Something significant is happening in the organic food industry: There is a swell of activity moving toward on-line organic food stores. In years past, there used to be a quirky little shop in town that only “hippies” and health conscious individuals would frequent to buy their particular food products. Today, we have many options in the pursuit of healthy and organic non-GMO foods. Cooking wonderful wholesome foods just got easier!
However, in this great expansion of awareness around the organic food movement, the conventional food players and big businesses are looking for ways to infiltrate the movement. An example of this is Whole Foods Market where GMO’s are still being sold and the outlook of the company’s mission is in even more serious doubt with the recent sale of the company to Jeff Bezos’s Amazon.com. Furthermore, there are numerous articles stating Amazon plans to start selling prescription drugs on their site which is estimated to generate a profit for the company of up to $50 billion a year. Does this mean Whole Foods has a future in pharmaceuticals?
Whatever the case may be, consumers are looking elsewhere to find grocers that fall more directly in line with the foundation of the organic movement; clean food, clean environment, and good health. Cyberspace is a fast growing arena for people who want an answer to this problem.
There are two companies that are doing a phenomenal job in the pursuit of selling organics online. Specifically, they have cut out the middleman to provide organic products at the lowest possible price for people in every location, from city to countryside. Just a few short years ago, if you lived in a rural setting it was near impossible to acquire organic food unless you drove over a 100 miles to the nearest city. Even then you were lucky to find organics as many small cities did not (and still don’t) have the availability.
Today, we have Thrive Market and Azure Standard selling GMO free organics on-line. However, they both have different ways in which they offer their services and it’s up to you to decide which works best for you. Personally, I use both companies because between the two they offer the full spectrum of organic food options as well as different delivery options.
ABOUT AZURE STANDARD:
Azure Standard is an Oregon based company that originated as a farm and, to this day, is still a farm. They offer many products grown and harvested themselves. For those who want to get to know the farmer, Azure is worth looking into.
They have everything a large scale organic grocer would have, from soaps and toiletries to snacks and grains in bulk. The biggest plus for this company is they offer refrigerated and frozen items! If you want cilantro, lettuce, or even ice cream they can deliver it. I have not seen another organic on-line grocer that offers refrigerated and frozen items and I can say from experience their produce is delivered fresh and tasty.
It is an independent food supply chain delivered from the producer to you, with no middleman. You will have access to organic farm-fresh veggies, dry bulk foods, grass-fed dairy, frozen meats, raw honey, non-GMO oils, packaged foods, nutritional supplements, beauty products, and more, for no fee to join. Once you submit your order, through the on-line shopping cart, your items are placed in a box with your name on it then placed on a truck that delivers to your drop off spot. At this point your food will be on its way and at a designated time you will meet people from your community at your truck drop to find your boxes and take home amazing organic food.
The drop off spots are determined by your local Azure community. If there is no drop off spot near you, you could start your own drop off spot. You can find all the drop off spots on their website.
The downsides to Azure are few, but worth mentioning. First, the convenience of ordering whenever the desire may arise is non-existent. You will have to plan your needs out for a week to a month, depending on the frequency of deliveries to your local pick up. Most pickups are monthly, with a few offering bi-monthly and even weekly deliveries. My own personal drop off location is monthly which has been fine, however, I must plan for an entire month of meals.
Another downside to Azure may be a possible shipping charge of 8.5% for some states. If you are located in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, or western New Mexico then there is no extra shipping charge. Also, all states north of Pennsylvania currently have no truck deliveries. If you are in New York or the New England area you may want to contact Azure as they may expand their delivery area.
ABOUT THRIVE MARKET:
Thrive market is a California based company that was started by a group of individuals who saw a need in the market for cheap affordable organic food. The company is still considered a new company as it was started in November of 2014. The compelling attribute of this company is their desire to give everyone access to affordable organic food. Look no further than the company mission statement for their purpose:
“Our mission is to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone.”
Thrive market claims to offer every item they sell at 25-50% off the regular retail price you would pay in the store. In order to deliver on that claim, they have tapped into the power of the consumers themselves, and that power is group buying. With their base of growing members the company has the ability to demand lower costs, while not sacrificing the organic quality. It is a win for the sellers and a win for the consumers, it is no wonder why they are such a fast growing company. In addition to all that, every order has free shipping with a purchase of more than $49!
To give thrive market a try, you would register for free on their site, which would give you access to browse their catalog of organic food. Your first order comes with 15% off and starts your 30-day free trial membership. Once your trial is over, thrive market will show you how much you would have saved with the items you purchased then give you the option to join for $59.95 annually. Also, every new membership sponsors a needy family with a free membership.
As with anything, there are a few downsides to thrive market. First, the annual membership fee of $59.95 does not exactly make one jump to their feet and start dancing in a happy and joy filled fashion. However, I have to say that the membership fee will pay for itself over the year if you figure the cost savings vs. the upfront membership fee.
Secondly, there is no fresh produce, refrigerated items, or frozen items. For my family this was a big factor in deciding whether to join or not. For us the true path to health can not be achieved without fresh produce. In the end, we decided to join because we don’t just buy produce, refrigerated items, and frozen items.
In addition, thrive market has a minimum purchase of $49 to get free shipping. For some it may be a factor to consider in deciding to join. This is not a deal breaker though and, it terms of running a business, we can certainly understand it would severely cut into any hope of sustainable profit margin. However, this is something to keep in mind. Finally, Alaska and Hawaii are not within the free shipping zone. I am sure readers in these two states are used to hearing this, but because of the increased cost of shipping to these areas free shipping is not offered.
Despite the above mentioned downsides, thrive market is a wonderful company that offers a great service with an admirable mission. The company has a growing list of members and has secured a place as a viable option for consumers seeking clean organic food.
Whether you choose Azure Standard, Thrive Market, or both you can be sure everything from them is organic, non-GMO, and from a company that stands more in line with the origins of the organic movement. Do you shop online for organic items? Who is your favorite on-line grocer?
To your health!
We are both members and an affiliate of Thrive Market. By clicking here to become a Thrive Market member you help support our blog. We only refer companies and products we align with and use ourselves.
