Buyfresh.co.za delivers healthy, organic foods right to your door
An online shop at eco-friendly grocery store, Buyfresh.co.za, is just like shopping at a farmers’ market! You can do your weekly buy-in with just a few clicks – minus the environmental guilt – and support local farmers. Welcome to the future of grocery shopping.
‘A sense of uniqueness, quality and integrity that is sometimes lacking in products you pick off the retail shelf – that’s what you get out of a Buyfresh product,’ says Asher Stern, founder of the online grocery store that sells fresh, sustainable produce. ‘The disconnect between the source of the product and the consumer has become even more disjointed.’
The store was officially launched in November last year, selling everything from organic veggies, fresh fish and hormonefree meat, poultry and dairy to prepared meals, kombucha and even bone broth.
Asher worked in finance and private equity for a small investment firm, where he gained insight into how to successfully fuse the internet and business. Inspired by Flash Meat, his father’s meat distribution business that supplies Cape Town restaurants, Asher tailored the business model of Buyfresh to meet the consumer demand.
‘Our products are slightly different because they focus more on fresh, organic and free-range produce,’ Asher explains. ‘But our model for the business is based on how my dad set his up. We’re really similar in our business foundations and values such as strong customer relationships and high-quality products. What was exciting to my dad was that I was running this business from a new perspective.’ In fact, his father invested money in Buyfresh and took on the role of silent partner, although he often offers advice.
Quality is a top priority. All meat, poultry and fish products available on Buyfresh are registered with and certified by the Department of Agriculture and the South African Meat Industry Corporation (SAMIC). ‘In order to market a steak as free range, the farmer and the processor have to be registered with SAMIC. We’re very strict about selling only SAMICcertified products,’ says Asher.
But there’s so much more at the heart of the business – part of Asher’s intention when starting the company was to support local farmers and help grow other small, family-run businesses. ‘These small businesses don’t necessarily have access to this sort of customer base,’ he says. ‘Our brand provides distribution and access to those markets. For example, we work with the Umthunzi Farming Community, a collection of more than 60 rural farmers who grow produce in townships and other rural parts of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. Umthunzi gives these farmers better access to businesses and distributors like us.’
This sort of engagement with suppliers is uncommon. ‘We want to tell the story of all the producers we’re working with,’ says Asher. ‘When you look at any of the suppliers on our site, we describe why we’re working with these farmers, who they are, where their farm is situated and what makes their products special. With LA Farms, for instance, the cattle and lambs are herded along the beaches and on green pastures – you can’t get something like this anywhere else.’
What’s more, Buyfresh has partnered with food redistribution network FoodForward SA. With every order you place, a meal is bagged for someone in need.
Another strong focus is minimising the company’s environmental impact through sustainable shopping. ‘We’re the first retail brand to supply fresh produce with zero plastic,’ says Asher. ‘All our produce goes out in biodegradable cellulose that’s made up of wood chips. There’s zero plastic when you get your delivery – there are glass jars, biodegradable packaging and reusable cooler bags. Plus we get most of our packaging, like empty milk jars and egg boxes, back from customers.’ Buyfresh then sends that packaging to their suppliers for them to reuse.
And when it comes to delivery, only a select number of drivers deliver orders according to preplanned and eco-efficient routes.
With plans to introduce a range of organic veggies and the option of selecting when you’d like your order to arrive, Buyfresh is aiming to further fine-tune the customer experience to offer the best service – and product.