Fresh Direct vs. Trader Joe's: The Smackdown

Actually, I beg to differ. Bread-n-brie can and should be viewed as an alternaive to big corporate sructures like FreshDirect. Their strategy is mindful of our environment and the NY community. They seek to support local shops and value our opinion. Their delivery is green-minded, service is amazing and their variety and prices beat FD by far. They are launche but ae reviing their website, but these are just growing pains. The big picure, however, is there! As a NYer I love their variety and the fact that they CARE!

it is just radiculous to call this company rival to freshdirect . they are convinience. grocery carrying service,nothing more and nothing less . companies like freshdirect , a conventional grocery delivery service are not just delivering, they offer prepared foods,house made breads, desserts and more. i know of only one similar services, but they specialize in organic groceries and produce. also they provide prepared foods, with huge variety of vegan and vegetarian entrees. most of it is coming from they own restaurant. organic desserts are coming from their own organic bakery. the important part is that they deliver to all five boroughs and new jersey. those companies have infrastructure , preparation facilities etc . the volume of business secures leverage and negotiating power in relationship with manufacturers, not small grocery stores whose business is reselling of goods. its nice and cool say that bread- and brie are rivals,but first they have to start delivery unique essence to its customer,like freshdirect and organicdirect do.

All:

Just found out that a competitor to FD is opening. This competitor, called bread-n-brie ( breadnbrie.com) is going to be a mix between FD and Traders Jo's ( or it seems to be me, at least). They are not fully launched, but are asking people to contribute their ideas and wishes.

I think the Fresh Direct commercials are AWFUL. Especially the one with Paulina, I dont really like that she is a total b itch to the delevery guy and he gets sprayed in the face.

I think people who are not familar with fresh direct will not understand what fresh direct is.

They should have made commercials with an average 20-30's something person shopping in a dirty NYC supermarket and then going online, and show the guy delevering at their doorstep. or a busy mother who works all day ordering.

Their advertising people are clueless

of course paulina lives in new york. she's married to ric. duh.

http://goats.com/archive/020510.html

i am amazed that after only ten installments of your comics feature you guys already repeating comics, yet you haven't yet done the mac-daddy of all new york web-comics, goats.

JC, TJs always opens up wherever there's a Whole Foods (at least in the DC area....) and it's the best thing. ever. sure, it might not have the best produce, but we've already got plenty of places with good produce in NYC. as mentioned above, they've got great staple products, not to mention yummy spreads. i too would come back from trips to my parents' place in VA with suitcases full of pasta, olive oil, soap, etc... also, the people who work there wear hawaiian shirts, and that's pretty awesome. needless to say, i can't wait!

TJS in california is much stronger on produce than east coast TJS. i'm sure it's because of the climate and availability - their farmer's markets are way better too. SF's farmer's market at the ferry plaza puts the union square greenmarket to shame.

How is there competition between TJ & FD? FD specializes in the "Fresh" end of the spectrum. If you want organic iceberg lettuce, or premium beef then FD is your go to company. If you want good cheap coffee, or excellent granola that doesn't cost $8 a pound go to Trader Joes.

My personal faves at TJ's are the chewable vitamin C, and their old school frozen enchilladas.

trader joe's is opening in union square? so in that block you'll get whole foods, trader joe's and food emporium and fresh direct online? Union square motherfuckers lucked out! thank god there will be competition for whole foods. Those dickheads and their 30 minute lines!

Is it really possible for one Trader Joe's to be stocked enough to supply consumers? The hype and excitement surrounding its opening seems similar to that of when Target opened at Atlantic Center, and there are still times today when I go to that Target and their stock of whatever I need is completely wiped out. How will they be able to keep a mid-sized Trader Joe's consistently stocked?

There are several "prepared" food options, true, but that is not really the point. For me at least the highlights are the awesome whole bean coffee, cheap eco-friendly cleaning products, inexpensve staples like olive oil, couscous, veggie broth, oatmeal. Great nuts and dried fruit, frozen fish that rivals the "fresh" fish sold at many places, great bulk chocolate, good cheese selection. Excellent Hummus (and 8 different options)

They are a bit weak on produce, but they always have good avocados, and good fruit- their flash frozen veggies are great in the winter too.

If you've actually been to a Trader Joe's you will see it's all HYPE! FreshDirect has a much larger selection with a wider variety!

What is it about Trader Joe's that makes it so desirable? I went to one in Massachussetts several years ago and all I remember seeing was lots of canned foods or dry "just add water" meals. What did I miss, or what should we be looking forward to?

Shovel, I concur to a point. Having spent most of many a saturday on line at Target Atlantic center (and several hours taking the free shuttle back and forth to ikea), I hope that they take the price point/quality they (and target) are known for, but incorporate Whole Food's ability to get folk in and out.

