Every year, U.S. grocers discard $10 billion to $15 billion in unsold products. The items might be damaged, discontinued, seasonal or food that’s just close to its sell-by date.
Some of those products might be sent to a landfill, contributing to the massive food waste problem. Some go to a food bank or even get delivered to shelters, as with this company in Boulder, Colo. But increasingly, they might also be resold to the public. Grocery auctions are joining salvage grocery and dollar stores as a popular clearinghouse for food that’s past its prime.
On one summer Saturday afternoon, around 80 people have filled the folding the chairs at the Chesapeake Auction House in St. Leonard, Md. Grocery auctions have been growing in popularity since the recession as a way to get a lot of food for not a lot of money. Today, bidders have come for deals like frozen chicken at just over $1 per pound, blueberry granola for $1.50 and a large bag of chips for $1.50.
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