AUSTIN, Texas — Pod Foods, the leading grocery B2B marketplace platform, together with Flowspace, the software platform and distribution network powering independent fulfillment, today announced a national partnership to power logistics and fulfillment orchestration for grocery retailers and brands.
Pod Foods leverages Flowspace’s leading-edge software and its expansive network to better serve retailers of all sizes and formats across the country.
The partnership spans not only ambient fulfillment, but also cold chain, enabling Pod Foods to connect retailers with more emerging, local and innovative consumer packaged products brands, including those requiring refrigeration.
Pod Foods, which announced nationwide expansion with Sprouts Farmers Market in the second half of 2022, as well as recent team expansion with industry leader Mike Schall in April 2023, is creating an alternative model to incumbent wholesale distribution, enabling brands and retailers to transact directly, transparently, and affordably, with full-service logistics and analytics.
Flowspace maintains a flexible, asset-light network of more than 150 locations nationwide, including more than temperature-controlled facilities operated by Fresh Del Monte. Powered by leading-edge warehouse and inventory management software, Flowspace enables centralized facility management and fulfillment orchestration for suppliers and operators.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our national strategic partnership with Flowspace,” said Peter Gialantzis, SVP of Sales and Operations at Pod Foods. “With our accelerating growth from coast-to-coast, we need a partner with the best warehousing capabilities in the most sought-after retail grocery markets in the United States.” Gialantzis brings over twenty-five years of industry experience, most recently leading Fresh and Exclusive Brands at KeHE Distributors, one of the largest natural and specialty food distributors in North America.
The Pod Foods and Flowspace collaboration began in 2022 with Pod Foods’ initial location in Ocala, Florida, and has expanded to include facilities in Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Sacramento, California. Additional locations are planned in conjunction with new account expansion plans.
“Pod Foods is a like-minded strategic partner looking to enable customer growth with logistics,” said Ben Eachus, CEO at Flowspace. “Our flexible, distributed network model gives Pod Foods the flexibility needed to keep up with growth as distribution scales both locally and nationwide.”
The Pod Foods logistics optimization has unlocked the ability for Pod to deliver products to retailers nationally in an expedited fashion. “Set up and fulfillment on Pod is easy – we were able to roll out a nationwide promotion from first conversation to the shelf in less than 4 weeks,” said Erik Lucas from LIFEAID Beverage Co.
“The opening of the Denver, Atlanta, and Sacramento warehouses this summer are just the beginning,” said Gialantzis. “With this flexible capacity, we are able to expand our distribution footprint into key new geographies to keep pace with all of the new brands and retailers joining the Pod Foods supply chain.”
To help their suppliers access the new facilities affordably, Pod Foods has also introduced an inbound freight program for qualified brands (Pod Freight) as well as a working capital, embedded lending solution (Pod Capital), making the offering a complete, end-to-end solution. To learn more about Pod Foods and how the company is reinventing wholesale distribution for retailers and brands please visit: https://podfoods.co/.
About Pod Foods
Pod Foods is a tech-enabled, data-driven full-service distribution solution, reaching retailers and brands via a B2B wholesale marketplace. With the platform, grocery retailers can easily procure from emerging brands and receive orders in a consolidated fashion via an optimized logistics network. Food manufacturers can grow their retail businesses with higher margins, streamlined logistics, and transparency. In-store marketing support, data analytics, and online recommendations bring visibility to emerging brands, accelerating sales so retailers and manufacturers alike can sell more, more easily. Follow @podfoodsco or say hi@podfoods.co for better distribution.
About Flowspace
Flowspace powers independent fulfillment. Its OmniFlow software provides brands with the real-time visibility and insights needed to orchestrate and optimize fulfillment across multiple locations.
Centralizing omnichannel visibility and reporting in a single dashboard, Flowspace empowers brands operating any configuration of locations with the data needed to manage fulfillment from anywhere. Its flexible, distributed network of +150 fulfillment locations enable merchants to expand or enhance existing networks, while ensuring best-in-class fulfillment execution.
Launched out of the Y Combinator technology accelerator program in 2017, Flowspace was recognized by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2020. Recognized for its ability to reduce retailers’ environmental impacts, Flowspace was awarded the SEAL Environmental Initiatives Award and named Sustainability Service of the Year. The company’s dedication to customer service and support led to its recognition as Organization of the Year within the 2022 Excellence in Customer Service awards program.
More information on Flowspace can be found at www.flow.space.
