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 back into work.
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 partnrships 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.”
