Delivery updates at PineMelon

###Update: Friday, Feb. 7 2025: Same-day pickup available now!###
What we’re accomplishing together:
- We’re delivering a lot more orders with fewer vans: Each van can now replace as many as 50 cars per day, vs. just 15 before.
- We’re reducing our packaging use: Each reusable box replaces 4 non-reusable bags and is saving 5,000 bags every single week.
We have just a few updates this week, starting with the very exciting news that all customers, regardless of where you live, can now get PineMelon 6 days a week, and even skip the returnable packaging if it’s not ideal for your situation.
Want PineMelon more often? Or don’t want the new packaging? Pickup at our HQ in Denver is now available!
- At checkout, change your delivery address by clicking “Select Another Address”, then choosing “Pickup, 5915 Broadway”
- When you change the address, you will see that every day (except Wednesday, when our warehouse is closed) is available to you, regardless of what delivery zone you live in (you don’t even have to live in our delivery area to take advantage of this feature)
- Orders placed by noon can be picked up the same-day. Pickup hours run from 2pm to 6pm.
- Pickup orders will be packed in our traditional paper bags, so this is a perfect option if you want to opt out of our returnable, reusable packaging.
- Contact us at help@pinemelon.com or (720) 664-9600 if you need assistance in trying this feature!
Having trouble moving your box or just wanna rep your love of local?
You can purchase reusable PineMelon bags to be included in your box. If it is easier for you to get your groceries from your door to your kitchen in bags, these PineMelon reusable bags will do the trick! We’ll pack them in your box with your order, then you can move your items into the bags to carry to your kitchen. Purchase bags here >
Make sure you get all your items
We’ve had a few customers leave some of the items they purchased in their boxes. Please be sure to thoroughly check all your packaging to make sure you get everything you purchased.
We cannot take your current order’s box at time of delivery
Our drivers are on a schedule designed to ensure that all of your neighbors can get their food at its freshest, so we can unfortunately not wait for you to unpack your box and take it at the time of the delivery. You can store it until your next delivery in just a few inches by fully collapsing everything, as shown in this video. Please note that you don’t have to collapse the packaging if you don’t want to. It’s your choice based on your preference.
Our recommended approach to shopping
The new PineMelon system is perfect for people who want to get most or all their groceries delivered once a week, every week. Here’s how we like to PineMelon:
- Review your neighborhood’s delivery schedule and choose a day that is best for you to get your groceries each week
- Over the course of the week, add items to your Favorites list (click the heart in the top right of the product image) or to your cart
- The day before your chosen delivery day, finalize your cart with everything you need for the week and place your order
- Place your order by 6AM the day of delivery for same-day delivery (or by noon for same-day pickup)
- Contact us to add items to your existing order by 6AM the day of delivery (or by noon for pickup)
- With this method, you will always have your grocery needs filled every week and your order will be large enough to avoid the delivery fee
- Receive your groceries the same day or very next day
- Voila! It’s like a subscription service without the subscription!
Got other questions? We might have already covered them below, in a previous update.
Please keep sending us your feedback and leaving reviews! Here’s some feedback that just came in earlier this week:
“I received my first delivery using a small box. The weight was manageable. Everything was carefully packed. I followed the directions for deconstructing the box, ice packs and thermal wrap for recycling. Easy peasy, nice and easy. Thank you for considering the suggestions you received from your customers.”
-Beth ★★★★★
### Update: Friday, Jan. 31 ###
Our new system is working wonders:
- We're delivering a lot more orders with fewer vans: Each van can now replace as many as 50 cars per day, vs. just 15 before.
- We're reducing our packaging use: Each reusable box replaces 4 non-reusable bags and is saving 5,000 bags every single week.
Updates based on our learnings and your feedback:
- New, smaller test boxes with handles are here!
- All orders starting Saturday, Feb. 1 will be in smaller boxes with handles
- We've introduced scales into our packing process to ensure the box weight is manageable
- These are still temporary. Our final boxes are coming in late February and will use no tape and be very pretty :)
- You only need 3 inches to store your packaging: We made a video showing you how >
- Optimizing item packing standards: We weren't perfect in the first 2 weeks of our transition, and this is an area where we have opportunities to improve. We have implemented all-new procedures to ensure the quality of each and every item you receive. If we missed something and an item you receive is not up to snuff, please contact us at help@pinemelon.com so we can make it right.
