Next-day Delivery Helps Greenhouse Juice Grow

Organic beverage company Greenhouse Juice started in 2014 in a former coach house in Toronto. A tiny three-person team pressed fresh juices at night, and sold them during the day. Less than a decade later they’ve grown to 15 retail locations, a dedicated production facility more than 100x the size of their first storefront, and a thriving ecommerce delivery service. Their organic, plant-based, glass-bottled beverages are stocked in grocery stores across Canada, including in major supermarkets like Whole Foods and Loblaws.

The Greenhouse team makes many deliveries every week, aided by Routific’s route planning and delivery management software. “When we started our home deliveries in 2016, we had just one driver going to a dozen or so stops a day. Now we have a whole fleet of vans,” said Greenhouse Juice Chief Performance Officer Chase Winters.

Greenhouse customers can order right up until midnight for next-day delivery, making for a formidable route planning challenge. But thanks to Routific’s delivery management software, drivers are able to start driving optimized routes early in the morning.  “Depending on the time they order, there are some instances where customers get their orders even faster than Amazon Prime,” said logistics manager Brian Zaffuto.

The challenge of delivering fresh

Winters pointed out that with cold-pressed juice delivery, there are two things to keep in mind: a short shelf life, and the need for refrigeration. Greenhouse uses Routific to automate notifications to let their customers know when their orders are arriving, so they can get them into the fridge quickly.

Delivery drivers use the Routific Driver mobile app to keep them on track, with short and efficient delivery routes. There’s no circling back, and no overlapping routes — both routing mistakes that send drivers crazy.

The app includes customized delivery notes informing drivers where to leave deliveries if people aren’t home, or whether or not to ring the doorbell at a given time. 

Drivers can also use the app to take proof of delivery photos.  “That’s a game-changer,” said Zaffuto. “The photos are uploaded to the dispatcher instantly, and we can confirm delivery or offer customer support right away.”

Routific helps smaller businesses compete against e-commerce giants 

Zaffuto previously worked as a logistics manager at Amazon, famed for its well-oiled delivery machine. He saw ways the system could be improved to suit a smaller delivery business. “I have seen delivery systems at scale,” he explained. “And I honestly really like what Routific offers us to make us competitive.”

In particular, Zaffuto is a fan of Routific’s dispatcher view, which makes it easy for him and his team to plan optimized routes, and keep track of progress through the day.

“The layout is great, with each route having its own distinct color. It makes it easy for anyone to differentiate the routes. At a glance, I can easily see who is on time and who is late.” 

Charting a sustainable future

While the team at Greenhouse Juice has grown from its original three founders to more than 100 employees, they haven’t lost sight of their commitment to offering widespread, sustainable access to plant-based nutrition of the highest quality. “We’re committed to doing what’s best for our customers and the planet,” said Winters. “We prioritize organic produce from local farms, we upcycle our byproduct to put into new and innovative beverages, and all our beverages are delivered in glass rather than plastic.” 

Delivery operations at Greenhouse are no exception. “We rely on smart, AI-powered tech like Routific to ensure our delivery vans are working quickly and efficiently, keeping our fuel costs down and our carbon footprint as low as possible,” said Winters.