Several bakery chains in Singapore have introduced surprise bags or boxes, comprising of unsold pastries and cakes to their consumers as part of their effort to cut food waste while at the same time generate additional revenues for the business.
Prices of these ‘mystery’ goods are slashed more than half and are released usually just before business closing time. Customers usually can make their advance orders via mobile app and pick up the boxes later just before the shops closed.
Pastries and cakes are often discarded 2-3 days after production, as such consumers get to enjoy these quality products via our mystery bags, according to a spokesperson from artisanal bakery chain Baker & Cook. The bakery has so far sold more than 17,000 units of the mystery bags.
Yindii, an app that allows users to purchase surprise bags, has seen around 160,000 subscriptions since it launched in August last year. Yindi was launched in Thailand in 2020 before making its way to Hong Kong (2022) and Singapore. Singapore is currently Yindii’s biggest market with up to 80 brands and more than 400 stores on the platform.
Another platform, Treatsure, allows users to buy a box for S$10 (US$8) and fill it up with food from hotel buffets up to an hour before closing time. Treatsure has 5 partners so far that include Grand Hyatt, Fairmont and Novotel.
Consumers are attracted to the mystery boxes due to the element of surprise apart from the massive discounts offered.
In Singapore, an average of 75,000 tonnes of food waste was generated annually, contributing more than 10% of the country’s total waste. Only 18% of unwanted food in Singapore was recycled. Food waste that ends up in landfills releases greenhouse gases into the environment, adding to global warming.
