Grocery site is a little bit Costco and a little bit Whole Foods

By George Anderson

AUGUST 14, 2015

What would happen if Costco and Whole Foods got together and produced a child that happened to be an e-commerce site? The result might look something like ThriveMarket.com, according to an article on theWTOP website.

Thrive charges an annual membership fee of $59.95 and, in return, promises to sell organic and natural food items (all shelf stable) at prices 25 percent to 50 percent below traditional retail. The site intentionally limits its selection — more Costco than Whole Foods — curating top products from leading natural brands.

"Right now we have around 4,000 products and that's intentional. We really try to provide the best in class, highest quality product options in each category and then not a lot of other noise," Jeramiah McElwee, vice president of purchasing and merchandising at Thrive Market, told WTOP.

Initial registration is free, as is delivery on orders of $49 or more. In a site check conducted by RetailWire last night, Thrive offered an additional 25 percent and two free Clif Kid ZBar gifts on top of its standard 15 percent discount on first purchases. First-time shoppers also receive a free 30-day trial membership with their initial order. The company donates an annual membership to a low income family with every paid subscription.

According to the site's FAQ page, the company was founded by "a team of serial social entrepreneurs, technologists, and natural products industry veterans brought together by two shared realizations: (1) that living healthy in America is too hard for too many people, and (2) that it shouldn't be that way. Before Thrive ever launched, we spent more than a year developing the right business model, enrolling hundreds of brand and charity partners, and bringing an incredible group of health experts, entrepreneurs, and advisors together to tackle the ambitious goal of making healthy living truly accessible to every American."