According to Chantal Camps de Gispert, in GoodAfter’s four years of activity - the platform was launched in 2016 by a ‘start up’ in Porto - more than 225 tonnes of products have already been sold to the markets of Portugal and Spain, where the company operates.

In an interview with Lusa agency, as part of World Food Day, which took place on 16 October, the company’s co-founder explained that the platform sells food and non-food products that are close to the end or outside of the preferential consumption period, with discounts of up to 70 percent on the average price, but “with full guarantees of food safety”.

“Today the Portuguese have a greater awareness of food waste and a notion of total safety of what it is like to consume products that are at their limit, or exceed, the date of preferential consumption,” said Chantal Gispert.

With the pandemic crisis, consumer demand in the two countries where GoodAfter operates has skyrocketed, with the company “completely under pressure, with thousands of orders,” since March, which translated into 250 percent growth in sales during the months of the pandemic.

“Today this pressure continues and it is also due to the economic crisis, since we offer three things in one: quality, the fight against waste and price,” she pointed out, adding that the platform currently has more than 7,000 customers, half of whom are “loyal customers”.

“We want to wake up and make people aware of changing environmental and healthier habits and behaviours, thus allowing, through a change in mentality and behaviour, the reduction of the volume of food waste and improving people’s diet and health,” she said.

GoodAfter’s suppliers range from product manufacturers themselves to distributors, supermarkets and small grocery stores, as “they all have validity problems, discontinued/obsolete lines or seasonal products”.

Most of the merchandise is purchased in Portugal, but the company also has suppliers in countries including Spain, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

The products sold on the GoodAfter website range from food products such as canned goods, preserves and others, to non-food products such as shampoos, softeners or cleaning products, with the platform working with brands such as Renova, Jerónimo Martins, Reckitt, Henkel, Cerealis, Nicola, Condi and Nobre.

The logistics platform of the online supermarket is located in the Areosa Hypercentre in Porto, where the products are stored and picked, from where they are then sent to Portugal (responsible for 70 percent of sales) and Spain.

The transport costs (to be paid by the buyer) are €3.95 in Portugal and €4.95 in Spain, with free shipping on orders of €49 or more.

In mainland Portugal deliveries are made in one to two working days, while for Spain they are made in the two or three working days following the order.

Operating with the approval of the Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) and the positive opinion of the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary Affairs (DGAV), GoodAfter explains that they not only market products that are out of date, but goods with a preferential consumption date, until which the brands ensure the perfect quality of the same (difference between “Best before” and “recommended use by date”).

“Beyond that limit, products can be consumed and marketed in a legal manner, since food safety is not called into question, and they can be sold at substantially lower prices, thus leading to high savings on consumers’ bills”, she explained.

Assuming itself as “a clearly ‘green’ solution”, this project of Portuguese origin aims to reduce food waste, waste and pollution resulting from its elimination and currently has a team of eight people in Porto.