Fresh Direct Charges More in Richer Areas
New York Post
By Natasha Velez, David K. Li, Amber Sutherland and Matt Abrahams
There’s something rotten about FreshDirect’s prices.
New York’s food-delivery giant charges residents of wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods more for products than it does to those in areas of Brooklyn and New Jersey, the company admitted to The Post. The items all come from its facility in Long Island City, Queens, meaning it costs more money in gas and tolls to reach areas where they are charging less for food.
Prices are even cheaper in Newark, despite a minimum $39 truck toll on Hudson River crossings. FreshDirect defended the pricing, saying it is no different than the way grocery stores across the city charge more in affluent areas.
“We use the same pricing practices as the large brick-and-mortar supermarket chains,” a FreshDirect spokesman said.But those chains pay higher rent in wealthier areas.
