Save A Lot donated 103,656 bags of food to local charities through its annual Bags for a Brighter Holiday program, marking a 54 percent increase from the prior year’s effort. The St. Louis-based discount grocer announced the results Jan. 15, following a three-month customer donation campaign.
Customers purchased pre-assembled food bags at Save A Lot stores throughout October, November and December, with the retailer directing all proceeds to local food charities and pantries. Each bag contained private label and brand name grocery staples including pasta, stuffing mix, canned vegetables and other shelf-stable items.
Save A Lot supplemented customer contributions with $50,000 in gift cards distributed to 116 participating charities for additional grocery purchases. The combined effort delivered approximately $548,952.93 in food and gift cards to communities nationwide.
The 2025 holiday season results represent significant growth from January 2025, when Save A Lot donated 67,252 bags worth about $336,260 through the same program. That earlier campaign ran only during November and December, compared to the extended October-through-December timeline in 2025.
[RELATED: Save A Lot Customers Donate 67K Food Bags To Charities]
Multi-year commitment
Save A Lot has operated the Bags for a Brighter Holiday program for several years, with participation levels fluctuating based on customer engagement and store count. In January 2024, the chain donated 124,000 bags. The January 2023 campaign yielded more than 130,000 bags, while December 2021 results totaled more than 102,000 bags.
The discount grocer positions the program as a partnership between the company, customers and local charities. Stores select partner organizations in their communities, allowing donations to address food insecurity at the local level rather than through a centralized distribution model.
The pre-assembled bag model enables customers to support hunger relief without requiring extensive time or product selection decisions. Save A Lot stocks each bag with consistent items across locations, simplifying the donation process for shoppers during peak holiday shopping periods.
[RELATED: Save A Lot To Remove Artificial Dyes From Private Label Products]