SPAR and Munch are working together to reduce food waste

Gabriella Heiszler, CEO, SPAR Hungary and Perepelica Kirill, co-founder and commercial director, Munch (Photo: spar.hu)

Packaged and unpackaged breads, baked goods, salty and sweet delicacies, vegetables, fruits, seeds, fruit juices, dairy products, pasta, packaged salami, cold meats, fresh eggs, as well as other products that do not require refrigeration can be included in the SPAR Munch surprise packages, the original price even for a third. The department store chain in Budapest is located in the XI. started this service in 10 units in the district, 9 in Szeged, and 2 in Hódmezővásárhely from November 3, 2022, which in total means involving 19 SPAR supermarkets and 2 INTERSPAR hypermarkets. It is planned that more stores will join the initiative after the test period.

Munch is a platform created by Hungarian innovators

Through this, food chains and catering units can sell their unsold but high-quality food at a significant discount. Its aim is to promote sustainable, responsible food trade, catering and consumption by reducing food waste. It is easy to use: you just have to reserve the selected package on the mobile application, which can be downloaded for free in advance, or via the website, then pay online and pick it up at the selected store in a time slot that can be purchased in advance. In SPAR stores, you can save 4 types of packages in this way – including baked goods, fruits, vegetables and chilled goods – at a discount of up to 66%. Food packages that are actually worth HUF 3,000 can be purchased for HUF 1,000, and packages worth HUF 1,500 can be purchased for HUF 500.

“Everyone benefits from this service, so we can talk about a real win-win project. Waste in stores is reduced, customers can eat good food at a third of the price, and we take a significant burden off the environment by not throwing away these foods. Unfortunately, waste is a global phenomenon, one third of all food produced in the world is lost or becomes waste, which means almost 90 million tons of food thrown away unnecessarily every year in Europe alone. Now SPAR’s customers can save money effectively with the help of Munch, and they really save food and can rediscover it, think consciously, and become part of protecting the environment,” said Gabriella Heiszler, president and CEO of SPAR.

“SPAR joining the food rescue community is an easy-to-use, local solution that can set a positive example for others. In Hungary, more than 600 independent and nationwide stores have already joined our food rescue platform from more than 35 settlements. The joining of SPAR proves that Munch offers even the largest grocers a feasible, real solution to reducing waste, which is becoming more and more popular among young people, the elderly and families in the current economic environment. We also know of a Munch-lover who saved more than 500 servings of food in one year and was able to save nearly HUF 1 million with the help of Munch,” emphasized Kirill Perepelica, co-founder and commercial director of Munch.

One of the special elements of Munchok is the surprise, which makes ordering even more exciting. The package includes what is waiting to be saved on the given day. In this way, customers can even discover new SPAR products, other flavors and special ingredients.

Munch is available at the following links:

Website: https://munch.hu/

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.munch.munchapp

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/hu/app/munch-b-eat-food-waste/id1528038390