- Having trouble moving your box? The new boxes are smaller and have handles so they should be easier to move from here on out, but if it remains easier for you to move your items in bags, we recommend taking a few reusable bags to your front door, moving items from the box into the bags, and then transporting your items that way.
- More accurate delivery time estimates: We're working to improve our delivery time estimator, and will continue to tweak the logic going forward. If you want an update on where your order is, please wait until the time of your estimated window, then text us at (720) 664-9600 and we will tell many how many orders are ahead of yours.
- How to return your packaging
- Please leave out your box, insulation pouches, and any ice packs you received on the day of your next delivery
- The box can be collapsed or not, whatever is most convenient for you
- Leave your returnable packaging in the exact spot where you receive your PineMelon deliveries
- If you leave your packaging in a place that is not immediately apparent upon delivery, please let our customer service team know in advance (or enter it into delivery notes when you place your order)
- If, in the rare case that our delivery person does not see and collect your packaging, please contact us and we will work to make it right
- Want PineMelon more often? Or don't want the new packaging? Pick-up testing begins next week! We will start testing an option for customers to pick up their PineMelon orders from our HQ in Denver. In this test, these orders will be fulfilled in our traditional paper bags and will be available to everyone 6 days of the week (every day except Wednesday). It will even be available to people who do not live in our service area! More to come on this next week!
- Our recommended approach to shopping: The new PineMelon system is perfect for people who want to get most or all their groceries delivered once a week, every week. Here's how we like to PineMelon:
- Review your neighborhood's delivery schedule and choose a day that is best for you to get your groceries each week
- Over the course of the week, add items to your Favorites list (click the heart in the top right of the product image) or to your cart
- The day before your chosen delivery day, finalize your cart with everything you need for the week and place your order
- Place your order by 6AM the day of delivery for same-day delivery
- Contact us to add items to your existing order by 6AM the day of delivery
- With this method, you will always have your grocery needs filled every week and your order will be large enough to avoid the delivery fee
- Receive your groceries the same day or very next day
- Voila! It's like a subscription service without the subscription!
- Got other questions? We might have already covered them below.
###Update: Thursday, Jan. 23###
Our new system is working wonders:
- We're delivering a lot more orders with fewer vans: Each van can now replace as many as 50 cars per day, vs. just 15 before.
- We're reducing our packaging use: each reusable box replaces 4 non-reusable bags. We've saved close to 5,000 bags this week alone!
What do you need to know?
- Temporary Boxes: The boxes we are using right now are just temporary boxes while we wait for official PineMelon boxes to arrive in early February.
- Handles: The current boxes don't have handles, but our official ones will. We're looking into a temporary solution to make it easier for you all to bring your box into your home. We appreciate your patience on this matter – in just a few weeks, all boxes will have handles!
- Tape: The current boxes are taped shut. If you want to collapse your box for easier storage, go ahead and cut the tape and fold the box. The official boxes will use die-cut flaps requiring no tape, making them super easy to collapse.
- Size: The official boxes will be a bit smaller than the current boxes, making them easier to move, collapse, and store between orders.
- Returning Your Packaging:
- Set your packaging (collapsed or not) out in your delivery location for our driver to pick up when they deliver your next order. We will sanitize and re-use all of the packaging.
- Only return your box, insulation pouches, and ice packs. Some customers have placed trash or other recyclables with their PineMelon packaging. Please do not do this. We cannot accept these materials.
- We're depending on a high return rate to achieve an environmentally friendly solution – thank you for your participation!
- Delivery Days:
- There was a small hiccup with our East route. Delivery was briefly available there on Friday and Sunday, this has been updated to Thursday and Sunday to provide a mid-week and weekend option for customers in this area. If we can gain more customers in this area, we'll be able to add more delivery days.
- Same-Day Delivery:
- While it's ideal to plan ahead, you can place your order by 6AM on one of your available delivery days for same-day delivery. Review the map of delivery day availability below.
- Produce Freshness:
- Regardless of how far in advance you place your order, we will not pick it until the morning of your delivery, and we will only pick the freshest produce available. For example, if you order an apple on Monday for Thursday delivery, it's highly unlikely that the apple we pick on Thursday would be an apple that was on our shelf on Monday. Those apples would have already been picked and delivered to customers who have Tuesday delivery. New, fresh apples will have arrived, and that's what you will get on Thursday. And don't forget that only a handful of pros handles PineMelon produce on its journey from the farm to your doorstep – you can't say that about the piles of produce being touched by hundreds of strangers at your typical grocery store!