I think there are MANY ny'rs who will embrace TJ's (and affordable grocery's in general) I shop mostly at the Garden, in Greenpoint. I prefer organic produce, not only does it tend to taste better, it is often fresher- but it adds up having to buy items there that I could get at TJ's for much less- not to mention that supermarkets here tend not to have "bulk" isles- Tj's products are still less than brand name "bulk" products, and quite tasty.

What everyone really wants an answer to:

Is Paulina still hot?

And also, I can't look at Bobby Flay and not laugh since that Law & Order SVU episode a month or so ago. He played one of many "celebrity" men in the city to get taken advantage of, roofie-style, purely to harvest his seed and later scam.

Trader Joe's will never succeed in NYC. New Yorkers are just way too used to overpaying for groceries. It will never work.

LIRC, let's hope TJ's looks to Target in their ability to overcome the downtroddenness and lack of stock that so easily plagues amazing, affordable stores in the 5 boroughs. Then again, maybe this is just an indication that people here like reasonably priced merchandise!

As boring/useless as it is to discuss responsible consumerism (just look at hipsters sporting Urban "Pro-Life" Outfitters gear), Fresh Direct does support a conservative agenda. CEO Dean Furbush, a Ronald Reagan advisor, doesn't let his politics sit in the past. As the company's president during the Republican Convention, Fresh Direct denied ad space to some edgy Rheingold Beer promos that poked fun at convention. Not very NYC or me. Happy to still visit my local butcher, farmer's market and Trader Joe's.

I know, that is what I fear (them being swamped and sold out) Their new Volcano coffee is the new crack. Until march, I will faithfully visit the TJ's on LI. TJ's beer and wine selection is quite incredible, really solid wine for under 7 bucks, I used to bike out to alexandria when I lived in DC and shlep at least 4bags (including several bottles of wine) back to my apt in the city.. THAT's how awesome TJ's is.

i used to live off of trader joe's. so good and so cheap. i CANNOT WAIT for them to open, even if it means waiting an extra month afterwards for things to settle. you can bet that things will be sold out very fast when they first open.

TJs vs. FD is not about lugging or not unless you like paying too much for convenience. TJs is for people who want to get really good food for ridiculously low (i mean even lower than key foods low) prices.

Yes, you may still need your local butcher or fish-monger for fresh stuff, but if you're on a budget, you'll feel like you're getting away with something eating food this good.

And, unlike most supermarkets in NYC, they have friendly and capable cashiers and paper grocery bags with super-strong handles.

FreshDirect should be banned or heavily taxed...they're an environmental nightmare, what with the diesel trucks coming in from Queens and then idling on streets and the incredible amount of boxes used in one delivery, not to mention the noice of those compressors running. They also block streets by double-parking and consider the tickets just a cost of doing business...maybe we need to increase the $ amount of the tickets. My local grocery store will deliver without my imposing all those externalities on other people.

Can't wait for TJ's. I'll be there with bells on. I, too, make provisions runs when I'm visiting Boston or Cleveland and bring back as much as I can. Cleveland! My own Ohio hometown had Trader Joe's before New York freaking City. Unbelievable.

They should get an asthmatic kid to do the ad and say, thanks for all the non-stop diesel-spewing in my neighborhood, Fresh Direct. Oh, and also thanks for driving your trucks like a-holes.

Trader Joes doesn't NEED a strategy. And yes Toby, I too used to pack my suitcases from the West Coast with their products to bring home. It was easier than trying to find someone to drive me to LI or Jersey for the privilege.

Even their prepackaged Mac and Cheese will change you forever.

Once you discover Trader Joe's you will not mind the schelep. I know of people who when they were on the West Coast brought stuff back with them. I used to bring stuff back from their New England stores until they opened some suburban locations, which made the schelep easier.

Trader Joe's doesn't seem to do a lot of marketing, as they seem to develop a more organic client base, some based on prior knowledge an some based on word of mouth.

simon, they are adding a separate wine store to bypass that silly no wine in grocery stores law - so there will be cheap wine! whee!

Trader Giotto's, I'm ready for your frozen pizzas and your honey whole-wheat pretzel sticks. Feed me!!

They will have the wine and booze at their NYC location.

I've stopped using fresh direct, if only because I get excited and overwhelmed, over order and then never get around to cooking because of work. I go to trader joes on the island once a month and lug the bags back on the lirr, We are having a party to mark the opening of the NYC store- Spend about 60 bucks a visit, and end up with three times as many useful items as a trip to any other market. Too bad they don't have more produce though..

like a lot of california kids, i adore trader joe's. but tjs in new york? without the cheap wine and booze? hm.

...or how about expanding service to those of us who don't have a grocery store within walking distance? Bushwick, for example, has a great little organic store, but there's no place for us to pick up cheap staple foods or non-recycled TP. Come on, Fresh Direct, don't be scared. If we can live there, you can surely deliver to us.

>>>Fresh Direct's new $2 million campaign is aimed at "smart, savvy New Yorkers"

Why not aim the campaign at confused, somewhat befuddled New Yorkers? There are more of those.

They should make their interface easy and their prices low.

www.forgotten-ny.com