Fresh delivery market gets new player

Move over, Amazon, Target and Google – the fresh delivery space is getting a little more crowded.



FreshDirect, the New York-based online provider of custom and prepared grocery items and meals, is launching a mobile one-hour fresh item delivery service.



FreshDirect’s new FoodKick mobile app will offer one-hour delivery of meals, fresh produce, meat, seafood and specialty items. FoodKick will also feature a selection of new and limited-time offerings from specialty partners, and an in-house culinary team will prepare made-to-order sushi, meat and seafood.



"Great fresh food has always been the core of our business," said Jason Ackerman, FreshDirect's co-founder and CEO. "FoodKick extends that passion to a growing consumer base, serving up exciting food solutions and tailored ideas every time a customer opens the app."



FoodKick will initially serve customers in Brooklyn neighborhoods as well as Long Island City.



FreshDirect is entering a vertical that holds promise, but contains some stiff competition. Amazon has been steadily expanding Amazon Fresh in select markets, including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Google is said to be experimenting with providing fresh products sourced by retailers as part of its Google Express service. And Target is testing the market in Minneapolis in partnership with Instacart. Consumer interest for on-demand fresh product delivery is there, but it remains to be seen how many providers are needed to meet it.