Flashfood App for discounted food

[HeatherC]

I posted about this in the other thread in rising food costs, but thought I would mention it here so more people could see it and possibly take advantage of it since food prices are still crazy.

Flashfood is a free app that connects with local supermarkets to give discounts on food that is getting close to the sell by date. Here in Massachusetts, it is affiliated with Stop and Shop. Most of the discounts seem to be in fruits and veggies as well as prepared foods that are getting close to sell by dates.

I am not affiliated in anyway with them and haven’t even used it myself since I don’t really go to Stop and Shop. I just thought it might be a good idea to spread the word in case it can help others struggling with the crazy cost of food nowadays.

Have you heard of it? Have you used it?

 

[amylevan]

A friend recommended it to me a while ago and gave me a referral code. That was last fall, and every once in a while I peruse the offerings of our local store (Giant Food) but have yet to see anything worthwhile. Mostly fruits and veggies that are damaged or nearing going bad and prepared foods that are at their sell by date. She has had luck with meats at their sell by date, and I probably would do that, but I haven’t stumbled on them yet.

If I really needed to cut our food budget, it might be worth it, but I’m not at point yet.

 

[ronandannette]

One of our large grocery chains has something like that. It’s mildly interesting but seems unnecessarily convoluted. You need to purchase the items through the app then pick them up from specific store locations, with a code that unlocks the storage units the stuff is kept in.

I’m not sure why all that is necessary. I bet if shoppers could just browse discounted items and add them to their carts as they do their routine shopping, the stuff would fly off the shelves. In stores where it’s done that way, I often buy “use by tomorrow” meat at a good discount.

 

[mjkacmom]

I use the app too good to go, local restaurants selling mystery items for a deep discount. We’ve been getting 2 dozen bagels for $5 which we freeze. It’s kind of fun getting random items like empanadas, fries, cheeseburger and drink for $5.

 

[SM1992]

One of our large grocery chains has something like that. It’s mildly interesting but seems unnecessarily convoluted. You need to purchase the items through the app then pick them up from specific store locations, with a code that unlocks the storage units the stuff is kept in.

I’m not sure why all that is necessary. I bet if shoppers could just browse discounted items and add them to their carts as they do their routine shopping, the stuff would fly off the shelves. In stores where it’s done that way, I often buy “use by tomorrow” meat at a good discount.

Agree 100 %. I worked for Stop and Shop - now retired - and we had a system in place to remove short coded product, mark it down 30 to 50 percent and sell at a specific place in the store. The stuff would sell within a day or two. I don't understand the need for a new system, with a separate app and code etc. Too much extra work for the customer and employees.

 

[_19disnA]

I agree. Sounds like yet another company starting some app so they can get rich when the company goes public. There is the added cost to run the app and someone eventually pays for that. Not sure why you need the extra layer involved at all when a grocery store can already manage this on their own for existing customers. Our local stores have a rack/place where discounted items can be found. You can just look through what they have to see if any item is of interest. That also includes holiday items that go 1/2 price once the holiday is over.

 

[kymom99]

I agree. Sounds like yet another company starting some app so they can get rich when the company goes public. There is the added cost to run the app and someone eventually pays for that. Not sure why you need the extra layer involved at all when a grocery store can already manage this on their own for existing customers. Our local stores have a rack/place where discounted items can be found. You can just look through what they have to see if any item is of interest. That also includes holiday items that go 1/2 price once the holiday is over.

Same with where I shop. They put meats in a certain section, they have a rack for bakery items, and an end cap for packaged foods. I don’t need an app for that.

No offense to the OP. I’m sure not all stores follow the same model.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I'll check it out! I have had some luck with just shopping early in the morning to get the marked-down meats and so forth. Stores here put the meats in with the regular stuff--i.e., pork chops with pork chops--but then have a special section for produce that's getting old.

 

[HeatherC]

OP here. Like I mentioned, I haven’t used it but just looked at our local store. Seems like it could be good depending on the store. I am seeing a lot of canned fruits and veggies that have a sell by date of October 2023. Also seeing some meat with tomorrows sell by date as well as some prepared dinners with sell by date on the 29th.

I know my store also has a reduced section, but this seems to have more items because the section in the store isn’t including refrigerated items.

I am guessing it can be bad or good depending on location. Hopefully it is helping some people benefit from it.

 

[BrianL]

Yeah, I mean, don't stores just slap a reduced sticker on stuff that is about to expire? My store has the "Oops" rack, that says, "Oops, we baked too much," that has all the bakery items. Meat is usually off to the side of the usual area. I love the Oops rack and often impulse buy some deliciously unhealthy items that I have to eat in a day or two.

 

[_19disnA]

And it would take extra labor for someone in the store to input the items reduced for sale. Clearly there would be a limited number of such items so seems like keeping track of that type of inventory would be a hassle.