RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The Triangle’s grocery business is getting even more competitive with the arrival of Farmstead, a Silicon Valley-based online grocery that offers free delivery and – what it says – “at better prices than local supermarkets.”
Farmstead picked the Triangle as its third market, and service will be launched in early 2021.
Multiple companies offer home delivery but Farmstead says it is different.
“We are excited to expand Farmstead’s presence on the East Coast,” said Pradeep Elankumaran, cofounder and CEO of Farmstead, in a statement. “Grocery delivery demand has exploded, and Farmstead has made delivery cheaper than going to the store yourself. We can’t wait to bring our service to Raleigh-Durham.”
In addition to a variety of special offers, Farmstead adds this differntiator: “Put your groceries on autopilot and get a 5% discount each time you buy the same product again.”
Regarding fruits and vegetables, the company promises at its website: “Your produce is hand-selected for quality each time you buy.”
The company relies on a so-called “dark store” model with warehouses acting as fulfilment centers. These are limited to deliveries within a 50-mile radius in order to reduce food wastage, control costs and enable quick service, it says.
Based in Burlingame, Calif., Farmstead delivers from a network of warehouses that are limited to a delivery radius of 50 miles in order to “maximize efficiency and reduce costs,” the company says. It relies on artificial intelligence that is proprietary to help coordinate service.
Farmstead plans to open multiple dark stores in the Triangle and promises to “meet customers’ desire for perfect orders with no stockouts, delivered free, with no markups.”
A waitlist has been established for service and is limited to 1,000 people.
To signup, visit this website.
Farmstead, which says its business has “grown by double-digits, month over month, throughout 2020” recently announced service would be launched in the Charlotte area.
