What is Thrive Market?
Thrive Market is an online store. They are focused on non-GMO products. However, they ban a variety of harmful ingredients as well, such as high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes.
On top of making sure their customers have access to healthy foods, they also work hard to make sure ingredients are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Its mission is to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone, and they follow its mission. Most items they offer, even big-name brands such as Annie’s and Bob’s Red Mill are cheaper than you could find in a local grocery store or even on Amazon.
There is a $60 membership fee, but if you are planning to use their website to order food even every other month, you can easily make that price back in the discounted prices alone.
What Does Thrive Market Offer?
Thrive Market offers almost everything you could want. From household cleaning products to baby items, to meats and seafood, you can do most of your regular household shopping at Thrive Market. They have categories such as:
- Babies and kids
- Bath and body
- Beauty
- Food
- Frozen foods
- Meat and seafood
- Pet
- Supplements
- Wine
Unfortunately, fresh produce is not available from Thrive Market. So while you might be able to get everything else from their website, you will still need to have another service or go visit a grocery store to get fruits and vegetables. It might be a good combination with Misfits Market or other similar grocers, you can find a review at MovetheMarket.org.
1. Diets
However, if you have to follow a certain diet plan or values, Thrive Market can help out via easy-to-search categories. For diets, they offer foods that fit diet plans such as:
- Gluten-free
- Paleo
- Raw
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Ketogenic
- AIP diet
- Low FODMAP
- Organic
- Whole30
If you follow a different diet, they may have food available for you. However, these are the diets they cater to, and can break up foods into categories based on ingredients for these 10 diet plans.
2. Certifications and Awards
Maybe you only want to buy products that have a specific certification or award. Thrive Market caters to those needs as well.
- Certified Fairly Traded
- Certified Kosher
- EWG Verified
- Certified Biodynamic
- FSC Certified
- Certified Halal
- And more
3. Ingredients
If you have certain foods you want to avoid, that is something you can also use to sort products on Thrive Market.
- Alcohol-free
- Caffeine-free
- Contains probiotics
- Essential oils
- High fiber
- No added sugar or sweeteners
- Paraben-free
- Peanut free
- Big 8 allergen-free
- Low sodium
- And more
4. Social and Environmental Problems
What if you want to support the environment? That is fine too, as they have a variety of environmental and social issues that you can use to sort their numerous products.
- Biodegradable
- Chlorine-free
- Compostable
- Made in the USA
- Sourced direct from farmers
- Sustainably farmed
- Turtle and dolphin safe
- BIPOC founded
- LGBTQIA+ founded
- Upcycled
- And more
5. Health Concerns
Finally, if you have a health issue or concern, Thrive breaks major ones up into categories for their customers.
- Anti-aging
- Bone and joint support
- Brightening
- Digestive support
- Ear and sinus support
- Immune support
- Lactation support
- Moisture and hydration
- Weight management support
- And more
The best part is you can search for multiple categories at once, so if you want a certain diet that is also supporting a cause that is possible. For example, maybe you want something gluten-free that is also BIPOC-founded. You can select multiple categories to get the best options to suit your lifestyle.
Who Benefits Most From Using Thrive Market?
If there are a lot of foods you want to avoid, or causes you want to support, Thrive Market is a great option. They offer a wide range, without having to do a lot of personal research.
If you already buy or want to start purchasing non-GMO, organic foods that don’t contain harmful ingredients, Thrive Market can also benefit you as they offer these products for lower prices than other stores.
If you don’t enjoy physical shopping, live far away from a grocery store, and want to save money without having to resort to extreme couponing and visiting several stores, I would also highly recommend Thrive Market.
However, if you don’t buy products based on their company, and often just get the most familiar or cheapest option at the store, Thrive Market might not be for you. Often, Thrive Market will cost more than just a basic grocery store visit.
If you want to be able to visually see, hold, and evaluate your products, or buy a lot of produce, it might also be better to try a different company or stick with traditional grocery stores.
Also, if you are into extreme couponing, and want to be able to buy pasta at a very low price, or get bulk toothpaste for only a few cents, Thrive isn’t great for you. They do offer a wide range of discounts and sales, but never anything as extreme as you could get in a grocery store.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- A lot of categories to sort your products
- A mix of private label and big-name brands in the organic and non-GMO section
- Variety of categories, not just-food
- Lower prices than you can often find at other online or physical stores
- Free shipping on deliveries over $49
- Veterans, teachers, low-income families, and students all get free memberships if they apply
- Support good causes and some of your money goes back into communities in need.
- Easy to use website and app
- If you don’t save enough money throughout the year to cover your membership, Thrive will give you back the difference
- Can make a cart over time, so basically fill out your shopping list until you are ready to purchase
- Variety of coupons, discounts, sales, and free products
Cons
- Membership fee of $60 a year
- Items have to ship, so you can’t get them immediately
- Better for bulk purchases, as you have to pay for shipping on smaller orders
- No fresh fruit and veggies
