Usually you have to head to the store to see your options for this win-win-win Japanese shopping custom, but Starbucks has made it extra-easy. In Japan, there’s a common practice of supermarkets and t

Usually you have to head to the store to see your options for this win-win-win Japanese shopping custom, but Starbucks has made it extra-easy.

In Japan, there’s a common practice of supermarkets and takeout places discounting leftover items as they get close to closing time. It’s a win-win-win policy, as consumers get to save a little cash, the store gets to make some extra sales, and the reduction in food waste is a plus for the environment too.

Since these discounts are for leftover items, though, you can’t necessarily count on them happening every day, especially if there’s a particular item you’re looking for. You actually have to go to the store to see what, if anything, is marked down that night…unless, that is, you’re looking for close-to-closing discounts at Starbucks Japan.

Because these kinds of discounts are limited to pre-made items with short shelf lives that wouldn’t be able to be sold the following day, Starbucks doesn’t mark down, say, coffee or S’mores Frappuccinos. They do, however, discount things like their sweets, snacks, and sandwiches, something they started doing in 2021 through their** Save Food** Program. Until now, the discounts were only offered to customers making regular in-store purchases, but beginning this month Starbucks Japan is expanding the program to include close-to-closing discounts on orders made through its Mobile Order and Pay app, letting customers purchase marked-down items before arriving at the branch to pick them up.

When selecting a Starbucks branch to place an order with, a Save Food mark will appear on items with reduced prices. Exact availability and discount timing will vary by branch and day, but Save Food items usually start showing up around three hours before closing time. A portion of Save Food sales is donated to a children’s hunger charity program too, adding one more group to the list of beneficiaries.

Save Food items were added to the Mobile Order and Pay system on December 1 and are in the process of being implemented for Starbucks Japan branches nationwide.

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