Discover the Best Imperfect Foods Delivery Services: Save Money and Reduce Waste

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Like many households striving for financial independence, we first took a hard look at our spending habits, and groceries quickly emerged as an area ripe for savings. Despite prioritizing healthy, fresh, and gluten-free foods due to dietary needs and preferences, our grocery bills were alarmingly high, exceeding even the USDA’s liberal spending guidelines for a family our size.

We knew we needed to make changes. We implemented strategies to curb food waste, diligently planned meals around existing pantry staples, and explored bulk buying options. These efforts did yield noticeable reductions in our grocery expenses, but we still felt there was room for improvement. We were seeking better value for our money when it came to fresh produce.

That’s when we stumbled upon the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and, even more intriguingly, imperfect produce delivery services. The direct-to-door convenience of these services, coupled with customizable box sizes and contents, immediately appealed to us. Unlike CSAs that often require pick-up from a designated location and provide a fixed share size, imperfect produce services offered flexibility and home delivery. Among the available options in our area, Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods stood out. To thoroughly evaluate both, we decided to alternate between them weekly, experiencing Misfits Market one week and Imperfect Foods the next.

Originally, this review was crafted in the fall of 2019, reflecting our initial impressions and preferences. An update followed in the summer of 2022 as both services evolved their offerings and customization levels.

However, the landscape of imperfect produce delivery has undergone significant transformations since our 2022 update, most notably with the acquisition and subsequent merger of the two companies we initially reviewed.

In this updated review, we’ll delve into our experiences with both companies, tracing their evolution and the impact of the recent merger on their services.

Understanding Imperfect Produce Delivery

Food waste is a staggering global issue, with approximately 40% of food in the United States going uneaten. This waste occurs across the entire food supply chain, from farms to consumers.

Focusing on the initial stages of this chain – farms – several factors contribute to produce waste:

• Weather and Disease Mitigation: Farmers often overplant as a safeguard against unpredictable weather events or crop diseases. This precautionary measure can lead to surplus yields exceeding market demand.
• Cosmetic Standards: Consumer preferences in the US lean heavily towards visually perfect produce. Supermarkets prioritize flawless fruits and vegetables, causing perfectly edible but “ugly” crops to be discarded or left unharvested.
• Market Fluctuations: Economic factors, such as low market prices at harvest time, can make it financially unviable for farmers to cover labor and transportation costs, leading to crop abandonment.
• Order Cancellations: Unexpected cancellations of large orders from distributors or retailers can leave farms with substantial quantities of produce and limited avenues for sale.

The National Resource Defence Council advocates for strategies to combat food waste, prominently recommending the “expansion of secondary markets for items that do not meet the highest cosmetic standards.”

This recommendation is precisely the operational model of companies like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods. They act as crucial secondary markets, purchasing surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce directly from farms.

Instead of perfectly good food ending up in landfills, these companies offer a sustainable solution by purchasing it at discounted rates and delivering it directly to consumers.

The Advantages of Choosing Imperfect Foods Delivery

Opting for an imperfect produce delivery service like Misfits Market or Imperfect Foods offers a multitude of benefits:

• Significant Cost Savings: Imperfect produce is notably more affordable. Our price comparisons against conventional grocery stores revealed savings of 30-50%, depending on the specific items. Furthermore, the convenience of online ordering helps curb impulse buys, further reducing overall grocery spending.
• Valuable Time Savings: Home delivery eliminates trips to the grocery store, freeing up valuable time and reducing shopping-related stress.
• Promoting Healthier Eating Habits: Access to affordable and convenient produce encourages increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. We found ourselves incorporating more produce into every meal and snacking on it throughout the day.
• Inspiring Culinary Creativity: Meal planning around the weekly availability of imperfect produce fostered culinary exploration. We experimented with new recipes like spaghetti squash boats, cabbage and sausage skillet, and Salvadoran curtido, dishes we might not have otherwise discovered.
• Environmentally Responsible Choice: By purchasing imperfect produce, you actively contribute to reducing food waste, a significant environmental concern. These companies also prioritize ethical practices, ensuring their operations do not negatively impact food bank donations.

