LONDON, 2016-May-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — Busy Britons could save hundreds of pounds with a simple selfie…. of their fridge. According to research by Sainsbury’s, a quarter of households waste £235 worth of food every year due to buying products they already have in the fridge. Annually, this amounts to a staggering waste bill of £1.5 billion for households in the UK.
- Busy Brits bin up to £1.5billion worth of food a year due to overbuying
- Bosch fridge selfie set to help cut down on waste
- Waste less, Save more families now trialling latest Bosch fridge with camera technology
- Fruit and veg is the most overstocked food
- Sainsbury’s launches a guide to help shoppers avoid overbuying
Fruit and veg are the most overbought items with 38% and 35% of shoppers regularly stocking up on more than they need. Milk, cheese and eggs complete the top five products that are most frequently over-bought.
In a bid to avoid overbuying, 70% of Britons have tried to adopt the habit of checking the fridge before a food shop. However, despite their best intentions over 40% admit that they end up forgetting what they need by the time they get to the shop. In addition to this, shoppers are increasingly buying top-up products on their way home from work without checking their fridge first, which often leads to duplication.
But, a revolutionary new kitchen appliance could put an end to this costly problem. In a UK first, Bosch has launched a new fridge that uses cameras to snap the contents of shelves and the door. A picture is uploaded to the shopper’s smartphone to view as they browse the aisles. The Bosch fridge is the latest innovation to be put to the test by households in the town of Swadlincote as part of Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative.
Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s said: “Our customers tell us that despite best intentions, they often find it difficult to remember what is in their fridge which can lead to them over-buying. With 4.2million tonnes of food wasted each year in the UK we’re on a mission to help households plan their shopping better and reduce the amount of food they throw away. With our focus on finding innovative solutions we have teamed up with Bosch to trial their unique camera fridge which will give shoppers an instant view of the contents of their fridge whilst shopping – triggering a reminder to prevent buying more than they need.”
Charlotte Moran, Group Marketing Manager for Bosch said: “The Bosch fridge is very versatile when it comes to assisting with our hectic daily lives, and with the latest camera technology it can help save on overbuying – which is why we’ve partnered with Sainsbury’s on its Waste less, Save more initiative. Not only does the fridge take pictures which link up with our Home Connect app, you can also control the temperature of the fridge and freezer remotely. Our VitaFresh technology will also enable you to keep food up to three times longer. Little things like stacking your fridge properly can be a huge benefit!”
Organising the fridge can also help shoppers to remember what they have at home. Findings revealed that over 40% of people go as far as separating their meat and veg to help them avoid overbuying, but only 9% arrange items by their ‘use-by date’ to ensure that foods going off soon are at the front.
To help shoppers, Sainsbury’s has developed an infographic, which includes handy hacks to help prevent overbuying, as well as advice on where to store different products in the fridge. Tips include:
- Appoint a fridge boss
- Organise items by sell by date, put products due to go off sooner at the front
- Take a snap of the interior of your fridge on your phone to consult when you’re shopping
- Keep a note pad and pen on the fridge and note down items as they run out
- If you make a hot drink in the morning, write a post-it note on the kettle that reminds you to check the fridge
- Set a recurring alarm on your phone to remind you to check the fridge and make a list to help you remember the required items
- Store essential items such as milk in regular spots in the fridge so it’s easy to recognise when they are finished
Interestingly the report by For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295. also revealed that women are responsible for filling the fridge in most households, except for Northern Ireland where men take charge. While women tend to overbuy fruit and eggs, it’s milk and condiments for men.
The Bosch technology being put to the test by households in Swadlincote as part of Sainsbury’s Waste less, Save more initiative. The retailer is investing £1m in making Swadlincote the official test-bed of ideas to dramatically cut food waste by 50% over 12 months.
For corporate press enquiries please contact press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 020 7695 7295.
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