Vertical Field’s main retail-based pilot was conducted in partnership with the third-largest supermarket chain in Israel, Rami Levy. The goal of the pilot was to explore the unique opportunities that vertical farming can offer at a popular, inexpensive, and widely accessible supermarket chain, as it relates both to building a commercial business model and understanding consumer behavior and preference among diverse communities.
Over the course of a year, beginning in March 2019, Vertical Field installed indoor urban farms outside of three Rami Levy supermarket branches located in Modiin, Ashdod, and Bnei Barak. Consumers at these locations differ in terms of socio-economic status, ethnicity, religious background, and more, providing us the opportunity to explore consumer behavior and interest among a very diverse group of customers as they relate to the novel and niche market of produce grown on-site.
The pilot sought to determine the potential for supermarkets to grow their own food within the context of a profitable and replicable business model.
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