Bowery, a vertical farming company that grows crops indoors, is getting more shelf space at Amazon’s Whole Foods, with a deal to triple the stores stocking its salad kits. Currently, Bowery’s salad kits and a selection of greens are carried at 50 Whole Foods Market stores in the Northeast. The expansion will increase the store count to 150 Whole Foods Market locations in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
Bowery first broke into the market with a variety of leafy greens, but in September of last year it began marketing ready-to-eat salad kits.
“Demand for ready-to-eat, planet-positive meals is booming,” said Matt Williams, Bowery’s chief sales officer in a statement announcing the deal.
Three flavors of salad kits including Zesty Caesar, Avocado Ranch, and Balsamic Vinaigrette, will be available. The company is adding a compostable fork to the salad kits, and the deal with Whole Foods includes an expanded presence of its core products, including basil, baby romaine lettuce, baby butter, crispy leaf and baby kale.
Bowery, which ranked No. 46 on the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, currently sells its greens and salad kits through e-commerce and at over 1,900 stores. It claims to be the largest U.S. vertical farming company and has distribution deals with national food retailers including Walmart, Giant, Albertsons, Shoprite and specialty independents like DeCicco & Sons, Westside Market and Brooklyn Fare. Its products are also sold through distributors like Baldor and Four Seasons, and e-commerce grocer FreshDirect.