Why “Mission-First” Models Like TooGoodToGo Are the Future of Sustainable Commerce

Aug 7

In today’s saturated marketplace, where brands compete for consumer attention with flashy campaigns and discount codes, the companies that rise above the noise tend to have something deeper driving them: a mission.

Take Too Good To Go, for example—a company that has carved out a rapidly growing presence in the sustainability and food tech space, by tackling one of the most pressing (yet often overlooked) global challenges: food waste.

Founded in 2015 by a group of young entrepreneurs in Copenhagen, Too Good To Go set out with a simple but powerful idea: connect restaurants and food vendors with consumers who want to rescue unsold food that would otherwise go to waste. That idea became a movement—and a marketplace.

Why This Works: The Power of a Dual-Marketplace Model

As a marketer and brand strategist, what strikes me most is how Too Good To Go successfully activates both sides of their marketplace with intention and clarity:

1. The Conscious Consumer

This isn't your average discount shopper. Too Good To Go’s users are motivated by value, yes—but also by values. They want to align their daily purchases with their desire to do good for the planet. This is a passionate, loyal demographic that’s growing in influence. They care about sustainability. They care about transparency. And they care about finding easy ways to make a difference.

2. The Local Vendor

Too Good To Go has also tapped into an underserved segment: local businesses, many of which are mom-and-pop shops operating on tight margins. For these vendors, the app unlocks new revenue from what would have otherwise been a sunk cost—unsold food. It’s a low-effort, high-reward solution, and one that also gives them a chance to reach new customers.

A Product That’s Priced to Scale

The app doesn’t just win hearts—it wins wallets. One standout example? In Los Angeles, you can grab a “surprise bag” from a local taqueria for just $5.99. It might include a burrito, a drink, and chips—a meal that would normally set you back $15 or more. That’s real value, especially in an economic climate where consumers are tightening their budgets but still seeking quality experiences.

The Results Speak for Themselves

Too Good To Go isn’t a niche experiment anymore. It’s a global platform with:

100 million registered users
175,000 business partners
400+ million meals saved

This is what happens when you build a brand with a mission that’s deeply embedded into the business model. It's not CSR as an afterthought—it's central to the value proposition.

Win-Win-Win: People, Profit, and the Planet

Too Good To Go's model reflects a growing trend I’m seeing across industries: the rise of the win-win-win. Their platform works because it delivers:

A win for consumers who want to save money while making sustainable choices.
A win for vendors who recapture lost revenue and reach new audiences.
A win for the planet, with every meal saved reducing food waste—a top contributor to climate change.

As Project Drawdown reported in 2020, reducing food waste is the #1 action we can take to combat climate change and keep global warming below 2°C.

From App to Movement

When Business Insider tested the app over a week, they found it especially effective for items like fresh produce. While not every surprise bag hits it out of the park (the pastries, for instance, were a bit inconsistent), the overall takeaway was clear: this works—for your wallet and your conscience.

Final Thought: Brands That Lead With Mission, Win Long-Term

As marketers, we often talk about differentiation, loyalty, and emotional connection. Too Good To Go checks all of these boxes—but not by gimmick or clever branding alone. They’ve built a model where doing the right thing is baked into the business itself.

And that, I believe, is the future of commerce.

Sol Creative Collective