Potential Drawbacks to Consider

While imperfect produce delivery services offer numerous advantages, some drawbacks are worth noting. The shift from traditional grocery shopping means relinquishing some control over immediate selection and specific product availability.

• Limited Selection: While both services boast a wide array of options, choices are confined to the currently available inventory. Occasionally, desired items like cauliflower, pineapple, or cilantro might be unavailable in a given week.
• Delivery Schedule Constraints: Delivery schedules can vary. While some deliveries are flexible, utilizing services like FedEx, others operate on fixed weekly delivery days for specific areas.
• Variable Product Quality: While generally good, the quality of imperfect produce can occasionally be slightly lower than supermarket-perfect items. Some items might require quicker consumption, and in rare instances, transit damage can occur. However, both companies typically offer prompt refunds for unsatisfactory items.

Misfits Market vs. Imperfect Foods: A Detailed Comparison

Imperfect Foods: A Closer Look

Established in 2015, Imperfect Foods rapidly gained popularity for its direct delivery model and expanding range of private label products. Prior to its acquisition, it served metropolitan areas across 32 states. Despite sometimes-restrictive delivery windows (e.g., Tuesday afternoons only in certain areas), its customization options and product variety were highly valued.

Imperfect Foods provided complete box customization, allowing customers to choose from various box sizes and organic/conventional options. Their system would pre-fill boxes with suggested items, which customers could then fully tailor to their preferences, adding or swapping items, including dairy, meat, and pantry staples.

Misfits Market: A Detailed Overview

Founded in 2018 and based in the Philadelphia/New Jersey region, Misfits Market initially offered less customization. However, in 2021, they transitioned to full customization, mirroring Imperfect Foods’ approach. Customers now have a window each week to personalize their boxes based on available inventory.

Misfits Market boasts near-nationwide delivery coverage across the contiguous US. In urban and suburban centers, they utilize the former Imperfect Foods delivery network, providing direct-to-door service with dedicated Misfits Market drivers. Outside these zones, deliveries are handled by FedEx or similar third-party carriers.

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The Merger of Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market: What Changed?

The acquisition of Imperfect Foods by Misfits Market, announced in September 2022, consolidated two major players in the imperfect produce delivery space. Given their shared missions and operational similarities, the merger seemed a logical step.

Prior to the merger, both companies exhibited significant commonalities:

• Shared Mission: A core commitment to reducing food waste.
• Similar Sourcing: Procuring produce deemed unsellable by traditional retailers due to cosmetic imperfections or surplus.
• Expanding Product Selection: Offering produce, pantry items, dairy, and meat.
• Full Customization: Allowing complete order customization based on weekly availability, without produce minimums.
• Transparent Pricing: Displaying individual item costs for easy price comparison.
• Organic and Conventional Options: Providing both organic and non-organic choices.
• Home Delivery: Direct-to-door delivery service.
• Nominal Delivery Fees: Affordable delivery charges, with fee waivers for larger orders.

The merger raised hopes for a synergistic effect, combining the strengths of both companies to benefit consumers.

Impact of the Acquisition and Merger on Customers

Remarkably, the merger transition has been largely seamless for customers. Imperfect Foods customers continued to use the service with minimal disruption, experiencing gradual updates to align with Misfits Market’s platform, including app and shopping interface changes.

While the Imperfect Foods website and system are expected to eventually be phased out, new customers are encouraged to sign up directly with Misfits Market to ensure a consistent experience going forward.

Conclusion: Embracing Imperfect Foods for a Better Future

Having been loyal customers of both Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market for over four years, we’ve witnessed their evolution firsthand. Initially, Imperfect Foods held a slight edge due to Misfits Market’s earlier limitations in customization. However, Misfits Market’s advancements in customization, pricing transparency, and product range narrowed this gap considerably by 2022. Quality was the primary differentiator, with Imperfect Foods consistently delivering produce with minimal waste.

Today, the merged entity delivers the best of both worlds. Customers benefit from Misfits Market’s user-friendly shopping app, expanded product variety, and the maintained high-quality standards previously associated with Imperfect Foods. The combined service offers a compelling value proposition: reducing food waste, saving money, and enjoying fresh, healthy produce delivered directly to your door.

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