Doorganics Expands in Detroit Metro
Following the unexpected closure of Door to Door Organics on Nov. 17, organic grocery delivery company Doorganics is expanding its delivery area to southeast Michigan.
With weekly deliveries beginning in the region Dec. 13, Doorganics’ service aims to fill the void left by Door to Door’s failure to receive the funding it needed to grow its business, which left it no choice but to shutter. The new service area will cover approximately 35 ZIP codes in the Detroit area beginning Dec. 13.
“While we were planning this expansion to launch in early 2018, the opportunity to serve the customers affected by the closing of Door to Door Organics has sped up our timeline,” explained Mike Hughes, founder and CEO of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Doorganics. “We know there is great demand in southeast Michigan for organic grocery delivery, and we’re looking forward to expanding our Michigan-owned and -grown brand to the east side.”
The expansion, which is expected to create at least three jobs immediately and up to 10 in 2018, comes “after another year of successful growth,” which has left Hughes “confident in our product and process … to bring Doorganics to more Michigan communities.”
Doorganics deliveries start with a customizable produce box full of local and organic fruits and vegetables. Customers can then shop from more than 150 Michigan-made grocery items, including farm eggs, pastured meats, fresh-baked breads, cheeses, organic deli salads and prepared meals. Delivery is free, and customers have full control of their delivery schedule inside an online member portal.
While Doorganics certainly has a strong opportunity to woo Door to Door loyalists disappointed by the company’s closure, it will have its work cut out for it. Considering that organics are carried by most mainstream grocers today, Doorganics will have to compete with such grocers as Kroger, which already serves the Detroit metropolitan area with grocery delivery via Instacart and the natural and organic brands it owns include Simple Truth, which reached $1.7 billion in sales in 2016. Moreover, Meijer has been ramping up its grocery delivery efforts throughout the Midwest via Shipt, entering the Detroit area in September 2016, and rapidly expanding in recent months. It’s to be expected that these retailers will be strengthening marketing efforts in the area to win the business of former Door to Door fans.