Community Shop Group saved shoppers £130m in 2024, says firm
Company Shop Group, which has multiple sites in Yorkshire, has announced that it redistributed 113 million products in 2024, in a move it said saved UK shoppers £130m on their food bills.
The group’s stores sell surplus products from other shops at discounted prices.
The firm said that across 2024, it 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.
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.”
The new statistics were published as part of Company Shop Group’s latest impact report, launched to mark the start of Food Waste Action Week.
The figures also showed that the company’s sales were up £9m on last year.
Company Shop Group said that its work also saved 124,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, the equivalent of removing over 72,000 cars from the road for a year.
Mr Burns added: “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."
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.
In 2024, Company Shop Group paid back £49m to its partners taking the Group’s total financial return to the industry in the last five years to £188m.
Gary Stott, executive chairman of Community Shop, which is also part of the Company Shop Group, 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.”
In 2024, the firm’s Community Kitchens fed 120,000 children for free, while its Community Hubs delivered 54,000 development programmes, helping 3,100 people into higher education and 2,800 people through its progress academy.