# Refreshi x Polymorph case study copy **Status:** Preview draft. Cite Impact Report figures only after client OK to republish on polymorph.co.za. **Voice:** Polymorph: human, clear, interested. UK spelling. **CTA:** Talk to Polymorph → https://polymorph.co.za/contact-polymorph/ **Primary source:** [Refreshi Impact Report 2026](https://refreshi.co.za/impact-report-2026/) --- ## Title options 1. **How Refreshi and Polymorph took a surplus-food marketplace from 35 stores to 700 across South Africa** *(recommended)* 2. **How Refreshi and Polymorph built a surplus-food marketplace now live across South Africa’s major cities** 3. **How Polymorph helped Refreshi grow a two-sided surplus-food marketplace to 700 partner stores** --- ## SEO (draft) **Title tag (≤70):** How Refreshi grew from 35 to 700 stores | Polymorph **Meta description:** How Refreshi and Polymorph built a surplus-food marketplace that grew from 35 partner stores to 700, with 200,000 meals rescued and R12.5m saved by households (Refreshi Impact Report 2026). --- ## Pull quote (near top) `[Confirm with Martin, Greg, or Jakob]` > “Polymorph helped us build a marketplace that fits how South African stores and shoppers actually behave.” > > **Name**, Role, Refreshi --- ## TLDR | | | |--|--| | **Problem** | South Africa wastes millions of tonnes of edible food while households struggle with affordability. Refreshi wanted a marketplace that lets retailers sell surplus as discounted Surprise Bags, and shoppers buy and collect in store. | | **What we did** | Aligned on a product charter, ran discovery alongside delivery on SA-specific payments, pickup, and store operations, and built one Flutter app for consumers, stores, and web. | | **Outcome** | As reported in Refreshi’s 2026 Impact Report: 700 partner stores (from 35 at launch), 200,000+ registered users, 200,000 meals rescued in 12 months, R12.5m saved by households, R10m recovered by retailers. Live in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, George, and Mossel Bay. | --- ## Explore chips - **Client:** Refreshi - **Industry:** Retail / Marketplace - **Services:** Concept alignment, UX research & design, product build (Flutter), ongoing delivery --- ## Key stats (Impact Report 2026) | Stat | Figure | |------|--------| | Partner stores | 700 (from 35 at launch) | | Registered users | 200,000+ | | Meals rescued (12 months) | 200,000 | | Household grocery savings | R12.5m | | Retailer revenue recovered | R10m | | Cities | Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, George, Mossel Bay | | Growth | 10 to 15 new stores per week (supporting) | | Launch | Stellenbosch, March 2025 | Frame as outcomes of the product Polymorph designed and built, as reported by Refreshi. Cite the Impact Report; do not imply Polymorph alone drove every retail sale. --- ## Body ### Introduction Refreshi is a South African food-tech company building a marketplace for surplus food. Retailers list unsold stock as Surprise Bags, typically at a fraction of the original price. Shoppers pay in the app and collect in store during a set window. Refreshi partnered with Polymorph to design and build that product. A Stellenbosch pilot in March 2025 grew into a nationwide network: 700 partner stores, more than 200,000 registered users, and major centres including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban. ### The Situation Food waste and affordability sit next to each other in South Africa. Refreshi’s bet was a two-sided marketplace: stores clearing surplus without cannibalising full-price sales, and consumers getting a reliable, discounted bag they can collect the same day. Store staff need something they can run on a busy floor. Shoppers need to trust the bag, the payment, and the collection window. Both sides have to work, or the marketplace stalls. ### The Problem Payment rails, checkout, how retailers handle end-of-day surplus, and what “nearby” means for collection all needed a South African answer. Copying a European surplus-food app would have missed those details. One insight changed the discovery flow. In many European cities, people walk to the closest offer. Here, shoppers will often drive a few kilometres to a store they already trust. The product had to favour preferred stores and real travel habits over raw map distance. The team also needed one maintainable product for consumers and stores across mobile and web. One Flutter codebase covered those surfaces. ### The Solution Polymorph started with the business objectives before any feature list. A Development Kickoff in September 2024 put the cross-functional team on one product charter, story map, and delivery rhythm. Surplus-food marketplaces already work in other markets, so the team moved into build while running discovery in parallel on SA payments, retailer surplus routines, pickup logistics, and local pricing. When those details shifted mid-build, the product adjusted. Store discovery started reflecting how people actually choose where to shop. Role-based access keeps store and consumer experiences clear inside that single app. Collection got heavy design attention because it decides whether someone comes back. The first live proving ground was a Vida e Caffè pilot in Stellenbosch. ### The Results Outcomes of the product Polymorph designed and built, as reported in [Refreshi’s 2026 Impact Report](https://refreshi.co.za/impact-report-2026/): - **700 partner stores**, up from **35** at launch, adding about 10 to 15 stores a week - **200,000+ registered users** - **200,000 meals** rescued from landfill in 12 months (about 20,000 per month) - **R12.5m** saved by South African households on groceries - **R10m** recovered by retailers from food previously written off as waste - Live across Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, George, and Mossel Bay ### Looking ahead Refreshi’s public roadmap points toward 2,000+ participating stores. Polymorph keeps shaping the product around how stores and shoppers behave as the marketplace grows. --- ## CTA **Book your concept design and let’s start building better software, better.** [Talk to Polymorph](https://polymorph.co.za/contact-polymorph/) --- ## FAQ (GEO) 1. **What is Refreshi?** A South African marketplace that connects retailers’ surplus food with shoppers via discounted Surprise Bags. 2. **What did Polymorph do?** Product alignment, UX, and build of the consumer and store experiences on a shared Flutter codebase. 3. **What results has the product achieved?** Per Refreshi’s 2026 Impact Report: 700 stores, 200k+ users, 200k meals rescued, R12.5m household savings. 4. **Who is this case study for?** Founders and product leaders building two-sided marketplaces or localising a proven model for South Africa. 5. **How do we start a similar conversation?** [Contact Polymorph](https://polymorph.co.za/contact-polymorph/).