The Ultimate Guide To Shopping At Thrive Market

Thrive Market is building an online paradise for natural and organic grocery store shoppers just like you.

It is exciting to see just how much Thrive has tapped into our need for options that are plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free and much more. Nobody else does this as well as Thrive.

You may be new to Thrive Market, but I don't think it will be long before everyone knows about it. Since launching in 2015, the company has grown by at least 50 percent each year.

This is awesome news for shoppers, since it means new products, new perks, and new services are coming online all the time.

How Do I Know If Thrive Market Is For Me?

All this sounds good, right, but how do you know if Thrive Market is for you?

Consider these two questions:

Do you have food preferences, or do you follow a special diet?
Do you believe you should have the choice to support brands that are GMO certified, or sustainably farmed?

If you answered YES to either, then you will absolutely love Thrive Market.

Say you are dairy-free, gluten-free, or paleo. All you need to do is select it, and your online store will be customized to show you only products that fit your needs.

This is so much easier than spending time scouring the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores for the products you want, and then reading labels.

You are essentially eliminating the risk of accidentally purchasing something with a hidden allergen that makes you sick.

Ingredients aside, at a regular store you wouldn’t even necessarily know if the brand used BPA free packaging or not.

Thrive filters for over 70-plus different product attributes, from dairy-free, to certified kosher, to women-owned companies.

Thrive’s platform makes it super easy to find what you need—coconut oil, beans, spices, bone broths, coffee, tomato sauce, nut butters, clean beauty, household staples, and much more—in a way that’s painless and rewarding.

Not to mention that ALL of Thrive’s products are GMO-free, the majority are certified organic, AND you get a bonus of up to 25–50 percent price savings on everything you buy.

In addition to offering hundreds of branded products, Thrive Market also sells hundreds of private label products. They’re easy to spot. Just look for the generic Thrive packaging in smile-evoking, colorful hues.

It's a tactic taken right out of the playbook of America’s beloved Trader Joe’s.

Private labelling allows Thrive to offer everyday products we all need at higher quality, and often at reduced prices.

Get Free Gifts With Thrive Market

A representative at Thrive Market says the thing members love the most about shopping with Thrive are the free gifts.

Free gifts are offered every day. They arrive in your inbox around midday.

You could have the chance to get organic raw honey, sustainably sourced from local beekeepers in Brazil, for free.

This gift is worth $20, and to claim it all you need to do is buy a single product. (Sometimes you have to spend $49 or $59 to claim a gift.)

The free gifts change frequently, and sometimes there's a limited supply, but even if you you don’t get the daily deal, you can still access other choices through the “deals” button on the top menu bar.

Basically, every Thrive Market order you make comes with a valuable free gift (and a free sample). What other grocery store gives you this kind of love?

Start Shopping With Free Offers And Discounts

The best part about Thrive Market is that you get to shop right from the convenience of your couch. Online grocery shopping can be fun and therapeutic, and you can get started for free.

I gotta tell you that eventually you will need to pay a $5/month membership fee. But to make it easier to experience the platform, Thrive offers a free one-month membership, PLUS a $20 discount on your first purchase if you spend more than $80 (easy to do).

That’s $80 worth of groceries for $60. (Plus, remember, there’s free gifts with every purchase!)

Click here to avail of this offer.

Shipping is 2–3 days for most orders (although it can take up to 3–5 days), and it’s free on the first order, with no minimums.

For future orders you will need to meet a minimum order threshold of $49 to qualify for free shipping. Not qualifying will cost you $5.95.

A free membership is a fantastic way to experience the market and decide if its something that fits with your lifestyle. At the same time, you can totally avail of all the free offers you want.

If you are a natural and organic foods shopper (or you want to be), and you want a cheaper option than Whole Foods (or there isn’t a Whole Foods in your area), it’s very likely that you’ll love Thrive Market.

Click this link to sign up, or read on to learn all there is to know about Thrive Market, including:

8 Reasons To Shop At Thrive Market
Who Owns Thrive Market?
What Happens When You Sign Up For Thrive Market?
How To Be A Thrive Market Superuser
What's Happening Next At Thrive Market?

