Tops Adopts EBT SNAP Online with Forage and Flashfood
San Francisco, California (June 27, 2023) – Tops Friendly Markets shoppers who use SNAP EBT can now apply those dollars to purchases through the Flashfood app, Forage, the San Francisco-based tech company working to make SNAP payments available online, announced Tuesday.
The Flashfood service enables shoppers to purchase substantially discounted foods that are approaching their best-by dates. In March, Meijer became the first nationwide retailer to allow SNAP payments through Flashfood.
“As a company committed to feeding more families, we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Flashfood and launch EBT as an online payment method for Tops Friendly Markets,” said Forage co-founder and CEO Ofek Lavian in a statement. “We are proud to help provide access to affordable, healthy groceries for low-income Americans that continue to struggle with the realities of food insecurity and inflation.”
Tops shoppers using SNAP EBT can now save up to 50% on items nearing their best-by date, including meat, dairy, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, bakery items and more. Those purchases can be made and then picked up at the Flashfood kiosk in select stores.
As of early March, Flashfood was available at 68 Tops locations in western New York, following the announcement that the grocer expanded the service to 18 more of its stores.
"Part of Tops' core mission is eradicating hunger, and Flashfood is an innovative tool that allows us to provide quality product at a discounted price helping with the bottom line, all while diverting it from landfills," Jeff Culhane, senior vice president of merchandising for Tops Friendly Markets, said in a statement in March about the Flashfood expansion.
About Forage
Forage is a mission-driven payments company that is helping merchants accept government benefits through a single, unified API. Today, over 42 million Americans receive government assistance (ex: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) to buy groceries. Starting with enabling EBT SNAP online, Forage builds the financial infrastructure empowering merchants of all shapes and sizes to serve these shoppers online.
About Tops
Based in Williamsville, NY, Tops Markets currently operates 144 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees. As the largest private, for-profit employer in Western New York, with over 14,000 associates, the company is dedicated to providing sustainably sourced, high-quality products, while helping its communities flourish via support for programs that eradicate hunger and disease, educate youth and reduce environmental waste and energy consumption. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com.
About Flashfood
Flashfood is an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date. The mobile app operates in over 1,600 grocery locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.Shoppers can buy items from grocery retailers through the Flashfood app and pick them up in-store at great prices while collectively reducing food waste.To date, Flashfood has diverted over 65 million pounds of food, saved shoppers over $170 million and more affordably fed hundreds of thousands of families.Flashfood is currently working with Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, The GIANTCompany, Loblaw, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren’s Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop. Flashfood is a free app available on iOS and Android. For more information, please visit www.flashfood.com.
