Between inflation and shrinkflation — when packaged foods get smaller while prices stay the same or increase — many consumers are looking for ways to save.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook offers little relief this year. Overall food prices are expected to rise 3.1 percent, with food-at-home prices increasing 2.5 percent and food-away-from-home prices climbing 3.7 percent.
As budgets tighten and consumer buying habits shift, perishables such as baked goods, produce, and meat are more likely to remain on shelves. That, in turn, contributes to food waste as items approach their expiration dates.
Through the Too Good To Go app, customers can purchase bags of products nearing their sell-by date at steep discounts.
A growing number of Lexington-area groceries, bakeries, and convenience stores are turning to a solution: Too Good To Go, an app designed to connect consumers with food nearing its sell-by date — still safe to eat — at steep discounts.
Local participants include Whole Foods Market at The Summit, Good Foods Co-op, several Circle K locations, European Market & Deli, and Dunkin' on Richmond Road.
Using the app, customers receive notifications when a limited number of “surprise bags” become available near the end of the day. After reserving a bag, customers pay online and pick it up within a designated time window.
Shoppers typically know the category — baked goods, flowers and potted plants, meat, prepared foods, or produce — but not the exact contents until pickup.
Pricing varies, but the savings can be significant. At Whole Foods, bags of meat or prepared foods valued at $30 recently sold for $9.99. A floral bag valued at $24 sold for $7.99, while produce and bakery bags valued at $21 sold for $6.99 each.
At Good Foods Co-op, a grocery surprise bag valued at $21 sells for $6.99, while a prepared foods bag valued at $15 is priced at $4.99. A dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, typically $17.49, are offered for $5.83 through the app. At European Market & Deli, a baked goods bag valued at $12 sells for $3.99.
To help expand participation and reduce food waste, Bluegrass Greensource and VisitLEX have partnered to encourage more food-focused businesses to adopt the app, said BG Outreach Director Rachel Skinner. She said being environmentally responsible is “part of who we are at our core — we’re always looking at ways to be more sustainable.”
Loving a good bargain, I decided to try the app. After a successful trial run at a Circle K in Mt. Washington, I recently reserved two surprise bags at Whole Foods — one produce and one bakery.
Pickup was straightforward, scheduled between 8 and 9 p.m. the same day. The freshness, quality, quantity, and variety of items exceeded expectations.
The produce bag included a mix of mushrooms and two prepackaged vegetable kits with sauces. The bakery bag contained half a loaf of sliced bread, a cinnamon roll, mini cupcakes, butterscotch pretzel cookies, muffins, and chocolate-filled pastries.
Local participants include Whole Foods Market at The Summit, Good Foods Co-op, several Circle K locations, European Market & Deli, and Dunkin'.
Items I didn’t use immediately or share were prepped and frozen for later. The experience offered a practical way to save money while trying new products.
Skinner said the program ultimately benefits businesses, consumers, and the environment.
“By selling soon-to-expire food at a discounted price, businesses can recover a little revenue from items that might otherwise go to waste,” she said. “At the same time, customers get great products, often discover something new, and pay a fraction of the usual price.”
“Bluegrass Greensource serves as the sustainability consultant for VisitLEX,” Skinner said. “While developing additional initiatives with them — such as our SustainabLEX Business Certification — food rescue and recovery frequently came up as an important opportunity for the Lexington community.”
After seeing positive results in other markets, Skinner said the organization began encouraging existing partners to participate while recruiting new businesses.
In doing so, Lexington can further establish itself as a “green destination” while reducing food waste, she said.
Good Foods Co-op was the first grocery store Bluegrass Greensource worked with directly to establish a presence on the app. Other local participants joined independently, Skinner said, and more are being sought.
Good Foods Co-op Marketing Manager Kara Shepherd said the store began offering surprise bags in early March. The response has been strong, with about five bags offered most days, typically selling out within 10 minutes.
“It will differ day-to-day and week-to-week based on what products we have readily available,” she said, but some examples might be meat, a box of macaroni and cheese, protein powder, body care, prepped food, and general merchandise.
She said being environmentally responsible is “part of who we are at our core — we’re always looking at ways to be more sustainable.”
Loving a good bargain, I decided to try the app. After a successful trial run at a Circle K in Mt. Washington, I recently reserved two surprise bags at Whole Foods — one produce and one bakery.
Pickup was straightforward, scheduled between 8 and 9 p.m. the same day. The freshness, quality, quantity, and variety of items exceeded expectations.
The produce bag included a mix of mushrooms and two prepackaged vegetable kits with sauces. The bakery bag contained half a loaf of sliced bread, a cinnamon roll, mini cupcakes, butterscotch pretzel cookies, muffins, and chocolate-filled pastries.
Items I didn’t use immediately or share were prepped and frozen for later. The experience offered a practical way to save money while trying new products.
Skinner said the program ultimately benefits businesses, consumers, and the environment.
“By selling soon-to-expire food at a discounted price, businesses can recover a little revenue from items that might otherwise go to waste,” she said. “At the same time, customers get great products, often discover something new, and pay a fraction of the usual price.”