Farmstead has opened the waitlist for its upcoming Chicago service launch. Farmstead is one of the first online grocers to offer fresh, high-quality groceries, delivered for free, at better prices than local supermarkets.
Waitlist signups will be limited to the first 1,000 customers. Service is scheduled to begin in early 2022, and will initially be available in Chicago and nearby suburbs with delivery in as little as one hour.
Chicago is Farmstead’s fifth market – the company’s service originated in the San Francisco Bay area, and it also serves Miami, Florida and Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
Farmstead became a local favorite for its mix of local and national brands, no-fee delivery, convenience and fair prices. Customers can choose a same-day delivery slot with a two-or-three-hour guaranteed delivery window for one-off, every day ordering, or sign up for a free once-a-week delivery. All Farmstead deliveries are batched together with other orders in the same neighborhood, to reduce carbon emissions.
More than 70 percent of Farmstead customers eventually sign up for weekly deliveries, earning additional discounts on fresh staple products they purchase regularly, while getting guaranteed delivery windows each week.
Farmstead stands out from other offerings by leveraging proprietary AI technology and a dark store model—delivery-centric warehouses that generally serve a 50-mile radius—to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
As a result, Farmstead offers prices comparable to or lower than most supermarkets, but with free delivery to doorstep. The company is growing quickly, with plans to expand nationwide to a primarily suburban, mid-market audience.
“Chicagoans love grocery delivery – we’ve had hundreds of requests to expand our service there,” said Pradeep Elankumaran, co-founder and CEO at Farmstead.
“Right now, their available delivery options come with high fees and markups. Farmstead will spoil Chicagoans with no fees, low prices, great customer service and delivery to both the city and the suburbs,” he said.
Customers can sign up for Farmstead’s service at farmstead.vip/chicago.
In other news, Farmstead recently hired former Walmart and Ahold/Peapod executive John Shaw as head of supply. Click here to see the story.
