Bowery’s indoor farms cultivate a wide range of leafy greens, including arugula and baby butter lettuce, using a vertical farming approach. They also offer seasonal offerings known as Farmer’s Selection.
Melissa Repko | CNBC
Bowery, a pioneering vertical farming company, has secured an agreement with Amazon’s Whole Foods to triple the distribution of its salad kits. Presently, Bowery’s salad kits and green selections are available in 50 Whole Foods Market stores in the Northeast. This expansion will increase the store count to 150 locations across the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions.
Originally specializing in leafy greens, Bowery diversified its product line last year by introducing ready-to-eat salad kits.
Matt Williams, Bowery’s Chief Sales Officer, said, “There is a rising demand for ready-to-eat, environmentally-friendly meals.”
The salad kits will include three flavors: Zesty Caesar, Avocado Ranch, and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Additionally, Bowery plans to include a compostable fork in each kit. The expanded partnership with Whole Foods also encompasses Bowery’s core products, such as basil, baby romaine lettuce, baby butter lettuce, crispy leaf, and baby kale.
Bowery, named No. 46 on the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, currently sells its greens and salad kits through e-commerce channels and in over 1,900 retail stores. The company claims to be the largest vertical farming company in the United States and has distribution agreements with major food retailers like Walmart, Giant, Albertsons, Shoprite, as well as specialty independents like DeCicco & Sons, Westside Market, and Brooklyn Fare. Bowery’s products are also available through distributors like Baldor and Four Seasons, as well as online grocer FreshDirect.
Last week, Bowery announced an expansion of its salad kits partnership with Amazon Fresh, which operates both online and physical grocery stores across nine states, offering same-day delivery and pickup services to Prime members. According to a Bowery spokesperson, the Amazon Fresh deal will enhance product availability up and down the East Coast, including the Southeast and Florida. Distribution will be ramped up in the coming weeks, covering regions from Virginia to Tennessee, North Carolina (including Charlotte), the Atlanta area, and cities within Florida, such as Jacksonville and Miami.
This agreement comes at a challenging time for both the vertical farming industry and Amazon’s grocery expansion efforts. Amazon recently closed several underperforming Fresh supermarkets and Go convenience store locations as part of a cost-cutting strategy, resulting in a $720 million impairment charge. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated that the company is reconsidering its Fresh store expansion plans to find a format that resonates with customers and offers favorable economics.
Meanwhile, vertical farming as a sector has faced challenges, including recent bankruptcies of companies like AeroFarms and Appharvest. According to PitchBook, vertical farming deals declined by 91% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023.
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