Melissa's Produce

What Melissa's Produce does

Melissa's Produce (DBA: World Variety Produce) is a US-based specialty produce retailer founded in 1984 by Joe and Sharon Hernandez and headquartered in the Los Angeles area (Vista/Los Angeles, California). The company sells premium, exotic, and organic fresh fruits and vegetables alongside gift baskets, culinary kits, wines, gift cards, and curated subscription produce boxes. Its underlying technology is a Shopify-based e-commerce platform extended across three segment-specific portals: melissas.com for individual consumers, orders.melissas.com/ppro for retailer produce managers, and melissasfarmfreshproduce.com for professional chefs and food service operators, supplemented by the Melissa's Rewards Club loyalty program and QR code-enabled cooking instructions on culinary kits.

Name

Melissa's Produce

Legal name

Melissa's Produce

Website

https://melissas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Produce Retail

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (445230), Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (44523), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Specialty Grocery (Organic/Health/Ethnic/Gourmet) (CRAHAIAE), Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG), Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB), Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Specialty produce retail
• Exotic fruit delivery
• Gourmet gift baskets
• Culinary meal kits
• Corporate produce gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales of fresh produce, gift baskets, culinary kits, and specialty items through melissas.com. One-time purchases and subscription boxes (monthly, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month exotic fruit subscriptions).
2. Corporate Gifting: B2B sales of customized gift baskets and produce for corporate clients. Volume discounts available for orders of 10+ items. Includes customization options and branded packaging.
3. Food Service/Wholesale: Sales to food service operators and retailers through dedicated portals. Serves professional chefs and produce managers with wholesale pricing and specialized product offerings.
4. Subscription Boxes: Recurring revenue from monthly produce subscription boxes including exotic fruit clubs (3, 6, 12 month options) and organic mixed boxes with regular deliveries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Melissa's Produce is a U.S.-based specialty produce retailer that sources, distributes, and sells fresh fruits, vegetables, and gourmet food items (including exotic and seasonal produce) direct-to-consumers via melissas.com and to businesses through dedicated portals. The company offers curated gift baskets, subscription produce boxes, ready-to-cook culinary kits, premium wine pairings, and ultra-premium "Luxe" items, plus B2B supply services for corporate gifting, food service/chefs, and grocery retailers/produce managers.

Product overview

Melissa's Produce is a specialty produce retailer offering fresh fruits, vegetables, and gourmet gift products through an e-commerce platform. The product portfolio centers on premium and exotic produce including specialty fruits (Mangosteen, Dragon Fruit, Pinkglow Pineapple, Rubyglow Pineapple), innovative grape varieties (Cotton Candy Grapes, Champagne Grapes), and organic produce options. The company offers complementary product lines including Gift Baskets and Boxes (subscription services for exotic fruit), Culinary Kits (ready-to-cook meal components), Wine gifts, and specialty Luxe Items featuring ultra-premium produce. Business services include Corporate Gifting programs, a Produce Manager Portal for wholesale ordering, and a Chef's Portal for food service operators. The company also features seasonal offerings like Hatch Peppers from New Mexico and Irish Holiday Meal Kits, positioning itself in both consumer retail and B2B produce supply channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gift Baskets Curated premium fruit hampers, gourmet gift baskets, and celebration gift boxes (e.g., Deluxe Exotic and Tropical Fruit Basket, Baby Vegetables Basket, Holiday Fruit Hamper, Pinkglow Pineapple Rosé Gift Basket) sold to individual consumers and corporate clients for gifting occasions.
• Boxes & Subscriptions Recurring farm-fresh produce subscription boxes including the 12 Month Exotic Fruit Club ($564.95), 6 Month Subscription ($314.95), 3 Month Subscription ($174.95), Organic Family Box, and themed culinary boxes such as Korean BBQ Kit and Mediterranean Grill Kit.
• Culinary Kits Ready-to-make cooking kits including Tamale Kits, Guacamole Kit, Salsa Kit, Pickle Kit, Soup Starter Kits, and themed grill kits for various cuisines; also features the Irish Holiday Meal Kit with QR code-enabled recipe instructions.
• Wine Gifts Curated premium wines including sparkling, cabernet, syrah, pinot noir, and rosé, often paired with fruit gift baskets for celebrations and corporate gifting.
• Luxe Items Ultra-premium gourmet produce and specialty foods including Rubyglow Pineapples ($395.99 / 1.5 lbs), Crown Melons ($155.99), Pinkglow Pineapples ($29-$58), exotic Dragon Fruit, Mangosteen, Hidden Rose Apples, Green Dragon Apples, Hunnyz Apples, Cosmic Crisp Apples, and Jewelbox Strawberries.
• Corporate Gifting Program B2B customizable corporate gifting service with volume discounts for orders of 10+ items, branded packaging inclusion, multi-location shipping, and personalized service via dedicated phone line (800-588-0151) for client gifts, employee appreciation, and event gifting.
• Food Service Supply (Chef's Portal) B2B produce supply service for professional chefs and food service operators through dedicated portal at melissasfarmfreshproduce.com, offering specialty produce, exotic ingredients, and wholesale pricing with consistent quality and reliable cold-chain delivery.
• Produce Manager Portal (Retailer Supply) B2B wholesale ordering portal for grocery retailers and produce managers at orders.melissas.com/ppro, providing access to specialty and premium produce SKUs with wholesale pricing and inventory tools for retail produce departments.
• Guacamole Products Guacamole kits and related avocado products sold via retail channels, aligned with the broader guacamole market category (referenced as a $1.47 billion 2025 segment growing to $2.63 billion by 2034).

