Affordable grocery app Flashfood is making its Los Angeles debut in partnership with Gelson’s Markets, where it is offering its signature Produce Box — a mix of affordable, fresh and high-quality produce — to area shoppers looking for a great deal on fruits and vegetables.
Shoppers in West Hollywood, Silver Lake and surrounding neighborhoods can now reserve $9 assortments of seasonal fruits and vegetables nearing peak freshness directly through the Flashfood app, then pick them up at participating Gelson’s stores.
Flashfood — an app marketplace that connects shoppers with fresh and affordable produce, meat, dairy and other groceries nearing their sell-by date — partners with retailers across North America to offer shoppers nutritious foods, while also reducing the amount of food going to landfills.
The Gelson’s collaboration marks Flashfood’s first grocery partner to focus exclusively on the Produce Box offering: a selection of mixed fresh fruits and vegetables designed to give the shopper 10 to15 pounds of produce that translates to approximately $18 to $25 worth of fruits and vegetables in every box.
“It’s an abundant mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables, which will vary based on what is in season,” says Esther Cohn, vice president of communications and public affairs for Flashfood. “Gelson’s builds the produce boxes every morning based on the surplus they have that day. Shoppers will see a photo of each produce box to get a sense of what’s inside and pick their favorite or buy a few.”
Cohn says the Produce Box, which is by far the No. 1 selling item on Flashfood, with more than 1.2 million boxes sold in 2025 alone, is a great way to try something new or pick up produce staples.
“We are incredibly excited about Gelson’s as our launch partner,” she says. “They’re a classic L.A. grocer, and we know people are going to get very high-quality produce that showcases the beauty and abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in southern California.”
While Gelson’s is known for its upscale stores and high-quality offerings, Cohn says in today’s economic climate, everyone appreciates savings.
“What [this partnership] also demonstrates is what we already know: People all across the income spectrum are interested in saving money on groceries and get excited by a great deal, particularly on produce for health and wellness reasons,” she says.
Flashfood says the main selling point of Produce Box is that it offers convenient access to delicious, affordable produce.
“What brings people to Flashfood is the affordability of fresh, nutritious food,” Cohn says. “That’s what shoppers want first and foremost, and it’s why people check Flashfood multiple times a week — sometimes multiple times per day. No one wants to see good food go to waste, so people are happy about that piece of it, but it’s a byproduct of what people are really excited about.”
Flashfood says its Produce Boxes matter for several reasons. First, fruits and vegetables make up 43% of all surplus food in the U.S., equal to more than 30 million tons per year, according to ReFED. At the same time, fewer than one in 10 people in the U.S. eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, says Flashfood, pointing to Partnership for a Healthier America.
As the Gelson’s partnership is Flashfood’s first in southern California, the company plans to introduce area shoppers to the concept through a new marketing campaign.
“We have a marketing campaign out in the world to introduce people to our company, our mission and our brand,” Cohn says. “This includes out-of-home brand ambassadors, digital and social and influencer partnerships. Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out more consumer campaigns as we expand to additional locations in L.A.”
Flashfood says it has diverted over 145 million pounds of food from landfills and saved shoppers more than $370 million on groceries to date. Flashfood’s expansion into Las Angeles represents a continued push to make nutritious food affordable and accessible in all markets across North America.
