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FreshDirect to launch two-hour grocery delivery in Washington, D.C.

Partnership with micro-fulfillment specialist Fabric brings platform for expansion

Russell Redman

July 28, 2020

3 Min Read
FreshDirect truck-US Capitol.jpg
Beginning in late 2020, FreshDirect customers in Washington, D.C., will be able to order from a wide selection of fresh food and grocery items and have them delivered within a two-hour window.FreshDirect

Online grocer FreshDirect has partnered with on-demand fulfillment provider Fabric to expand its delivery service in metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Plans call for Bronx, N.Y.-based FreshDirect to launch Fabric-powered automated micro-fulfillment centers across its metro D.C. grocery delivery footprint, which spans the District of Columbia; Silver Spring-Potomac, Md.; and Vienna-Dulles, Va., markets.

In announcing the expansion on Tuesday, FreshDirect said D.C.-area customers will be able to order from a wide selection of fresh food and grocery items and have them delivered within a two-hour window, on top of the current next-day service. The expanded service is slated to launch in late 2020.

“Washington, D.C., has always been an important market for FreshDirect, and we are excited to partner with Fabric to meet the current surge in demand while improving the customer experience,” FreshDirect CEO David McInerney said in a statement. “Fabric’s technology will allow us to turn our existing regional facilities into high-velocity automated distribution centers, speeding our expansion into new markets with two-hour on-demand delivery.”

FreshDirect noted that the plan marks its first foray into automated micro-fulfillment. The company said Fabric’s robotic fulfillment technology will bring faster service and a “substantial increase” in order volume capacity, while driving additional efficiencies.

Related:FreshDirect kicks off two-hour grocery delivery

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Fresh Direct said its 400,000-square-foot Bronx, N.Y., campus, including its automated warehouse and fulfillment center, will remain the primary facility in a “hub and spoke” operational structure.

The Fabric solution also will provide a platform for future service upgrades, FreshDirect added. The company said its 400,000-square-foot Bronx campus, including its automated warehouse and fulfillment center, will remain the primary facility in a “hub and spoke” operational structure, with micro-fulfillment centers deployed as needed to bolster capacity and expand service reach.

“FreshDirect is the pioneer of grocery e-commerce in the United States,” according to Elram Goren, co-founder and CEO of Tel Aviv, Israel-based Fabric, which has U.S. offices in New York City. “Now with Fabric’s robotic micro-fulfillment technology, purpose-built for on-demand fulfillment, they are positioned to best serve their Washington, D.C., customers profitably and at scale. We are thrilled to announce this strategic partnership as one of the first steps in Fabric’s continued expansion across the United States.”

The kickoff of two-hour grocery delivery in D.C. comes after the service recently made its debut in FreshDirect’s hometown of New York. In late June, the company launched FreshDirect Express, a two-hour delivery service that allows customers in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts of Queens to order from a curated selection of products and have them delivered to their door within two hours.

Related:FreshDirect to sell meals from Restaurant Associates

FreshDirect also has been expanding contactless order pickup in high-demand areas, including the Hamptons (Long Island, N.Y.), New Jersey, Philadelphia and D.C., as well as at its Bronx headquarters. More pickup sites are planned. Through the no-fee service, customers can place orders online, select a pickup location and, upon arrival, have their groceries loaded directly into their vehicle. 

Overall, FreshDirect delivers directly to customers in selected markets in seven states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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