By Novella Lui, RD
With the Canada Food Price Report (CFPR) 2025 projecting that overall food prices will soar 3% to 5% in 2025, now is the perfect time to look for creative ways to save money on produce and groceries. The good news is that enjoying veggies and fruits doesn’t have to break the bank. In addition to our Saving Money Guide, here is a list of 5 mobile apps and websites to help you find produce deals in your area.
1. Flipp
Flipp offers both a website and a mobile app that compiles weekly digital flyers where you can search for deals from grocery stores and other retailers near you. To compare prices of the same item across different grocery stores, you can search for the item in the search bar. Flipp will then generate a list of deals on the same item at grocery stores near you. You can narrow your search further by filtering the list and only see deals from your favourite stores. Check out how much produce $20 can get you by shopping the store flyer in our #Fresh20 campaign.
If the food item you have in mind isn’t a deal yet, you can always create a “Watch List” to keep an eye on it. The app will notify you when the item goes on sale.
You can also link your grocery loyalty cards to your Flipp account to make it easy to organize the different coupons available at the retailers. Currently, Flipp is available in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, Montreal, Oshawa, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, and Windsor.
2. Flashfood
If you prefer purchasing specific veggies and fruits instead of a produce box that offers you a random selection, consider buying them from Flashfood, which teams up with major grocery stores, such as Loblaws, Superstore, Maxi, and more, across the country, to allow consumers to purchase food approaching their best before date at a discounted price.
Once you download the mobile app, you will be prompted to create a profile. Based on your location, the map generates a list of grocery stores in your search area with discounted items. Each store provides a comprehensive list of available food items, including the original price, discounted price, and best before date indicated for each item.
For example, a mixed produce box consisting of a 4-pack of peppers, 2 heads of lettuce, 2 radish bunches, and 6 red onions was listed for only $5 at a major retailer in Toronto.*
When you have chosen your desired food items, you pay in the app and pick up your order at the grocery store’s Flashfood zone. This area is typically located near the checkout area of the store, where there is a designated Flashfood fridge with your grocery items packaged by the staff. Use their location search to find Flashfood at grocery stores near you.
3. FoodHero
Similar to FlashFood, FoodHero partners with grocery stores and food co-ops, like Sobeys, IGA, Metro, and more to sell surplus food and food items approaching their best before date at 25% to 60% off their regular price.
Enter your postal code or use your current location to find the grocery stores with available items—you can also go to their location page to view the list of participating merchants across the country. You can further filter the available food items and filter for vegetables and fruits. Each available food item has a description, original price, discounted price, the number of items available, and the best before date.
When you have added the items to your cart and checked out, the store will process your order and notify you through the app when it is ready for pick up.
4. Too Good to Go
Too Good to Go allows consumers to buy food from grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, butchers, and more at a discounted price, where these outlets prepare “surprise bags” — bags filled with surplus food. The food items in the bag could vary depending on what surplus they have for the day.
Use the app to find produce from specific stores within a 30km radius of your location. The app then generates a list of stores, the specified pick-up times, the number of bags available for pick-up, and the price for each bag. You can further filter to generate stores that offer produce and view the store rating.
Depending on the stores and your location, each bag of produce could be discounted at a minimum of 50% of the listed price. For example, a grocery store in Burnaby, BC offers a surprise bag of grocery items that includes mangos and meat for $5.99*, discounted from $18.
Once you reserve a bag, the app gives you an order ID. The store will also send you a notification by email to let you know when your bag is ready for pick up.
5. Sauvegarde
Like Too Good to Go, Sauvegarde is a Montreal-based company that enables locals to find surplus food from food retailers at a discounted price, including grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and more. For instance, one grocery retailer in Montreal offers a surprise produce box for $14.99, discounted from $30.*
As an app user, you can preview the list of stores and the stores’ ratings based on your location. You can also browse the list of available stores with your preferred items by narrowing your search specifically for groceries. If there are products available from the stores, you can also view a brief description, the product rating, and the quantity available.
If something catches your eye, add the items to your cart and checkout. Once your items are confirmed by the store, your order will be processed and set aside for pick up until the end of the day. Sauvegarde is available in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City, and Ottawa.
Keep an Eye Out for Less-than-Perfect Produce
Freshly harvested produce may have blemishes that don’t meet the cosmetic standards of some grocery stores. Instead of diverting them to waste, some grocery stores now offer less-than-perfect produce, which are less expensive, have minor imperfections, and are safe to eat. There are also companies today, like Odd Bunch, who deliver surplus and imperfect fresh produce to consumers’ doorsteps, collecting less-than-perfect veggies and fruits from farms, greenhouses, and distributors. A small box of fruits and vegetables listed at $20 can feed one person for a week, while a large box listed at $46 can feed up to four people for a week.
Key Takeaway
Being a savvy grocery deal seeker has gotten a lot easier. Thanks to technology—you can save money to help you fill half your plate with veggies and fruits. Through mobile apps and websites, you can now search for deals and browse digital flyers to compare prices, clip digital coupons, purchase discounted produce from grocery stores, restaurants, and more. Browse our website for the latest recipes and fresh ideas, and our resource hub for produce storage and money-saving tips, and many more!
*Prices were verified on January 8, 2025.
About the author
Novella Lui is a registered dietitian who is passionate about supporting people in building healthy relationships with food by sharing simple and practical tips. As a food, nutrition and health writer, she combines her interest in evidence-based nutrition and health education through content creation. Find out more about her work on www.novellard.com.
