Pay-what-you-can grocery opens in Toronto

Experts say model can be hit-or-miss

TORONTO There’s a reason you don’t often see a pay-what-you-can grocery store, say marketing experts intrigued by a Toronto venture billed as the first of its kind.

But chef Jagger Gordon says it’s an experiment he’s eager to try with his Pay It Forward Grocery Store, which opened Saturday with many of the typical staples you might find in a conventional supermarket.

The difference is that visitors are encouraged to take just what they need, and only pay what they can, even if that’s no money at all.

Gordon doesn’t expect to make a profit from this project, which includes a bakery and cafe and is the latest endeavour from his zero-waste and food security campaign, dubbed Feed It Forward.

He says the goal is to feed the hungry with food that he’s “rescued” from food terminals, supermarkets and bakeries that would otherwise go to waste.

“It’s a simple procedure of taking those trucks that are destined for landfills and hijacking them and giving them to people in need,” says Gordon, who last year helmed a pay-what-you-can restaurant that made soup and sandwiches from discarded produce that might have a bruise or blemish.

“There’s more of a demand for food that is needed by Canadians than people know.”

You'd be hard pressed to find critics of such a worthy mission.

The sliding scale concept, however, is more often applied to arts events like theatre, dance or museums, notes marketing professor Claire Tsai of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business.

And generally speaking, it’s not something she expects would translate well to shopping for fruits and vegetables.

“When people think about groceries, people want to save money,” Tsai says.

The charitable aspect in this case could affect that, she allows, as would peer pressure to do your part if the neighbourhood is tight-knit.

But the pay-what-you-can-model is a tricky one to get right, she says, noting it often fails to offset costs. Tsai points to the pay-what-you-can days at New York museums, which she describes as free-for-alls for many tourists.

“You need a relationship with the buyer and seller. You cannot have everyone who just wants to come and get a freebie ... and at least a group of high-income people who are willing to support this cost.”

There will undoubtedly be some who take advantage of the system, adds marketing expert Brent McKenzie at the University of Guelph. But he suggests this venture is buffered by a uniquely altruistic spirit.