Nicholas Bertram, former president of The Giant Company (TGC), has joined Flashfood, the Toronto-based digital marketplace that connects consumers to discounted food nearing its best-by date, as president and COO.
Bertram, who resigned from his post at TGC in late August 2022, will join the company effective immediately. Flashfood just completed a historic year having diverted more than 65 million pounds of food from landfills – a milestone achieved following the company’s rapid expansion to over 1,550 grocery stores across North America. In addition to providing consumers and retailers with a simple solution to reduce food waste, Flashfood estimates that it has saved shoppers more than $150 million on grocery bills during a time when food costs are rising more than 11 percent.
“Nick brings an unprecedented level of first-hand leadership experience with some of the biggest names in the retail sector,” said Flashfood founder and CEO, Josh Domingues. “His vision and successes around sustainable retailing align perfectly with our company’s mission to reduce food that is wasted throughout the retail sector. Nick has seen how the level of waste experienced by grocers represents billions of dollars in lost revenue and understands the massive impact this also has on our planet. More importantly, he understands how this food could have helped families which is a shared passion he brings to Flashfood that will help fuel our next phase of growth.”
As the new president and COO of Flashfood, Bertram will be tasked to accelerate Flashfood’s growth, working closely with Domingues and internal department leaders to further develop capabilities and innovation that impacts the connected problems of food insecurity and food waste.
“I have never been more excited about the collective impact the food industry, sustainability-minded investors and technology companies like Flashfood can have on our future,” said the 42 year old executive who has also worked for JC Penney, Jewel-Osco and Walmart in a grocery career that began when the Kentucky native was 16. “Josh and the rest of the board of directors have given me an amazing opportunity to join at this stage, with such a talented team and unique product. Together with its retail partners, Flashfood is already making huge inroads in reducing food waste while helping consumers save money – and now is the right time to accelerate this bold work,” Bertram noted.
Using the Flashfood app enables consumers to browse deals – directly from their phone – as a way to save up to 50 percent on high-quality items nearing their best-by date, such as meats, dairy, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, bakery items and more. Shoppers browse and buy discounted food items directly through the Flashfood app on their mobile phones, and then pick up their orders from the Flashfood Zone located inside participating stores.
Retailers currently working with Flashfood include TGC, Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Loblaw, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food (the latter three are all Ahold Delhaize USA brands), Save A Lot and Giant Eagle.Â
Bertram also serves as a director of PECO (Philadelphia Electric Co.) and last month was named founding member of the advisory board of Divert, Inc., a West Concord, MA-based tech company that creates infrastructure to eliminate waste. Divert works with five Fortune 100 companies and nearly 5,400 retail stores across the U.S., helping food merchants reach their sustainability goals.
