113 million products were redistributed in 2024

Company Shop Group today revealed that it redistributed 113 million products in 2024, saving UK shoppers £130 million on their food bills – up by £9 million on last year.

These new statistics were published as part of Company Shop Group’s latest impact report, launched [today] to mark the start of Food Waste Action Week (17-23 March). And with 10.7 million tonnes of food being wasted in the UK each year – and nearly 10 million people living in food poverty – the need for solutions has never been greater.

In 2024, Company Shop Group redistributed over 46,000 tonnes of food and drink – the equivalent of 110 million meals – to individuals and families across the UK, the same as feeding the entire population 1.6 times. This also had a significant environmental impact, saving 124,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, the equivalent of removing over 72,000 cars from the road for a year. By preventing waste and promoting a circular economy, the Group plays a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future.

Through its unique and scalable model, Company Shop Group provided tailored surplus solutions to over 800 retail and manufacturing partners last year, helping them manage surplus efficiently at every stage of the product lifecycle. By investing in problem-solving capabilities, in the past three years, the Group relabelled 55 million products and washed 7.8 million bottles, items that would have otherwise gone to waste. The partnership between Company Shop Group and its stock partners helps reduce waste, recoup value, and enhance environmental and social responsibility. In 2024, Company Shop Group paid back £49 million to its partners taking the Group’s total financial return to the industry in the last five years to a staggering £188 million.

Community Shop, the social enterprise arm of Company Shop Group and the UK’s first social supermarket, worked to tackle food insecurity in communities experiencing social inequality. Through its Community stores, members saved £11.8 million on shopping, Community Kitchens fed 120,000 children for free, and Community Hubs delivered 54,000 development programmes, helping 3,100 people into higher education and 2,800 people through our progress academy.

Chris Burns, Managing Director of Company Shop Group, said: “Joining Company Shop Group has been an incredible journey, and I am so proud to be part of an organisation that transforms surplus into meaningful impact. Over the past year, we’ve supported more families, saved more products from going to waste and   strengthened our partnerships across the industry.

This report highlights not just the numbers but the lives we’ve changed along the way. We’re committed to doing more in the coming year, because every surplus product saved is an opportunity to create value for people, planet, and industry.”

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop said: “In 2024, Community Shops around the country have continued to deliver life-changing support to individuals, families and communities. This year we launched our white paper on the future of food aid in the UK, which demonstrated our deep commitment to creating long-lasting change and tackling food insecurity at its roots. We’re equipped and ready to drive this mission forward in the years to come.”

These statistics, along with many others, are available in Company Shop Group’s new impact report which can be downloaded here

ENDS

ABOUT COMPANY SHOP GROUP 

Company Shop Group is the UK’s leading and longest-standing redistributor and retailer of surplus products and is part of the wider Biffa Group. The commercial arm of the business operates a network of 13 Company Shop ‘surplus supermarkets’ across England and Scotland, which sell discounted surplus from over 800 brands, retailers and manufacturers to its members, who meet specific criteria. A percentage of the profit is re-invested in Community Shop, a social enterprise tackling the root causes of food insecurity in communities experiencing social inequality, by providing access to deeply discounted food and household essentials, along with life-changing personal development programmes. The Group supports the industry in managing surplus at every stage of the product lifecycle, investing in problem-solving capabilities and helping to reduce waste and recoup value for businesses.

ABOUT COMMUNITY SHOP 

Community Shop is an award-winning social enterprise and the UK’s first social supermarket, which aims to tackle the root causes of food insecurity in communities experiencing social inequality. With three interconnecting spaces within one building, Community Store provides access to deeply discounted food and essentials, including fruit, veg and bread for only 20p. The profits from the store are then invested in Community Hub, which delivers a life-changing holistic support programme, empowering people to develop their own capabilities and deliver a positive future for themselves. Additionally, each Community Shop has a Community Kitchen, a café that allows people to connect with others and learn through food, as well as providing home-cooked meals for the community with kids eating free every day. The unique model uses surplus products donated by its stock partners through Company Shop Group, ensuring that no product needlessly goes to waste, whilst simultaneously providing a sustainable support model for thousands of families each year.

Company Shop Group is part of Biffa plc. Join the conversation at www.companyshopgroup.co.uk, or on LinkedIn.
For more information please contact:

Jasmine Adams: jasmine.adams@greenhouse.agency +44 7304 079622

Charlotte Senior: charlotte.senior@greenhouse.agency +44 7736 809231