Tesco in the UK Offers Free Food Near Expiry Dates
"Innovative Approach to Reducing Food Waste"
As stagflation and prolonged domestic demand stagnation lead to a surge in 'recession-type consumption,' where people flock only during 'closing sales' that drastically reduce product prices below normal levels, the UK’s major supermarket Tesco has attracted attention with a new initiative. Tesco prioritizes providing food items nearing their expiration dates to charities and employees, and any remaining items are marked with a 'yellow sticker' so customers can take them for free.
According to foreign media such as The Independent and The Telegraph on the 13th (local time), Tesco has launched a pilot program at some Express stores where customers visiting after 9:30 PM can receive food items nearing their expiration dates marked with a yellow sticker labeled '?0,' making them free of charge. As consumers flock to closing sales to ease the burden of high food prices, Tesco has taken a step beyond its previous maximum discount of up to 90%. While implementing this policy, Tesco has decided to maintain its existing practice of donating unsold food to charities.
Regarding this pilot program, Tesco explained, "We have always sought innovative ways to reduce food waste," adding, "We provide unsold food from stores to charities and community organizations and have donated millions of meals every month." They further stated, "This pilot program, conducted at some Express stores, will allow customers to take food items marked with yellow stickers for free only after these items have been offered first to charities and employees."
FamilyMart's 'Tearful Closing Sale Sticker'. It is attached to food items such as rice balls, lunch boxes, and sandwiches. Provided by FamilyMart
Sales of items nearing their expiration dates are currently being tried in several countries. In Japan, FamilyMart captures consumer attention with closing sale stickers featuring a cute onigiri character with teary eyes shouting 'Please help me (たすけてください).' FamilyMart stated, "We conducted consumer research to reduce food waste and found that rather than simply offering price discounts, adding a direct message like 'Please help me' would be more effective," adding, "We plan to observe how much an emotionally appealing sticker design helps in selling food items nearing their expiration dates."
In South Korea, closing discount products are also gaining great popularity. Emart applies a maximum discount rate of 40% for closing sales starting from 8 PM. Lotte Mart also offers closing sale products at up to 40% off from 6 PM until each store closes, depending on inventory. Dongwon F&B’s own mall, Dongwon Mall, recently gained popularity with an outlet corner that gathers products nearing their consumption dates for discounts. It stocks processed foods with less than 50% of their shelf life remaining, as well as fresh foods and beverages. Ottogi is also selling products nearing their consumption dates at discounted prices through its own store on Naver Smart Store.
As demand for closing sales increases, the domestic convenience store industry is also discounting products close to their expiration dates under the name of closing sales. GS25 launched a pilot closing discount service in November 2023, offering up to 45% off FF products (such as gimbap and lunch boxes) with less than three hours remaining before their consumption dates. According to GS25, from the start of the closing discount service in December 2023 until the end of last year, the cumulative sales volume of related products exceeded 520,000 units. Previously, Seven Eleven has been operating a service since 2020 that allows store owners to autonomously designate and sell products nearing expiration.
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