace Too Good To Go has announced a global partnership with Hanshow, a global leader in IoT and digital store solutions, to help reduce food waste.
The Integration of Too Good To Go’s end-to-end surplus food management solution and Hanshow’s advanced electronic shelf label (ESL) solution is poised to create real value for food retailers by streamlining the product expiry date check process.
Six test stores in France have implemented Hanshow’s ESLs equipped with LED-flashing pick-to-light functionality along with Too Good To Go Platform to unlock value from excess inventory by seamlessly tracking and redistributing surplus.
Too Good To Go Platform generates a near-expiry product shortlist for store employees, and presents it directly on their handheld PDAs. Instead of having to check 100 per cent of items, only 1-5 per cent of all the products must be checked each day, saving up to 1 hour per day, per employee, while minimising expired products on shelves.
When employees access the Product Detail page on their Too Good To Go Platform application for date checks, the ESLs flash within two to three seconds, making it much easier to identify and locate the correct products. The companies said this innovative solution not only saves time, but also enhances accuracy in identifying products, improving operational efficiency, customer experience, and most importantly reducing food waste.
“By combining Too Good To Go Platform with Hanshow’s advanced technology, we are enabling grocery retailers to simplify surplus food management, helping them save both time and resources while making a real impact in the fight against food waste,” says Mateo Rando, chief product officer at Too Good To Go.
Liangyan Li, SVP and head of global sales at Hanshow, added: “Our collaboration with Too Good To Go showcases Hanshow's commitment to driving sustainability and operational efficiency in the retail industry. By integrating our advanced ESL technology with Too Good To Go Platform, this partnership exemplifies our vision to leverage digital solutions to create meaningful value for both retailers and the environment.”
According to the European Grocery Retailing Institute, food waste costs account for nearly 2 per cent of grocery retailers' net sales on average, almost equaling average profit margins. The companies said the solution offers retailers on opportunity improve operational efficiency, increase profitability, and reduce food waste.
This integration aims to reduce the time spent locating products by at least 20 per cent, potentially saving over 39 employee work hours per store each year. In the current test, stores using the integration saw a 12 per cent-time savings per product compared to three similar stores that did not implement it. One location reported a 56 per cent reduction in the time spent locating items.
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