Henderson Technology celebrates three year collaboration with Gander

Innovative reduced food app, Gander, is marking the three-year anniversary of its Northern Ireland launch in partnership with Henderson Technology. At a time, when the cost-of-living crisis is dominating headlines; showing soaring business costs and reduced disposal incomes – this partnership has proven to be a positive solution to reverse these challenges. Providing retailers and consumers with a perfect solution to escalating grocery bills, retail partners are seeing improvements in sell through rates of markdown good; whilst shoppers who engage with the app are seeing an average saving of 56 per cent on their weekly food shop, according to its own Ganderlytics. Gander is a mobile platform that displays ‘reduced-to-clear’ food products. The organisation initially partnered with Henderson Technology to bring its sustainable technology to life in stores supplied by the Henderson Group in Northern Ireland under the SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRA and ViVO Essentials brands. To date it has achieved 166,000 downloads and has 86,500 weekly user events in NI alone. Gander’s Head of Customer Engagement and Business Development, Stacey Williams says: “Our initial launch with Henderson Technology provided us with the perfect platform to highlight the issue of food waste and offer shoppers a new way to avail of instore value in real-time. Additionally, it gives retailers access to data that informs instore processes, reshapes policies, and positively impacts the bottom line.” Stacey adds, “Henderson Technology was the perfect partner, as they shared our passion for sustainability and worked collaboratively with us to ensure that the technology worked equally well for retailers and shoppers alike. We have produced a model that has now been replicated across the UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man with different retailers. “However, the importance of our partnership, and that of our other partners, has never been more relevant. Recent consumer behaviour surveys have highlighted a significant change in the buying habits of shoppers as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. More and more shoppers are looking for ways to make their weekly food budget go further. Whilst there is a shift to own brand goods and discounts, we are working to show that yellow-stickered goods are a brilliant option for those wanting to save.” Gander aims to dispel the perception that reduced prices mean reduced quality. It intends to show that yellow-stickered goods are as versatile as full price goods. The app, which gives shoppers real time information on what is available in their local store, also allows retailers to learn from key data how shopping habits are changing and adapt accordingly. Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director at Henderson Technology says: “We are most certainly in a time of change when it comes to shopping habits. However, we are well positioned to support our retailers and shoppers to navigate this uncertainty. “When we partnered with Gander in 2019, food waste was a growing issue, and it still is today. However, we have seen through feedback from our retailers, that Gander has provided a viable solution that delivers results for them. “We’re selling food on – not wasting it – and not paying for stock to be taken away. There are multiple benefits helping the bottom line. Customers value it, especially in these challenging economic times when they are looking for more cost-effective ways of feeding themselves. “Shoppers have an appetite for solutions that make their spend go further and Gander is perfect for reshaping the mindset around reduced itemed goods. Together we are affecting positive behavioural change that is reshaping the food chain waste issue.” Gander has since integrated with other retailers across the Channel Islands, Midlands, South Wales, Scotland, and Isle of Man, with new partnerships to be announced.