# Charitable Grocery Initiatives 'The Free Store' Redistributes Supermarket Surplus to Those in Need By Ell Smith | Published 2017-09-16 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-free-store References: [ecowatch](https://www.ecowatch.com/free-grocery-store-food-waste-2484492585.html) & [thefreestore.org.nz](https://www.thefreestore.org.nz/) What started as a two-week art project has expanded into a permanent institution as 'The Free Store' opens its doors to the general public. Each year, approximately $625 million worth of food is discarded in New Zealand, and most of that food is still safe for consumption. This non-profit addresses the country's major [food waste problem](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/giant-food-and-divert) by offering [free food to those in need](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coordinated-care). The Free Store stocks its shelves with the [surplus from bakeries and grocery stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aldi-uk-and-neighbourly), redistributing food which would have otherwise gone to waste. The store has a "no conditions" policy, meaning "anybody can come for whatever reason and take whatever they want." With this imitative, The Free Store combats two major social issues of poverty and food waste through facilitating a connection between the two. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 44% | Activity: 52% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Food Waste Reduction:** The Free Store's initiative highlights the growing trend of addressing food waste by redistributing surplus food. - **Social Impact Retail:** The Free Store's model showcases the trend of retail spaces being used for social impact purposes, challenging the traditional retail industry. - **Community Collaboration:** The Free Store promotes the trend of communities coming together to address social issues, fostering a sense of solidarity and collective action. ### Where This Applies - **Grocery Retail:** The Free Store's initiative could inspire the grocery retail industry to explore partnerships with non-profit organizations to reduce food waste and address food insecurity. - **Social Enterprises:** The Free Store's success highlights the potential for social enterprises to disrupt traditional business models by prioritizing social impact over profit. - **Sustainability Solutions:** The Free Store's approach to redistributing surplus food demonstrates an innovative approach to sustainable solutions for reducing food waste and supporting vulnerable communities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Affordable Grocery Store Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/affordable-grocery-store.md) - [Hybrid Community Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-after-market.md) - [Consumer-Run Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hyperburgers.md) - [Discounted Food Waste Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/food-waste-apps.md) - [Surplus Food Grocer Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aldi-and-too-good-to-go.md) - [Walk-In Freezer Concept Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sainsfreeze.md) - [Hunger Relief Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hunger-relief.md) - [Free Grocery Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-polymarket.md) - [Hyper-Local Gifting Communities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buy-nothing-project.md)