retail environment
Free food and support on offer this Christmas
Budget supermarket Aldi is to support local charities, foodbanks, and community groups this Christmas through its Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund.
The supermarket will be donating £250,000 to help organisations as they prepare for increased demand for their services.
Aldi will also be introducing new signage in stores over the festive period to help customers identify the most in demand items at foodbanks, as selected by the organisations themselves. Customers will see a special logo on shelves by items such as baked beans, teabags, and toiletries. Once purchased, items can be dropped at food donation points by Aldi’s checkouts.
Liz Fox, corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, said: “We know that Christmas is already a particularly challenging time for many, but this year is understandably going to be even tougher for a lot of households.
“That’s why we’re more committed than ever to doing what we can to give back. We want to make food accessible for all and hope both our additional funding and donation drive will help to make a real difference.”
The fund builds on Aldi’s partnership with community engagement platform Neighbourly through which all of Aldi’s 980 UK stores can donate surplus food seven days a week, all year round.
Steve Butterworth, chief executive of Neighbourly, added: “The cost-of-living is impacting communities up and down the country and the charities we support are expecting to see demand increase even further over the coming months.
“Without the support of the public and businesses like Aldi we’d be unable to help those in need. Within our network there are many charities and community groups that will be able to put this funding to good use, to support families that are struggling.”
This is the latest move in trying to help struggling families cope with the cost of living. Many retailers have put in place low or zero interest loans, Christmas bonuses to go towards spiralling energy costs and free food to colleagues. Apart from lending a helping hand, it is also designed to prevent colleagues turning to internal theft to make ends meet as many businesses have seen a rise in cost-of-living dishonesty from staff.
