Why would anyone ever pay at the store then instead of getting the free food? E.g. Just wait and it is all free.

I dont prefer to see food thrown away, but I also like having Markets and farmers with functional businesses.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/is-frances-groundbreaking-...

A third of the world's food goes to waste, but France is attempting to do something about it. Since 2016, large grocery stores in the country have been banned from throwing away unsold food that could be given away.