Overstock has kicked off a new partnership with local farmers to deliver fresh produce to your doorstep. The new service, called Farmers Market, connects consumers with small and local farms in their areas, providing access to seasonal, healthy food.
At launch, the service reached about 20% of the US population, but Overstock has since expanded the service to 70% of the population. All items sold on Farmers Market feature a detailed overview of the farmer or local company who produced the good, and some even include recipes designed to highlight the item’s flavor.
Overstock Introduces Farmers Market
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov 05, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) —
Overstock.com, Inc. OSTK, +0.63% announces the launch of a new Farmers Marketsection within the Overstock website. This market of hand-picked products offer customers throughout the U.S. access to home delivery of seasonal, healthy food, grown and produced in their area.
“We’re integrating small farms, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and co-ops into our technology so as to allow consumers in their area to buy and arrange delivery through Overstock,” said Overstock CEO Patrick M. Byrne. “We want to streamline the farm-to-table process to provide everyone access to healthy food, delivered to their doorstep.”
According to Byrne, Overstock is currently able to serve about 20 percent of the U.S. population with farm-fresh food grown near their ZIP code, and intends to provide local delivery access of fresh, locally grown food to 70 percent of the U.S. population by the end of 2014.
Each product featured in the Farmers Market is accompanied by a biography of the farmer or specialty food purveyor who grew it, along with a look into their production processes, in order to give customers a better idea of the food they are purchasing.
Byrne said shoppers will also find a sense of social community by providing health-focused recipes and seasonal produce guidance alongside the selection of fresh and local food products.
The Farmers Market program requires no up-front costs for suppliers to join, instead using a revenue-sharing model that allows them to get their products on Overstock with minimal changes to their existing procedures. Farmers, CSAs, and co-ops interested in joining the program are encouraged to contact the Farmers Market team at farmersmarket@overstock.com for more information.
The Farmers Market is the latest initiative in Overstock’s collection of sustainable businesses that provides a way to give back to communities worldwide. Other community-focused initiatives include Worldstock.com, Overstock’s fair trade division selling products handmade by artisans all over the world, Main Street Revolution, which features products made in America by individuals and small businesses, and the company’s on-site Pet Adoption feature, which allows animal shelters across the country the chance to use Overstock’s shopping site as a free service to connect consumers to adoptable pets.
About Overstock.com
Overstock.com, Inc. OSTK, +0.63% is a discount online shopping retailer based in Salt Lake City, Utah that sells a broad range of products including furniture, rugs, bedding, electronics, clothing, and jewelry. Worldstock.com, a fair trade department dedicated to selling artisan-crafted products from around the world offers additional unique items. Main Street Revolution supports small businesses across the United States by providing them a national customer base. Forbes ranked Overstock in its list of the Top 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in 2014. The NRF Foundation/American Express 2011 Customer Choice Awards ranked Overstock #4 in customer service among all U.S. retailers. Overstock sells internationally under the name O.co. Overstock Shopping (http://www.overstock.com andhttp://www.o.co) regularly posts information about the company and other related matters under Investor Relations on its website.
Overstock.com®, O.co®, Worldstock Fair Trade® and Club O Rewards® are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. O.info™, Club O™, Club O Dollars™ and Your Savings Engine™ are trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements of historical fact and the terms and features of the initiative announced. Additional information regarding factors that could materially affect results and the accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained herein may be found in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2014, which was filed with the SEC on Oct. 28, 2014, and any subsequent filings with the SEC.