With the growing popularity of the on-demand lifestyle, more and more of us are relying on getting whatever we want the moment we want it.
Whether it’s food from our favorite restaurant or grocery store, fresh produce direct from the farm, booze, or just about any product you can think of, it’s clear that we have transitioned into a digitally driven culture that loves the convenience of front-door delivery.
Among these popular services is the Misfits Market subscription box.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about this subscription service including how it works, what it offers, where it’s available, and what it costs.
By the time you’re done, you’ll know if Misfits Market is right for you.
Table Of Contents
What Is Misfits Market?
With the tagline “Always fresh, sometimes normal,” Misfits Market is a produce subscription service that delivers non-GMO and certified organic produce to your doorstep.
According to the company, these fruits and veggies are offered at prices that are up to 40% cheaper than what you’d pay at the grocery store.
You might be wondering how they’re able to offer food at such reduced prices.
The reason is that it’s considered “ugly produce — in other words, it’s imperfect produce that might have a few bruises, blemishes, gnarls, scratches, or scarring that make it a little less appealing for shoppers who want perfect-looking fruits and vegetables.
However, many of these so-called imperfections are naturally occurring and have nothing to do with the quality of the food.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Misfits Market was created by founder and CEO Abhi Ramesh.
After visiting a farm, Ramesh discovered that the farmer would throw away certain fruits and veggies (“misfit produce”) if he wasn’t able to sell them to grocery stores or farmers’ markets.
Learning about this type of food waste spurred Ramesh to create Misfits Markets.
From that moment on, the mission of his startup has been to combat food waste and offer affordable access to nutritious food for people across the United States.
According to the most recent stats from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food loss and waste is said to be between 30-40% of the nation’s food supply.
In fact, wasted food is the single largest category of material thrown in landfills.
It’s a staggering figure considering that this food could have been used to feed families in need.
Since launching in 2018, Misfits Market has delivered 5 million pounds of produce that would have otherwise gone to waste.
It also helps organic farmers who might otherwise lose out on that income of unsold fruits and vegetables.
Related: Forget shopping at the grocery store.
Let Kroger Delivery or Amazon Fresh bring groceries right to your door
How Does Misfits Market Work?
As with other subscription service like Instacart Express or Uber Eats Pass, Misfits Market works by having customers subscribe to get recurring delivery of specified products.
In this case, subscribers can choose from two subscription boxes:
- Mischief Box
- Madness Box
The Mischief box is considered the starter box and it’s priced at $22.
It includes a mix of 12 different types of fruits and vegetables, which equates to about 10-13 pounds.
According to the company, this box will provide about a week’s worth of food for 1-2 people.
The Madness box is priced at $35 and includes 14 different types of fruits and vegetables.
This box packs about 18-22 pounds of fresh produce, making it an ideal option for larger families or those with plant-based diets who require more fruits and veggies.
According to the company, this box offers a week’s worth of food for 3-5 people.
All the produce is boxed in recycled (and recyclable) cardboard containers along with eco-friendly ice packs that help keep the food fresh.
On occasion, some delicate items might be bagged inside the box. Compostable bags are used instead of traditional plastic produce bags.
Misfits Market accepts all major credit cards that you can use to pay online.
As a subscriber, you can specify whether you want a delivery every week or every two weeks.
You can also modify or cancel your subscription anytime.
Where Is Misfits Market Available?
As of this writing, Misfits delivers to all areas across these 24 states:
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (excluding Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard)
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
While the service is available in nearly half the country, the company plans to continue expanding so that it can provide its service to more people across the United States.
What Types of Produce Can You Expect?
The types of produce you can expect depend on season and availability.
For instance, in the spring and summer, you can expect to see in-season fruits like berries, tomatoes, and peaches as well as veggies such as asparagus, bell pepper, rainbow carrots, zucchini, and more.
In the fall and winter, you’re more likely to receive apples, broccoli, citrus, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and other seasonal items.
Also, don’t be surprised if the items change from week to week, not just season to season.
Sometimes farms will have a limited supply of one particular fruit or vegetable even if it’s in season, so it really depends on what’s available.
Along with the partnerships it has with different farms and food hubs across the United States, Misfits Market also sources some organic produce outside of the country to offer more variety in the boxes.
Subscribers are encouraged to check the Misfits website a couple of days before delivery to get the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Related: How much does Mistfits Market cost?
How to Sign Up for the Service
To sign up for this subscription box service, simply go to the Misfits Market website and choose your box size, delivery day, and frequency.
After you’ve placed your first order, you’ll get an email that confirms your order has been received.
Your first box will arrive the next available preferred delivery day that you selected.
Because of the high demand for food delivery services during the coronavirus crisis, the company had to adjust some of its operations.
As of May 2020, Misfits Market temporarily paused all first-time orders and created a waitlist to accept new subscribers.
You can sign up by entering your name, email address, and ZIP code.
According to the company, it has already been able to take people off the waitlist and get them started on the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that you have more background on the ins and outs of Misfits Market, you might still have a few lingering questions.
Here the answers to a few of the most common questions about this popular subscription box service.
1. Does Misfits Market deliver to P.O. boxes?
No. Because produce is perishable and because of the limited receiving hours at post offices, Misfits Market cannot deliver to P.O. boxes.
The company suggests shipping directly to your home or apartment, your workplace, or to a friend or neighbor’s address whenever possible.
2. Is shipping free for Misfits Market?
Shipping is not free, but it’s reasonably priced.
There is a flat shipping rate of $4.50 to all locations for both the Mischief and Madness boxes.
The two exceptions are Florida and Tennessee where the shipping rate is $5.50 for either box size.
3. When do the deliveries take place?
Misfits Market delivers every week Tuesday through Saturday.
While delivery dates might be limited in some regions, subscribers can set or update their delivery day preference by logging into their accounts and adjusting their settings.
4. Can customers customize which fruits and vegetables to include in each box?
According to the company, customization has recently rolled out in select delivery areas with plans to offer this option for all customers across the United States.
Active subscribers will be notified via email once boxes can be customized.
5. Is there a referral program?
Yes, Misfits Market has a referral program.
As a subscriber, you can log into your account to get your unique referral code and share it with friends and family.
Once someone purchases their first box with your referral code, they’ll get 25% off and you’ll get 25% off a future subscription box.
Misfits Market Is a Perfect Fit for Organic Delivery
It’s clear that we are a nation of on-demand delivery.
Whether it’s Postmates, Instacart, DoorDash, or any number of other services, we love the convenience they offer.
Likewise, Misfits Market is a convenient and affordable way to get fresh, healthy, organic fruits and vegetables without having to go grocery shopping.
Even better, this eco-friendly service fights the food waste crisis by providing produce that might have otherwise ended up in a landfill because it wasn’t simply wasn’t pretty enough.
Plus, it supports organic farmers and helps keep them in business.
And for those reasons, Misfits Market is a subscription service that helps you feel good in more ways than one.