Retail business helps reduce waste and offer affordable groceries to the public
Surplus grocery retailer Company Shop has hit the milestone of redistributing one billion items since its launch.
The firm released its annual Impact Report this week, which revealed that in the past 12 months alone, 47,000 tonnes of food and drink were redistributed by Company Shop Group, made up of 117 million individual units saving 121,000 tonnes of CO2.
It said that for members shopping in its Company Shop ‘Surplus Supermarkets’ and social enterprise Community Shop stores, that has meant a saving of £137mn on shopping bills.
The group explained that it delivers financial, environmental and social impact by working closely with more than 800 retailers, manufacturers and brands, helping them to meet their own sustainability targets with trackable results and measurable outcomes.
It has paid £51mn to these partners for surplus goods over the last 12 months, and £219mn in the last five years.
Chris Burns, group managing director of Company Shop Group, said: “Each year, the UK produces around 10.7mn tonnes of food waste, presenting a potentially catastrophic threat to our planet, contributing significantly to carbon emissions and the unnecessary use of natural resources.
“Our purpose has always been clear – to stop surplus becoming waste by creating an effective and easy solution for the industry to redistribute surplus, at scale. Every product saved from waste represents not just an environmental win, but a practical demonstration that surplus can be managed differently.
“I am immensely proud of what Company Shop Group continues to achieve – not only this year, but over more than five decades of pioneering work to tackle food loss and waste.”
Company Shop Group’s model has been in operation since 1974 when it first started opening staff shops on partners’ factory sites. Since then, it has invested heavily to maximise the value of goods initially perceived as waste.
Paying its growing portfolio of partners for surplus stocks means an immediate reinvestment back into their businesses, it said.
Community Shop provides access to affordable food and household goods while maintaining dignity and autonomy, with profits reinvested back into its Community Hubs and Kitchens to create wraparound support.
“The last 12 months has been hugely successful for us: we have expanded our network, welcomed new partners, pushed the issue of food waste further up the political agenda and supported thousands more people by launching more Community Shops,” Burns said. “I want to thank all of our partners and our amazing colleagues who have helped deliver such positive impact.”