8 Reasons To Shop At Thrive Market

1. A One-Stop Shop For Healthy Living

Newcomers to Thrive might be surprised to see the huge diversity of products available at the market.

At Thrive Market you will find everything that’s stocked on a shelf in a typical grocery store, plus much more.

Barney's nut butters available at Thrive Market

You are guaranteed to find new brands and products that you can’t get anywhere else, such as Thrive Market’s Organic Coconut Wraps, Thrive Market Spray Ghee, or Swerve confectioners sugar replacement.

Or how about nutritional yeast made by someone other than Bragg’s?

Or what about Wonder Noodles? Otherwise known as shirataki, and made with konjac flour, these noodles are super popular and gluten-free, paleo, kosher, and preservative-free.

Shirataki wonder noodles at Thrive Market

The noodles are great in soups and sauces, and they are known for soaking up flavors.

According to the company, they love partnering with brands that are “pushing the envelope” and helping brands be first to market, or even launch on Thrive.

The platform’s product offering is expanding every year.

According to the latest numbers, Thrive sells 6,000 total products, with 520 Thrive-branded products.

Categories include the following:

Pantry foods:

Choose from baking; bars; beverages; candy and chocolate; canned and packaged food; cereals and granolas; condiments and sauces; grains; pasta and bread; honey and sweeteners; nut butter and fruit spreads; snacks; soups, meals, and side dishes; spices, seasoning, and salt.

Frozen meat, such as free-range chicken, wild and sustainable seafood, pasture-raised pork and grass-fed beef.

You will have to buy your meat in larger quantities. A wide variety of box sizes start at 16 servings (6 pounds), and get bigger from there.

Vitamins and Supplements:

Choose from amino acids; antioxidants; collagen; herbs and homeopathy; letter vitamins; men’s health; omegas and fish oils; probiotics and digestion; sports nutrition; superfoods and greens; women’s health.

Clean Beauty:

Choose from fragrance; lip care; makeup; men’s skincare; nails; and skincare.

In addition to all your favorite safe cleaning brands, Thrive carries more than a dozen Thrive Market-branded cleaning staples—proven effective, EWG A-rated, and affordably priced.

Notable brands: W3LL, Acure, Thayer’s, Tom’s of Maine, Derma-E, Alaffia, Badger, Desert Essence, NOW Foods, MyChelle, and Andalou.

Bath & Body:

Choose from body care; essential oils and aromatherapy; feminine care; first aid; hair care; men’s grooming; oral care; sexual health; shaving and hair removal; soap and bath; sun and bug.

Babies & Kids:

Apparel; backpacks and lunch boxes; bath and body; diapering; feeding accessories; food; moms and maternity; toys; vitamins and supplements.

Home:

Apparel and accessories; cleaning; fermentation; garden seeds; home accessories; household supplies; kitchenware; laundry; yoga and home fitness.

Stainless steel containers with leak-proof lids, and a beautiful tea strainer.

Pets:

Cat flea and tick; cat food; cat grooming; cat toys and accessories; cat treats; cat vitamins and supplements; dog flea and tick; dog food; dog grooming; dog potty and cleaning; dog treats; dog vitamins and supplements.

Clean Wines:

Choose from curated bundles, red wines, white wines, and rose.

These are a relatively new offering, and Thrive Market says it wasn’t easy to find organic, biodynamic, or verified sustainably grown wines that were truly clean. As a result, most of their imported bottles haven’t been readily available in the U.S. before.

All wines meet the following quality standards: No added sugar, minimal fining and filtration, low sulfites, no flavorings, no flash pasteurization, no manipulation such as reverse osmosis, and no dimethyldicarbonate.

Shopping at Thrive Market might be worth it to you just for the wine!

2. Friendly To Special Diet And Value Shoppers

All in all, Thrive Market offers an exhilarating, customizable search experience like you have never seen before, including over 70 value options to help you refine your search.

For example, when viewing a category, say “bars,” you can choose to dig down into subcategories, such as “energy bars,” or “kids bars,” but you can also choose to shop by value.

Options include certified organic, certified gluten-free, certified vegan, non-GMO project verified, dairy-free, high fiber, high in protein, certified kosher, and so on.

If these values are important to you, the feeling of selecting your need and seeing only items that meet that need is pretty exhilarating.

