Directors Stian Olesen and Klaus Pedersen accepting the award. (Photo: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org)
Started just over a year ago, on 26 October, 2015, the concept is now active in Denmark, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Too Good to Go has also made its way over the pond, launching in New York (Manhattan) on the 1st of November, with 30-40 participating stores, mostly restaurants.
"We are constantly on the lookout to expand and would like to enter as many markets as possible because we really believe in what we are doing and want to save the environment." said Klaus Pedersen, Co-Founder of Too Good to Go.
The concept for Too Good to Go all started when Thomas Bjørn Momsen, company COO, was visiting a buffet towards the end of the evening and saw that there was a lot of food left over. When he asked the owners of the buffet what they do with the leftover food, they told him that it would be thrown away. Thomas was so appalled by such waste, that he put together a team and set out to figure out a solution.
In the beginning they started by posting on the company's website, telling people where they could pick up restaurant leftovers, 15 minutes before closing time. As time went on, the offering progressed to sushi restaurants, bakeries, green grocers and the team is currently busy trying to get retailers on board as well.
Since then, Too Good to Go has created an app which works by GPS, so once you open it, it finds all of the participating locations in the user's direct area, the pick up time, what the store is selling and how many boxes/bags are still available. The consumer is able to pay through the app, which is convenient for both parties. All customers need to do when they get to the shop is just show the receipt on the phone.
"The app is very popular with students and younger people in their 20's, they don't have much money and they have no problem with the later pickup times, since they usually don't need to start with school until later in the morning. However, we have seen that it appeals to all different age groups. We've even seen old granny's around 90 years old using the app." said Pedersen.
Alongside the takeaway boxes used for restaurants, the company also offers a 'magic bag' to offer a solution to green grocers and bakeries who have a surplus of goods at the end of the day. The bag can be filled with whatever is left, for a set price. Customers have no idea what they will be getting in the magic bag, it is up to the store what they decide to put in the bag based on what is left over.
Prices for the Magic bag are set by the store owner, depending on the types of products they offer, but prices are set between a range of DKK 20-35 (€2.69-€4.70).
"It is difficult to tell a store that they need to sell their bags for a specific price because if they have leftover organic goods, these will always cost more than conventional products. The program offers a great form of green marketing for shops. As a consumer, would you rather go to a shop who participates in these types of programs and cares about the environment, or go to one who doesn't?" concluded Pedersen.
For more information:
Klaus Pedersen
Too Good To Go
Tel: +45 28 74 83 17
Email: [email protected]
toogoodtogo.dk