Blue Ocean Social Enterprise Case Study: Too Good To Go ✅

Transitioning to a greener economy often involves significant costs, making it difficult for profit-seeking business leaders to incorporate more sustainable business practices into their businesses. 

But there is a way for businesses to incorporate sustainability without compromising profits and growth…

This is shown in Too Good To Go (TGTG): a surplus food marketplace saving good food from going to waste. TGTG highlights a new way of thinking about innovation and growth that defies the conventional belief that sustainable practices must come at the expense of profit and value. They demonstrate how business and sustainability can intersect. Specifically, this business illustrates how the significant problem of food waste in the food retail and service industry could be a brand-new opportunity for lucrative and accountable business creation. 

In fact, TGTG demonstrates a new way of thinking about innovation and growth leveraging the Blue Ocean mindset, by challenging the prevalent idea that sustainable practices must sacrifice profit and value.

Fueled by the social good and profits, TGTG created a two-sided market connecting surplus food with customers. On the social side, their mission is to tackle the problem of food waste, which is a significant global issue. By reducing the amount of surplus food that ends up in landfills, they are contributing positively to the environment and society. On the profit side, TGTG has developed a business model that is profitable by connecting consumers with excess food that would otherwise be thrown away. This is an example of a social enterprise: a company that balances purpose with profit.

It shifted surplus food from waste to product, from charitable action to profitable business action, and from cheap food to conscious consumption. In this way, TGTG broke the dilemma that any food business operator had regarding food waste that is too good to go. The company instantly appealed to local businesses, big-name retailers, and consumers, as it aligned the value for customers and profits for both TGTG and its partners, while society enjoyed the positive impact of reduced food waste.

References:

“Too Good to Go.” Blue Ocean Strategy, 21 Nov. 2024, www.blueoceanstrategy.com/teaching-materials/tgtg/.