Think about all the time you will save scouring packaging to figure out if the product if right for you.

—> Refine Your Search By Diet

gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, organic, raw, paleo, low FODMAP, ketogenic, AIP Diet

—> Refine Your Search By Certifications And Awards

Certified Vegan, non-GMO project verified, Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Kosher, Certified Organic, Whole30 Approved, EWG Certified, Certified Glyphosate Residue Free

—> Refine Your Search By Health And Ingredients

soy-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, preservative-free, cholesterol-free, low-sodium, dye- and color additive-free, pesticide free, peanut-free, low glycemic, nut-free, sugar-free, big 8 allergen-free, high-fiber, SLS-free, salt-free, no sulfites / sulphur dioxide, low fat, no added sugar or sweeteners, high in protein, dairy free, soy free, preservative free, caffeine free, contains probiotic, essential oils, fragrance free, full of omegas, hypoallergenic, paraben free, yeast-free, no antibiotics / synthetic hormones, grain-free, plant-based

—> Refine Your Search By Environmental And Social Values

Supports charity, made in USA, recyclable, recycled packaging, woman-owned business, Certified B Corporation, PCW Recycled, sustainably farmed, family-owned business, locally sourced, made by hand, Turtle and Dolphin Safe, sourced direct from farmers, recyclable, ethically sourced, biodegradable, cruelty-free, chlorine-free, BPA-free, FSC Certified, biodynamic, free-range, grass-fed.

3. Commitment To Clean Sourcing

ORGANIC: Thrive Market is committed to organic farming. They say that “if a product can be produced organically, you’ll find that option on Thrive Market.” You can select to see organic products, or only certified organic products if you choose.

NON-GMO: All products at Thrive Market are GMO-free.

SUSTAINABLE: Thrive Market is committed to supply chain transparency. They say they investigate each product and prioritize sustainability.

NONTOXIC: Every product is vetted against a list of more than 550 chemicals that don’t meet standards for safety and quality.

70+ TAGS: Shop based on diets, allergies and lifestyle factors.

4. Cheaper Prices On Brand Name And Private Label Products

Thrive Market claims to offer 25 percent to 50 percent off retail prices on all its products. This message is ubiquitous on its website, where the company lists the suggested retail prices beside the lower prices.

The problem is, Thrive is not the only retailer that offers price savings.

I did some comparison shopping for you, looking at the prices of common products on Thrive Market versus Kroger and Amazon, and I found the results to be a bit of a mixed bag, although on the whole, prices were lower.

Please see the price comparison charts below for details.

On the whole, prices at Thrive are lower. However, it is hard to see that they are 25 percent to 50 percent lower. A representative at Thrive said that its prices are compared to manufacturers' suggested retail prices (MSRP) as well as prices at brick and mortar grocery stores.

I did find the savings to be more significant on Thrive Market branded products. You are often getting a higher quality product for a much lower price.

It is also a huge win for shoppers that the default for products at Thrive Market is organic quality.

It streamlines the shopping experience if you prefer high quality products, which saves you time, and money as well.

Brand Name Product Comparison Chart

PRODUCT	THRIVE MARKET	KROGER	AMAZON
Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips (9 oz)	$5.99	$5.95	$10.10
Simply Organic Vanilla Extract (4 oz)	$12.99	$11.80	$12.49
Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola - (12 oz)	$5.49	$6.31	$5.36
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (32 oz)	$6.19	$6.29	n/a
Lundberg Family Farms California White Basmati Rice - (32 oz)	$5.49	$6.38	$5.48
4th & Heart Ghee with Himalayan Pink Salt (9 oz)	$8.04	$11.66	$11.49

Private Label Product Comparison Chart

PRODUCT	THRIVE MARKET	KROGER	AMAZON
Thrive Market Organic Cashews (16 oz)	$10.00	$16.35	$14.85
Thrive Market Organic Pine Nuts (8 oz)	$11.99	$13.66	$17.99
Thrive Market Organic Maple Syrup, Grade A (16 oz)	$12.99	$11.85	$13.13
Thrive Market Apple Cider Vinegar (32 oz)	$4.99	$5.24	$11.49
Thrive Market Organic Coconut Milk (13.5 oz)	$1.99	$2.77	$1.99
Thrive Market Organic Ground Cinnamon (2.24 oz)	$2.99	$5.40	$5.04

Thrive Market Versus Amazon

A few comments here on how easy it is to shop with Thrive, versus a vendor like Amazon:

1. With Thrive, you are buying from one vendor (versus Amazon).

2. Everything comes in a single box on the same day (versus multiple boxes and days with Amazon).

3. The packaging is much more environmentally friendly. (More on this later.)

4. You never have to wonder if your supplier is legit.

5. Thrive Market Private Label

As of early 2019, Thrive Market had more than 500 private label products, with plans to launch another 200 this year.

