FreshDirect Eliminates Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Service

E-commerce and delivery pioneer FreshDirect, which was acquired by Ahold Delhaize in late 2020, is scaling back its service area, exiting Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to focus on its prime New York metro market.

The company made the announcement in an undated blog post this month.

“As a homegrown, trusted New York City brand, we are strengthening our commitment to servicing the city and the greater New York tri-state area,” the grocery delivery company said. “To better serve our customers in the tri-state market surrounding New York City, we will be expanding in our home markets in the coming years.”

FreshDirect listed more than 380 zip codes that would be affected by the service cuts. September 2 is the last day to place an order, with some neighborhoods ending online ordering as soon as Monday. Final deliveries will be made September 3, the company said.

FreshDirect began offering online grocery shopping in 2002. It has a delivery facility in the Bronx, New York, and serves customers in the greater New York City area, with seasonal service to eastern Long Island and the Jersey Shore, according to the company’s website.

FreshDirect expanded its service to Philadelphia in 2012, the e-commerce company’s 10th anniversary. The company expanded to the Washington, D.C. area, including Arlington and McLean, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland, in 2017.

Last year, after being acquired by Dutch retailing giant Ahold, Fresh Direct said it would lower some prices and introduce 250 center-store items under Ahold Delhaize’s private brands.