In March, the IPCC delivered its “final warning” on the climate crisis, as rising greenhouse gas emissions push our climate’s limits to the brink of no-turning-back. As a society, we need to make big changes. Fortunately, there are so many different ways that we can reduce our impact. However, many of the solutions provided to average consumers are simply out of reach. Brand new electric vehicles, shopping organic and local at farmer’s markets, installing solar panels…the list goes on. Pair that with the rise in inflation, and a lot of these at-home solutions to reducing our carbon footprint are reserved for the select group of people that can afford it. Being environmentally aware comes at a premium.

For us to radically change our climate outlook, it will take everyone. It will take all corporations looking at their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, all public and private companies and organizations, government agencies, and yes, individuals. But how can someone struggling to make ends meet and provide food for their families find the time to think about making sustainable choices that can reduce their impact?

We live in a country where over 10% of American households experience food insecurity. That’s 34 million people, including five million children. We also live in a country where 38% of food goes unsold or uneaten. Why not solve one problem by solving another?

We believe that we must find ways for everyone to be involved in creating a healthier environment to see the change we are looking for. Through buying surplus and overstock shelf-stable groceries that would otherwise go to waste and offering it to consumers at 40-70% off normal retail prices, Martie allows anyone that is looking to spend less on groceries to automatically make choices that are good for our environment – and their wallets.

When we first understood the gap in the market for what Martie does, we were food producers ourselves running into the issue of overstock inventory. We found ourselves in a position where donating our surplus inventory would hit us hard in the bottom line, and the liquidation partners that were available to us felt like a potential threat to the brand affinity we worked hard to build. We felt this was an untouched area in the liquidation market, so we created a modern, fun, and approachable retail option that also talks about what it is – a solution for food waste and affordable food options that leaves the consumer and the brands feeling great about better prices, an important way to increase choice and dignity for all shoppers. We very much think of Martie as the “IKEA of food” – everyone knows it's affordable, but it also looks good, is modern, and has a great brand reputation.

We use an online-only approach to fight food waste and get good food into the hands of more people. We work with hundreds of great food brands (including Kellogg’s, Kind, Annie’s, and more) to liquidate their overstock and surplus inventory and get it in front of a new audience, and we help ensure their partnership with Martie gives ripple effects through reaching new audiences spanning beyond the sales we see. This approach allows us to partner with brands that never before have sold to another liquidation partner. We also understand our shoppers and use tracking data to know what they want and when. Martie offers a seamless and modern digital experience for customers to save on brands they trust and brands they get to discover. We focus on shelf-stable food items to keep our costs as low as possible, allowing us to pass more savings to our shoppers.

To date, we’ve saved more than 1M pounds of food from going to waste and saved our shoppers well over $2M. While there are obstacles ahead of us, there are just as many opportunities. We look forward to continuing to fight back against food waste, plus make it possible for everyone to make a sustainable choice – sometimes without even knowing it. 

Learn more at www.martie.com, or download the iOS and Android app.