Private label is a tricky business for consumers, but ultimately it benefits us because we get a better product for a lower price—as long as you trust your brand—to do its due diligence on quality.

This is where Thrive Market … ahem … thrives.

According to Thrive Market senior vice president Jeremiah McElwee, when Thrive looks for a manufacturer, it asks a lot of questions, such as how ingredients are sourced, the conditions on the farm, and food safety practices.

Thrive says it even visits the farms to make sure the reality matches what they are told.

It is common for Thrive to request improvements to the recipe ingredients to make their products healthier. For example, avocado oil in beauty products, or the removal of cane sugar in pasta sauce.

Since Thrive has a hand in the creative process of so many of its products, it is able to give its customers what they want.

You can buy Thrive Market grassfed collagen peptides, MCT oil, organic coconut aminos, keto noodles, almond flour, raw unstrained honey, cassava flour, and much, much, more.

6. Transparent And Helpful Product Listing

I find it super frustrating when I am shopping and I can’t find out the information I need about a product.

I was pleasantly surprised that at Thrive Market, for most products you can see everything and know everything before you buy.

Here is what you get:

Clear product shots from the front and back

Ingredients from the label itself

A list of key product attributes (non-GMO, paleo, gluten-free, soft texture and neutral taste, etc.)

Nutrition facts

Customer rating and reviews

Members who bought this also bought

All this information is really helpful in determining if a particular product is what you want.

Their process is standardized and consistent, so you are never left in the dark wondering about something.

7. Free Gift With Purchase

If you spend $49 you can choose a free gift with your purchase.

The choices are varied and impressive, and valued at up to $24.99. (This gets you 60 capsules of ashwagandha root from Gaia Herbs.)

Other options include a 16 ounce jar of Really Raw unstrained honey, a set of cleaning supplies from Seventh Generation, vegan savory snacks, clay face mask set, Thrive Market Organic Ghee, Califia Keto coffee set, or a nice 16 ounce pouch of organic raw cashews.

There were 19 choices in total last time I looked.

And did I mention that you get to choose?

8. Thrive Gives To Charity

Thrive operates a one-for-one membership matching program, which means that for every paid membership, someone in need gets one for free.

The company also offers members the opportunity to donate all, or a portion of their savings, to charity, which has been used for disaster relief, food access, veterans aid, and more.

In early May, $50,000 was donated to a program that will be used to build 10 clean water wells in Ethiopia.

Who Owns Thrive Market?

Thrive Market was founded in November 2014 by serial social entrepreneur Gunner Lovelace and three partners—with the backing of a small group of influential value investors.

Those partners were president and entrepreneur Nick Green, CTO and technologist Sasha Siddhartha, and vice president of content and lifestyle publishing veteran Kate Mulling.

The founders saw that trying to live healthy in America was too hard for too many people. They believed that things shouldn’t be this way, and set out to make a difference.

Thrive Market’s mission is to make healthy living easy and affordable for every American.

Who’s Invested In Thrive Market?

According to a press release, Thrive Market investors included:

Mark Sisson, "godfather" of the Paleo Movement and founder of Mark's Daily Apple

Katie, founder of Wellness Mama

Brian Lee, founder and CEO of Honest.com, Shoedazzle.com, and legalzoom.

Mike Geary, fitness mega-affiliate and founder of The Truth About Abs

Drew Koven, Head of Ecommerce at Guess.com and former CMO of Fresh Direct

After launching, Thrive also got Ayurveda wellness expert Deepak Chopra on board, as well as celebrity life coach Tony Robbins, among many others.

