How FreshDirect Makes Grocery Shopping Fun And Simple

FreshDirect is the Northeast's leading online fresh-food grocer, delivering directly to customers throughout seven states, including the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, and the District of Columbia.

FreshDirect is committed to sourcing the freshest and best-tasting meat, fish, produce and specialty items through direct relationships with suppliers, growers and farmers. In 2016, FreshDirect expanded its portfolio with the launch of FoodKick, an on-demand business that caters to the needs of urban dwellers with a curated selection of fresh food, alcohol and grocery essentials — all delivered in as little as an hour.

Patch caught up with Paula-Jo Oleksak, chief growth officer at FreshDirect, to learn more about the flourishing business:

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town or how long has the organization you represent been around in the community?

Oleksak: FreshDirect was founded more than 16 years ago in New York City and has since expanded to serve seven states and Washington D.C., including Connecticut. In March 2019 we announced our most recent expansion which added service in Fairfield, Norwalk, Southport and Westport, which we’re very excited about.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Oleksak: I started out in finance and investing and was part of a team that invested in FreshDirect in its earliest days. FreshDirect disrupted the farm to fork supply chain and gets fresh food to customers faster and fresher by bypassing the extra trip to sit on grocery store shelves. I was passionate about the business and its mission of making the highest-quality best-tasting food easy to get, so I ultimately decided to cross over and join the team here. I really believe as a busy working mom myself that there’s such a huge opportunity for us to make customers’ lives easier, but not at the sacrifice of great quality food for them and their families.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those words be?

Oleksak: Making great food easy to get. I know that’s six, but it’s our mission at FreshDirect and it’s something we’re all so passionate about bringing to life each day for our customers!

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Oleksak: The biggest challenge I face as the person responsible for growing the business, is balancing our expansion plans with our commitment to the best service experience in the industry. FreshDirect will never relent on providing the very best service, so we are extremely thoughtful about expanding into new areas. We want to be everywhere, but we’ll only go to a new area, like our recent expansion in Connecticut, when we’re ready to provide the amazing service levels our customers expect and deserve.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Oleksak: Hands down it’s the amazing people I get to work with every day. We have an incredibly passionate team who are customer and food obsessed and I am one of those rare people who loves coming to work every single day.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?

Oleksak: At FreshDirect we go to the ends of the earth to source the very best food for you and your families. We have spent years building deep relationships with the very best farmers, fishermen, artisans and food producers so we get the very best of what they produce for you. In addition to that, we never stop innovating the customer experience. We’re currently rolling out same-day service and new services like text message customer service and self-service credits, in addition to our 100% happiness guarantee. Our goal is to make our customers’ lives more delicious and easier.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Oleksak: Never accept the status quo – constantly challenge what you did yesterday and how you can do it better. The world is changing rapidly and in any industry you can’t sit still, you must evolve and try new things. That’s especially true in online grocery!

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited about?

Oleksak: There are too many to list, but one that’s close to my heart (because my team developed and launched it) is the expansion of our FoodKick brand. FoodKick is an on-demand delivery service that we launched in 2016 offering a curated selection of fresh food, alcohol, local finds, prepared meals, grocery essentials and more — all delivered at peak freshness in as little as an hour. It’s a truly innovative business and one that will be expanding beyond New York City very soon.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?

Oleksak: We have an ongoing calendar of events and donations to support the communities we serve. In recent months we’ve done food giveaways in underserved areas in New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia and DC. We also announced that we’re the leading corporate donator to City Harvest, providing nearly 3 million pounds of food to people in need in 2018.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Oleksak: We encourage everyone to visit FreshDirect.com and try our service today using code FRESHCT2 in CT or FRESHWC2 in Westchester for $50 off your first order of $100+. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information.

This Patch article is sponsored by FreshDirect.