Story
   – Published on
September 19, 2022

Press release: SPAR signs international partnership agreement with Whywaste to support food waste reduction in stores

SPAR is one of the most recognised brands in food retail, with more than 13,600 stores in 48 countries. SPAR has announced a partnership with food tech company Whywaste to assist with food waste reduction strategy in retail. SPAR country organisations will be able to use Whywaste digital solutions in their day-to-day operations to reduce food waste in stores.

Portfolio of solutions

Whywaste provides a portfolio of solutions that addresses food waste related challenges that occur in grocery retail. One part of the portfolio is an advanced digital date-checking app that identifies and keeps track of products which are about to reach their sell-by date. Identifying products at risk of reaching this date at an early stage helps retailers take the appropriate action to ensure that goods are sold rather than wasted. Results from SPAR stores using Whywaste’s solutions show that they have been able to reduce their food waste by up to 40%.

Partnering to fight food waste

Food waste is an issue that has risen on the agenda in food retail. The UN’s sustainable development goal 12.3 aims to halve global food waste by 2030. The UN reports that almost a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. At the same time, hundreds of millions of people are starving.

“We are truly excited about the new partnership with SPAR International. I think SPARs philosophy “Better Together” definitely also applies in the fight against food waste and believe that together SPAR and Whywaste can have a real impact on reducing the waste” says Whywaste’s co-founder and CEO, Kristoffer Hagstedt. “That’s what we need from leaders in the industry, to lead in the right direction”

Tom Rose, Head of International Operations at SPAR International commented: “At SPAR International we are always looking for new and innovative ways to meet the needs of our customers, which is why our partnership with Whywaste, an end-to-end digital solution for food waste in retail, is an ideal fit for us. Technology to support the green agenda is becoming a permanent fixture in retail and SPAR International is wholeheartedly behind this trend.”

About Whywaste

A Swedish food tech company that provides solutions for markdowns and food waste management for grocery retail. With stores in over 40 chains globally, using the solutions in their everyday work, Whywaste meets the increased need for a smarter and more sustainable grocery retail.

About SPAR

SPAR International is the world’s largest food retail voluntary chain operating over 13,600 stores worldwide and employing over 410,000 people. In 2021, the global retail turnover from 48 countries was €41.2 billion. The 2021 International SPAR Annual Report is available here. SPAR International unites and operates in partnership with independent retailers by working together to share global scale and expertise to enhance the competitiveness of its retail partners worldwide and build the SPAR Brand internationally.

Links to articles:

Grocery Gazette

European Supermarket Magazine

Fri Köpenskap

Green Retail

Petrol Plaza

Fresh Plaza

Wiadomosci spozywcze

Revista Info Retail

Fia Sjöström
Content Creator & Marketing specialist

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