What a brilliant way to launch! Thrive Market’s investors were also influencers who helped to rocket-launch the company’s initial success.

According to Business Insider, there are 300 such “strategic partners” involved.

From Startup To Growing Success

In their first press release, the founders characterized Thrive Market as a “revolutionary online health and wellness marketplace” with a mission to “make healthy living easy and affordable for all American families.”

It compared its membership model to Costco, but differentiated by pointing out that its products are regular sizes, not Costco super-sizes.

The risk appears to have worked out fabulously.

In its first year of operation (2015) Thrive earned $50 million in sales, according to co-CEO Nick Green.

By 2016, Thrive Market was predicting $130 million for its second year in operation, according to digitalcommerce360.com.

And in 2018, revenue grew again by 50 percent.

The company also raised a cool $161.9 million in funding to help scale growth and prime it for the future.

It is worth noting that Thrive Market’s two biggest rivals in the organic online shopping space have both shut down. Door to Door Organics, and My Natural Market are both gone.

What Happens When You Sign Up For Thrive Market?

When you sign up for Thrive Market, you will be asked to complete a very interesting survey that helps you think about what you’ll shop for on Thrive.

The survey’s meant to personalize your shopping experience, but another benefit is how it gives you an overview of the products and brands.

At the end of the survey, Thrive will ask for your credit card information. After entering it, you will be able to start shopping.

Remember, this is a 30-day trial membership, and you can cancel at any time before your membership is up.

Thrive will send you an email near the end of the 30 days, telling you exactly when your card will be charged. They may also offer you an extended free trail.

How Does The Thrive Market 30-Day Membership Work?

There’s nothing to loose by signing up for Thrive Market.

Signing up for Thrive Market costs you nothing, since the company offers all first-timers a FREE 30-day trial membership.

However, you must enter your credit card information. And it comes with a warning that you will be charged $59.95 per year with a default set to auto-renew.

During the trail period you will receive the daily Free Gift email, and you can avail of it as many times as you want.

You may choose to cancel before your free trial ends, or continue on your Thrive journey and rack up the free gifts and deals.

How To Get 25 Percent Off Your First Order

Be sure to take advantage of 25 percent off your first order within the first 30 days of your free trial.

This way you have tried out the service and the products, and if you don’t feel it is worth it to you, you can cancel before you’re charged, and keep all the savings.

There is a maximum savings of $20 attached to the 25 percent off deal, so if you spend $80 you will maximize your savings.

So try to spend around $80 dollars in your first purchase.

If you are ready to try the trial offer, you can sign up here.

Do You Have To Pay For Shipping?

Shipping is free on your first order, regardless of how much you spend, and shipping is generally two days.

After that, you will need to spend $49 to qualify for free shipping. (Regular shipping is $5.95.)

What this means is that Thrive Market is not a place to shop for just a couple things. Leave that for Amazon, or for in-store grocery visits.

I think Thrive Market understands this, which is why they focus so much on staple items, which people are likely to stock up on.

They also sell wine, supplements, beauty products, and cleaning products, which are items that people stock monthly, rather than weekly.

So what I would do is plan a Thrive Market shopping trip about once a month. There will be no shipping fees, and you’re sure to get those good deals on your lifestyle staples.

The key is to understand which products Thrive Market sells that you like, and save those purchases for Thrive Market buys only.

How Are Refrigerated And Frozen Products Shipped?

One thing to be aware of is Thrive’s “Packed With Purpose” initiative.

What this means is that you may be required to purchase multiples of items that need to be kept cold.

This happened to me when I tried to purchase dark mint truffles from Alter Eco.

I was required to buy three items, and could not just buy one.

A note warned that “this product is part of the cold pack program and may ship with an eco-friendly cold pack.

Thrive is really protecting the chocolate and encouraging consumption. Some items you need to buy three. Others, up to six.

This must be why Thrive offers its frozen meat in boxes.

What this company is really trying to do is to minimize the environmental impact of its business by shipping in the most efficient way possible. This is a good long-term strategy for everyone.

Where Does Thrive Market Ship?

Shipping is available to all residential and commercial addresses in the Contiguous United States. This means no P.O. boxes; no Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. No Canada either. Sorry friends!

Does Thrive Market Use Recycled Shipping Materials?

