Tops Expands Flashfood to 18 Additional Stores

Program has already saved grocer’s shoppers $2.4M on groceries

3/8/2023

With the Flashfood program now at 68 Tops stores in New York state, the companies expect to reach 1 million pounds of food waste saved in the coming weeks.

Tops Markets LLC is expanding its program with Flashfood, the digital marketplace that gives shoppers access to deeply discounted food nearing its best-by date, to 18 more Rochester, N.Y.-area stores. This brings the total number of Tops stores offering the program to 68 across western New York state.

Since the grocer first launched Flashfood at six stores in August 2020, and later at 44 further locations throughout 2021, the companies said that they’ve saved Tops shoppers more than $2.4 million on groceries and diverted 985,358 pounds of food from landfills. The food saved amounts to 350,000-plus family meals, and the emissions saved from diverting food from the landfill are equivalent to more than 1 million miles driven by the average passenger vehicle, according to the companies. With this latest expansion, which consists of five new Rochester locations and new participating stores in Albion, Avon, Canandaigua, Farmington, Greece, Hamlin, Henrietta, Hilton, Irondequoit, Ontario, Spencerport, Walworth and Waterloo, N.Y., Tops and Flashfood expect to reach 1 million pounds of food waste saved in the coming weeks.

“Part of Tops’ core mission is eradicating hunger, and Flashfood is an innovative tool that allows us to provide quality product at a discounted price helping with the bottom line, all while diverting it from landfills,” noted Jeff Culhane, Tops’ SVP, merchandising. “After expanding the program to 50 stores, we are thrilled to grow our footprint with Flashfood even further in the Rochester market to help more Tops shoppers save on groceries and continue our mission of reducing our carbon footprint.”

“It’s exciting when we can expand our presence with leading retail partners like Tops Friendly Markets,” said Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Toronto-based Flashfood. “To expand our partnership for a second time demonstrates not only Tops Friendly Markets’ commitment to sustainability, but our ability to make an impact for both shoppers and the planet. Together, we look forward to bringing even more grocery deals to New York families.”

To date, Flashfood has diverted 65 million-plus pounds of food, saved shoppers more $175 million and more affordably fed hundreds of thousands of families. It also works with such food retailers as Ahold Delhaize USA, Giant Eagle, Loblaw, Meijer, Save A Lot and SpartanNash.

Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops operates approximately 150 supermarkets, including five franchise stores, and employs more than 14,000 associates in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. The banner’s parent company, Northeast Grocery Inc., is No. 44 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Ahold Delhaize USA, Loblaw, Meijer, Giant Eagle, SpartanNash and Save A Lot are Nos. 10, 11, 20, 36, 41 and 60, respectively.