DELANCO, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Misfits Market, the leading online grocery platform focused on sustainability, affordability, and accessibility, today announced its launch in California, delivering to every zip code – from urban centers, to suburbs, to rural areas – in the state. The nearly 40 million residents of the nation’s largest state now have access to organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, plant-based proteins, everyday staples, and Misfits Market’s newly launched dairy category, all at up to 40 percent off traditional grocery store prices.
Following the company’s $225M Series C-1 this September, Misfits Market has been hyper-focused on nationwide expansion and increasing the selection of items available to customers as they build a complete online grocery platform and provide everyone access to quality, sustainably sourced food, delivered in an affordable way.
A More Affordable, Sustainable Grocery Option for California
California is one of the most diverse states when it comes to geography and income level, with 1 in 5 California residents reporting food insecurity and little access to quality and affordable groceries. Lack of access to healthy, fresh food options is an endemic problem and one Misfits Market aims to solve by eradicating food deserts in America by 2025. With the launch of all zip codes in California, the company now reaches 38,568 zip codes in the lower 48 states, bringing quality food and groceries at a great value to customers’ doorsteps.
“Since launching Misfits Market in 2018, we’ve had a vision to deliver a complete – and better – online grocery experience nationwide, and everything we’ve done up until this point has been in service to that, whether building our own in-house technology to support our food value supply chain or expanding our supplier relationships to bring more products to customers,” said Abhi Ramesh, CEO and Founder of Misfits Market. “We’re thrilled to officially bring Misfits Market to California, offering everyone in the state convenient access to quality food and grocery items at affordable prices.”
Local Farmers and Producers are at the Core of Misfits Market
California is one of the United States’ largest producers of agriculture, with over one third of the country’s vegetables and two thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts grown in the state. At the same time, almost one third of food grown in this country is never harvested because it doesn’t meet the superficial standards of traditional grocery stores. To combat this, Misfits Market has built an entirely new food value supply chain that helps eliminate food waste by working directly with suppliers to source quality goods that may otherwise go to waste due to gaps in the existing supply chain.
Since Misfits Market was founded in 2018, the company has saved 225 million pounds of food, 70% of which would have been lost revenue for farmers and food producers. Misfits Market has delivered $155 million as a new stream of “rescue revenue” to farmers and producers in less than three years while eliminating unnecessary food waste along the way. Misfits Market partners with many California-based organic farmers, quality-focused producers, and sustainably minded suppliers that today’s food system leaves behind. Among the California farming operations with which Misfits Market partners are Jacobs Del Cabo, Homegrown Organics, Coke Farms, Misionero (Earth Greens), JAS Family Farms, 4earth, Liv Organic, and Lakeside Organic Gardens.
“The amount of produce we throw away in California due to cosmetic reasons could feed the world, so we’ve been proud to eliminate millions of pounds of food waste annually in partnership with Misfits Market since we began supplying them almost three years ago,” says Dick Peixoto, owner/grower of Lakeside Organic Gardens in Watsonville, CA. “Misfits Market has been an excellent partner, focusing on our needs as we contend with challenges such as COVID, extreme weather, fires, and labor shortages. As we continue to grow the best possible organic crops, we know Misfits Market will give us a fair return on our hard work and deliver our quality, nutritious food that isn’t cosmetically marketable to traditional grocery stores directly to their customers’ kitchens.”
One Step Closer to the Full Online Value Grocery Experience
As part of Misfits Market’s quest to build a complete online value grocer, and having already doubled the selection of grocery items available to customers in the last four months, the company has now launched a dairy category for all Misfits Market customers. As of today, dairy products including 25 hard and soft cheeses (with organic and plant-based options among them) and butter are available, with additional products like milk, yogurt, and eggs added to the assortment in the coming months.
Misfits Market strives to work with farmers and food makers who share their vision for a more sustainable food system – which remains true with the launch of dairy products. As a mission-driven company committed to giving everyone access to affordable, quality food, the company is making it a priority to give customers more choice at value. Expanding to a fuller assortment that’s inclusive of dairy helps Misfits Market offer a full grocery experience, particularly to neighborhoods that don’t have healthy, affordable grocery options nearby.
Getting a Misfits Market box in California couldn’t be easier. Simply create an account and build your order from among hundreds of items in our shop and have it delivered on your preferred delivery day. No hidden membership fees. No “convenience” fees. No tips. Just a flat $5.50 shipping fee. Additionally, for every order shipped to California during the month of November, Misfits Market will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America member food banks in California ($1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks).
Get started here: https://www.misfitsmarket.com/sign-up.
About Misfits Market
Misfits Market, the direct-to-consumer online grocer focused on sustainability, affordability, and accessibility, delivers value by making it convenient to shop, eat, and live better. The company has created the first of its kind food value supply chain focused on building relationships with farmers, distributors, and producers to eliminate food waste while expanding food access. Today, Misfits Market delivers fresh organic produce, quality proteins, sustainably sourced pantry staples, and other grocery items to nearly every zip code in 44 states at up to 40 percent off traditional grocery store prices. Founded in 2018, the company is headquartered in Greater Philadelphia and has raised more than $525M in funding. To learn more and order your first box, visit www.misfitsmarket.com.
