Flashfood unveils platform for independent grocers
Flashfood, the marketplace for affordable groceries, is debuting Flashfood for Independents, a new offering designed for independently owned grocers.
This initiative will support local retailers by providing them with a flexible, efficient and easy-to-onboard solution to attract new customers, boost profits and provide access to affordable fresh food in their communities while reducing food waste, Flashfood said.
"There are more than 27,000 independently owned grocery stores in North America that play a vital role in nourishing and sustaining their communities. But the already harsh and competitive retail climate right now is particularly difficult for independent grocers, who face unique challenges as small businesses," said Nicholas Bertram, CEO of Flashfood. "Our goal with this launch is to offer a supporting lifeline to these businesses, many of whom solve food access challenges issues in hyper-urban or rural areas. Our hope is to empower these grocers with a solution that brings more shoppers in-store and puts money back in their bottom line.”
[Read more: Stop & Shop, Flashfood roll out program in New York City]
Flashfood for Independents builds on the value-add of the Flashfood platform already available at more than 2,200 enterprise stores across North America, with participating grocers seeing an average 27% shrink reduction, one or more additional store trips per month and $20 in incremental sales per month.
The new platform offers the same value but with flexible and customizable elements that fit the needs of independent grocers who may have unique store footprints, smaller teams or ever-changing inventory. The platform seamlessly integrates with the operations of independent grocers, enhancing their ability to respond quickly to market demands and operational needs, Flashfood said.
The new platform is already live in more than 10 independent stores across North America, including Country Squire Foods in Chicago Heights, Ill., Supermercado Mexico in Wyoming, Mich. and Petique Boutique in Scarborough, ON (Canada). The platform will be launching in a number of Earth Fare stores later this summer, with plans to add more than 100 independent grocers by the end of the year.
Flashfood noted the following features and services:
- Fast, easy onboarding with no requirement for inventory data ingestion, enabling manual posting to the Flashfood Partner app on grocer’s standard devices.
- Flexible shopper pick-up models tailored to each grocers’ store layout and footprint, with one-size-fits-all signage kits delivered in-store.
- An automated reporting suite that provides actionable insights that are most helpful to each grocer.
- Bespoke Partner Support hub with dedicated customer service team members assigned to Flashfood's Independent Retailers.
[Read more: Stop & Shop adds Flashfood program to more than 60 New York locations]
"Independent grocers are truly at the heart of the communities they serve. A cornerstone of Main Street, these local businesses account for over $1 million in jobs across the county while also providing essential support for food banks, community groups, and more," said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association. "Supporting your local independent grocer helps keep tax dollars in the community while providing a hub for gathering, economic development, and most importantly, nutritious food to feed families."
For more information about how this platform supports independent grocers, please visit here.