For a company that requires its vendors to abide by environmental and quality standards, you would expect that Thrive Market would follow the same. And they do.

You can expect 100 percent post-consumer recyclable packaging, minimal packaging (including paper tape), and more.

Thrive Market is operating “zero-waste” warehouses, where they divert 90 percent of waste into recycling, renewable energy, and a 100 percent carbon neutral footprint through carbonfund.

How To Be A Thrive Market Superuser

Like any digital platform, there is a learning curve until you maximize your benefits. Read this section to get everything you want without the wait.

When you log in, scan the top menu bar to the far right and find “DEALS” marked in red. Click it.

This is where you will be able to unlock your Free Gift With Purchase (with $59 spend) and see extra savings in select brands for your shopping period.

You can only claim one free gift per purchase, so may also choose to fill your virtual cart and then wait for the daily free gift deal that you want to redeem and buy on that day.

There is also Thrive Cash. Thrive Cash is virtual money that you can earn toward your next purchase. Pretty cool right?

>>Sign up for Thrive Market's free 30-day trial!

Another thing you can do is hit the heart icon on a product page and save it as a favorite. This will save you time later.

You can also go to “Buy it again” (located in the black bar at the very top of the page) and see what you’ve already purchased. You are likely to want to buy the same thing again.

Another way to rock Thrive Market shopping is to really use those value filters to find what you want.

Start at the home page for values and choose the one that is most important to you, then head over to see the results that fit only that criteria.

I tested “raw” and you get 292 food items, 98 vitamins and supplements, 37 other, and 5 babies and kids.

From there you can further refine your search with additional values.

Take Advantage Of Thrive’s Diverse Offerings To Build Your Holistic Lifestyle

In addition to non-GMO, organic food, Thrive Market sells cleaning products, personal care products, pet products, meats, wines, and clean beauty.

Each of these categories follows a set of quality standards. Below are a few examples.

CLEANING PRODUCTS

In addition to all your favorite safe cleaning brands, we carry more than a dozen Thrive Market-branded cleaning staples—proven effective, EWG A-rated, and affordably priced.

Thrive says its 500+ cleaning products are nontoxic, environmentally sustainable, and effective.

Brands You Can Get: Seventh Generation, If You Care, Biokleen, Ecover, Mrs. Meyers, Dr Bronners

PERSONAL CARE

We carry all the best personal care brands. It also spent nearly three years developing its own Thrive Market Goods bath & body line, using the purest botanical ingredients and the highest quality standards in the industry for experience and effectiveness.

Brands You Can Get: Avalon, Alba Botanica, Aura Cacia, Jason Natural, Mrs. Meyers, Acure, Seventh Generation, Alaffia, Schmidt’s, Toms of Maine, Desert Essence

CLEAN BEAUTY

Clean beauty is the fastest growing section of our catalog, with new brands added every week—always nontoxic and free of endocrine and hormone disruptors.

In the last 18 months, Thrive has doubled the number of clean beauty products it carries!

Brands You Can Get: ACURE, Thayers, Mineral Fusion, Andalou Naturals, WCLL PEOPLE, Derma E, Cocokind, Weleda, Alba Botanica, MyChelle, Burt’s Bees

What Not To Order At Thrive Market

When I received my first order from Thrive Market, every one of the three canned products were dented.

I believe this was because they were packed together with heavy glass bottles and jars.

So maybe skip the canned products at Thrive Market.

Overall, I was very impressed by the packing. It was extremely environmentally friendly, but its minimalism has a consequence.

Does Thrive Market Have An App?

Yes. Find it on iTunes and Google Play. Yay!

What’s Happening Next At Thrive Market?

According to a Food Navigator report in March of 2019, Thrive Market is dramatically expanding into frozen foods.

Frozen meat and seafood is already available. It is unclear what else is to follow, but if they have the infrastructure, it's probably likely there’s more where that came from.

They are also working to support regenerative agriculture, including adding a label for it on their platform.

Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming that focuses on improving soil quality through biodiversity, cover cropping, and water management.

You’ve got to appreciate a company that uses its clout to promote healthy food, a healthier environment, and healthier people.

If Thrive’s past growth and commitments are any indications, the future looks very exciting for all Thrive members.