Frequently asked questions

A. You can save time and money by not having to shop around for frequently purchased items. Additionally, it’s free and there is no obligation to buy.

A. You can access thousands of products, food, operational supplies and more.

A. You may find that you qualify for better pricing with a vendor you are already working with. It’s worth taking a look to see the Marketplace deals being offered! If you find that the savings, rebates or shipping offers are better with a different vendor through Marketplace, then yes, you may want to consider switching vendors.

A. Because each organization is unique, the savings will also be unique. Deals have been negotiated to benefit organizations of all locations, sizes and needs.

A. You may occasionally find lower prices from your local grocery store’s front page flyers, however, the Marketplace vendors offer excellent pricing on key food bank staples.

A. Food Banks Canada’s objective is to maximize the collective impact of the network, enabling food banks to stretch their purchasing dollars. Therefore, Food Banks Canada does not benefit financially from this program.  All savings are passed directly to food banks.

A. Some of the vendors will have minimum purchase requirements in order to receive free shipping. Your organization doesn’t have to commit to any quantity to receive the best prices. Look for the ‘Minimum Order’ information on the Vendors page.

A. Your organization does not have to commit to any frequency of purchasing.

A. It’s worth looking into the Marketplace, you may be surprised by the savings you are eligible for and some of the low minimum order requirements for free shipping.

A. For vendors with an application process, it will take you approximately 5 minutes to complete the forms and could take up to 10 days for vendors to activate your account. The vendor will alert you once you’ve become a customer and you’ll have access to view the preferential price lists or rebates.

A. Because each vendor is a separate business, customer applications are required for each vendor.  You are only required to complete one Foodbuy membership application to access preferred price lists for all Foodbuy vendors.