The UK’s first social supermarket in Goldthorpe, Barnsley, opened the doors of its pilot store today to provide disadvantaged shoppers with surplus food at up to 70 per cent off.
Social enterprise Community Shop is a subsidiary of the UK’s largest commercial redistributor of surplus food and goods, Company Shop.
It is supplied with in-date but surplus food and products from retailers including Tesco, Asda, Ocado and The Co-operative.
The shop will be open to members living in a specific postcode and in receipt of welfare support.
As well as food support, shoppers will also be offered debt advice, cookery skills, budgeting advice and CV writing to help them move back to mainstream shopping.
If the pilot is successful Company Shop plans to expand the project into London.
Director of environment and social affairs at Company Shop, Sarah Dunwell, said industry surplus is hard to avoid, but Community Shop can make sure that surplus food delivers lasting social good.
She said: “We are all very proud to launch Community Shop today and we look forward to partnering with the retail industry to make this a success during the pilot phase and beyond.”
Food surplus in the supply chain comes from forecasting errors, seasonal promotions and packaging faults.
Although this is the first of its kind in the UK, the social supermarket model is well established across Europe.
Asda CEO, Andy Clarke, said: “Community Shop is a retail industry response to this serious social problem. As one of the UK’s largest retailers, we have a crucial part to play in supporting those families who need us at difficult times through Community Shop.”
Martyn Jones, group corporate services director at Morrisons said the retailer is delighted to support Community Shop for the step change in food redistribution that it will offer. “It is backed by an independent infrastructure and people with industry expertise. What’s so appealing about this project is that it provides a new, readily identifiable store outlet that can reach people who really need some support,” he said.
Tesco community director Michael Kissman said: “We have worked with Company Shop for a number of years and we are happy to support this trial in Barnsley. We are always keen to explore new opportunities that allow us to use our scale for good to support local communities.”
Professor of Food Policy at City University, Professor Tim Lang, said: 'The social supermarket is an important experiment. It's practical. It's a social enterprise. It challenges complacency.'
