FlashFood Brings on Former GIANT Exec as COO/President
Online food marketplace Flashfood has brought on former GIANT Company president Nicholas Bertram as president and COO.
“Nick brings an unprecedented level of first-hand leadership experience with some of the biggest names in the retail sector,” said Flashfood founder and CEO, Josh Domingues. “His vision and successes around sustainable retailing align perfectly with our company’s mission to reduce food that is wasted throughout the retail sector.”
Domingues will continue to hold the role of CEO, with Bertram focused on “further develop[ing] capabilities and innovation that impacts the connected problems of food insecurity and food waste,” a press release noted.
Most recently serving as president of The GIANT Company for roughly five years until August 2022, Bertram has also held SVP roles at Jewel-Osco and Ahold Delhaize. According to his LinkedIn profile, he began his grocery career as a stocker at Walmart, where he worked in various roles for close to 12 years. He also serves on the board of directors for Divert, a technology company working to more efficiently convert food waste into energy and improve cold chain shipping.
In other leadership additions, last November Flashfood added Jordan Schenck, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Sunwink, to its Board of Directors. Retail executive James McCann, the former CEO of Ahold USA, is also on the board.
Launched in 2016 in Toronto, the Flashfood app allows consumers to buy from grocers excess food that is nearing its sell-by dates. Once their order is placed online, shoppers can pick up their groceries at retails in a designated Flashfood Zone. Since expanding to the U.S. in 2021, the marketplace has picked up retailers including The GIANT Company, Meijer, Stop and Shop, Food Lion, Stop & Shop and Giant Eagle. In February 2022, Flashfood raised $12.3 million from investors.
Under Bertram, GIANT stores first piloted the app in 2020. Later that year it expanded the relationship from the initial four stores to another 33 stores, before launching across all GIANT and MARTIN’S stores in June 2021.
Flashfood claims it not only offers a way for consumers to lower their food bills, but also helps prevent shrink and loss for retailers.
According to commercial waste and garbage disposal company RTS, approximately 30% percent of food in American grocery stores is thrown away, with food the single largest component (at 22%) taking up space inside of US landfills. By utilizing the Flashfood marketplace, the company stated in a release, retailers have diverted over 65 million pounds of food from landfills. In a press release last month Stop and Shop noted that since its partnership with Flashfood began in 2021, it had diverted 170,000 pounds of food from landfills and has seen 20,000 Flashfood shoppers.
With many consumers also struggling with rising food bills – according to the USDA, in 2022, food prices increased by 9.9%, with food-at-home prices increasing by 11.4% – Flashfood claims it has saved shoppers more than $150 million on grocery bills since its inception.
“Nick has seen how the level of waste experienced by grocers represents billions of dollars in lost revenue and understands the massive impact this also has on our planet,” Domingues said. More importantly, he understands how this food could have helped families.”
“Flashfood is already making huge inroads in reducing food waste while helping consumers save money,” Bertram added, “Now is the right time to accelerate this bold work.”