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UNFI (United Natural Foods Inc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMelissa's Produce is a featured supplier at UNFI events and trade shows. UNFI hosted Melissa's products at their 2026 Holiday and Winter Selling Show at Mohegan Sun Convention Center, showcasing Melissa's specialty produce to over 1,400 grocery retail representatives and 715 suppliers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FreshDirect: Established online grocer with strong specialty produce assortment. Overlaps with Melissa's on online specialty produce but operates a broader full-grocery model rather than produce-led niche.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Global vertically integrated producer and distributor of fresh produce including pineapples and tropical fruit. Comparable on premium tropical/Specialty produce supply; overlaps as both supplier partner and adjacent competitor.

Emerging players

• Goldbelly: Online marketplace for specialty and artisan foods with strong gifting tilt. Comparable on curated specialty food gifting and discovery experience for foodie consumers.

Direct peers

• Harry & David: Iconic US fruit-of-the-month club and premium gift-basket retailer. Directly comparable to Melissa's on premium produce gifting, subscription boxes, and the same holiday/occasion-gifting calendar.
• Misfits Market: Online produce subscription box operator focused on specialty and organic produce. Comparable direct-to-consumer produce subscription model and organic-specialty positioning.
• Pittman & Davis: Specialty fruit gift retailer offering seasonal fruit boxes and gift baskets. Comparable to Melissa's on subscription boxes, citrus-focused assortment, and corporate gifting.
• Imperfect Foods (Misfits Market post-merger): Online grocery/produce subscription operator. Comparable subscription-driven DTC produce model and broader grocery expansion.
• Melissa's/World Variety Produce competitor — Frieda's Specialty Produce: Long-standing US specialty and exotic produce distributor serving retailers and foodservice. Closely comparable business model: exotic produce curation, retailer and foodservice supply, branded specialty SKUs.
• Hale Groves: Specialty citrus and seasonal fruit gift retailer serving consumers and corporate buyers. Comparable premium gift-basket positioning, holiday seasonality, and DTC gift model.
• The Fruit Company: Online specialty fruit retailer focused on handcrafted gift baskets and corporate gifting. Closely comparable to Melissa's gift-basket assortment, corporate-gifting program, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/melissasproduce
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MelissasWorldVariety
• Facebookfacebook.com/melissasproduce
• Instagraminstagram.com/melissasproduce
• Pinterestpinterest.com/melissasproduce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Melissa's Produce