Food Waste and Food Rescue

Convenience stores have evolved dramatically over the past two decades. Today, customers are as likely to think of them as food stores that happen to sell gas than a gas convenience store that happens to sell food. And the numbers tell this story: More than one in six sales dollars inside a convenience store (17.2%) is from prepared foods or commissary foods.

A challenge for most retailers selling prepared foods is the limited time to sell product before the “sell by” date. Tack on other food items like dairy and produce and food waste can become a concern. But food reaching its expiration point doesn’t need to go into the dumpster. Because of their proximity to consumers, convenience stores are well equipped to work with local food banks to provide food to those in need.

food-recovery-hierarchy.jpg