FreshDirect Unveils New Distribution Campus

FreshDirect unveiled its new base of operations in New York’s Bronx borough, saying the new campus “reimagines farm-to-fork food distribution and manufacturing,” and would provide an expanded variety of items and higher-quality, fresher food for its customers.

The new facility will also enable the company to accelerate its expansion into new geographies with its FreshDirect, FoodKick and FreshDirect At the Office brands.

FreshDirect had been based in Long Island City in New York's Queens borough since its founding 16 years ago. The Bronx facility was made possible in part through state, city and local tax benefits won in 2013. The unveiling comes as rival Jet.com preps a neighboring facility that will also provide grocery e-commerce for New York shoppers.

The company said the state-of-the-art food facility is equipped with robotic pick towers, smart routing technologies, and nine miles of conveyor belts. It is environmentally friendly and energy efficient, enabling FreshDirect to transition from cardboard delivery boxes to recyclable bags. There will also be less food waste through a combined approach of innovation and community outreach, the company said.

“The launch of the FreshDirect Campus (FDC) is the culmination of 16 years of learnings that have enabled us to reinvent the grocery industry with customer experience, food quality and sustainability at its core,” FreshDirect CEO and co-founder Jason Ackerman said in a release. “This marks a pivotal moment for our business while positioning us for future growth. We can also better serve the community by providing greater access to fresh food and significantly reducing food waste, cardboard use and energy consumption. We are thrilled to officially be a part of the Bronx community and are very thankful for the local support we’ve received throughout this journey.”

Related:FreshDirect Expands to Washington, D.C.

FreshDirect said the new warehouse would add thousands of new products to its selection, including more than 350 new brands that are disrupting the food industry, more than 800 new snacking items and 500 new organic products, set to roll out in coming months.

The new facility will also triple current kitchen production and refresh its prepared meals offerings seasonally.

Making strides in sustainability, the FDC will eliminate usage of cardboard delivery boxes by moving all deliveries to a 100% recyclable woven bag, saving more than 10 million cardboard boxes annually.