A certified Community Interest Company, Community Shop is a social enterprise that aims to revitalize and renew food industries, which often suffer from an elitist approach -- one that simply has to do with expensive food! Here, inexpensive healthy foods are offered on a members-only basis and sometimes at 70% less than what you would find in a normal retail environment. Logistically, this is done through using surplus food, whether that means labelling errors or a short shelf life.
In addition to inexpensive food, Community Shop will stay true to its name and create programming such as cooking classes and financial independence classes. Company Shop is the parent company through which this pilot project currently receives funding and support.
Contact Information
Community Shop website
Community Shop on Twitter
Surplus Food Supermarkets
Community Shop is a Social Enterprise on a Pilot Program
Trend Themes
1. Surplus Food Markets - Creating specialized markets that make use of food surplus to offer inexpensive healthy food and tackle food waste presents multiple disruptive innovation opportunities.
2. Community-focused Retail - Creating retail spaces that cater to the community's needs and support initiatives like cooking and financial classes presents multiple disruptive innovation opportunities.
3. Social Enterprise Incubators - Creating innovative models that connect underutilized resources to serve a social mission presents multiple disruptive innovation opportunities.
Industry Implications
1. Grocery Retail - Grocery retailers can leverage the concept of surplus food markets and community-focused retail to create inclusive spaces and drive sales.
2. Food Waste Management - Companies and municipalities focused on food waste management can leverage surplus food markets to reduce food waste and promote sustainable business practices.
3. Social Enterprise - Social enterprise incubators can leverage Community Shop's model to create innovative models that deliver sustainable social and financial returns.