- PineMelon Everyday for Every Customer, with No Boxes?
- While we're no longer delivering to every area every day, we're exploring some new options for all customers who want to get their order on any day of the week to be able to do so. This may also allow you to skip the boxes entirely. The approach will not be the norm, but it will provide more flexibility for customers who need it. We expect to be testing these concepts in the coming weeks and months – stay tuned!
Thank you for your patience with us!
We understand that some of these changes are at odds with the convenience you're used to from PineMelon. Advances in technology have made it easier than ever to get whatever we want whenever we want it, but that type of convenience sometimes comes at a cost to our community, to local business owners, to delivery drivers, and to the environment, all while consolidating money into the hands of a few large companies. We're choosing a different path for our business. We may not always be able to compete with the big guys on convenience, but we remain committed to changing our food system for the better and making it as easy as possible for you to be a part of our journey. We're choosing to support local and we're excited to have you join us.
As always, we read every email and customer review, and answer every phone call. We take your feedback seriously and we want to hear from you.
###Original Post Below###
Hi everyone. Beginning this Monday, January 20th, PineMelon will be implementing some delivery changes. We want to provide you with all the information related to the changes, while also giving you some context as to why they're happening.
PineMelon was founded because we wanted it to be super easy for our friends, family, and neighbors to get their food directly from local Makers: farmers, ranchers and producers. We originally designed PineMelon to operate at a large scale, serving tens of thousands of customers in the Denver area alone. However, we’ve found that while the Front Range is host to a very passionate community of locavores, the overall customer base is not as big as we envisioned – yet.
We don’t want to understate the power of the PineMelon community; over 200 local Makers and thousands of Coloradans rely on our platform to stay connected. It’s truly amazing to behold. But the reality is this: in order for PineMelon to survive and to continue connecting local Makers directly to customers, we need to adjust how we do business to operate at a smaller scale in a sustainable way, from both an environmental and economic perspective.
In order to achieve this, we’re embarking on a series of changes. Here is what is updating on Monday (1/20) and why.
Switching from bags to boxes
For the first couple weeks, the boxes will be test boxes, not the finished design. The printed boxes are currently being manufactured and will have handles. To see a preview of what they will look like, check out our Instagram post here. These boxes will be packed with an insulation liner and ice packs in a way that will keep your order fresh for hours, so you won't have to be home at the time of delivery. All the packaging is fully returnable and reusable.
How to return packaging:
- Break down the box and store with the ice packs and liner until your next delivery.
- When you place your next order, set the packaging material in the same place you will receive your delivery. We will pick everything up for sanitation and re-use.
- If needed, you can add instructions in the delivery notes at checkout to ensure your groceries are delivered where you prefer.
Delivery windows and order changes
When placing an order, you will no longer have to select a delivery window. Delivery will occur during the day before 5pm, typically between 11am–5pm, and we will send an estimated delivery time that morning. Don't worry if you aren't home right at the time of delivery—the new insulated boxes will preserve your order.
Because we begin packing orders and planning delivery routes in the morning, the cutoff for same-day delivery, order changes, and order cancellations is 6am the day of delivery. This is to ensure the smoothest service possible for all of our customers, as last minute requests can be very disruptive to our operational process. We're really just a small operation of about 30 people getting all the orders packed and delivered everyday—and that includes our customer service, merchandising, and marketing teams! For any emergencies, contact customer service and we can evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Delivery Day Availability
Delivery days will now be determined by demand in a given area. While most of our customers will see 5–6 delivery days per week, some will see 2–3 days per week. As demand in a given area increases we will be able to reevaluate the delivery availability of that zone. See the map below for delivery in your area.

Why the changes?
To be fully transparent, because we have to in order to stay in business.
So while there are a few reasons these changes are beneficial, the primary reason is it helps us approach economic sustainability. Ultimately, the boxes allow us to pack more orders in each van for longer driving routes, while limited delivery days allow us to make each delivery route more dense.
In low-density areas, every order can cost us as much as $35–$50 to complete, and with grocery margins being what they are, we are actually losing money when we deliver to those areas. Making these changes allows us to significantly reduce the cost of each delivery so that we can stay in business. Without these changes, every order would need to be over $200 for us to even break even.
The silver lining is that by implementing reusable packaging and dense delivery routes, we are able to significantly reduce our carbon footprint—something very important to us. The new system will keep 50+ cars off the road per van because each van will have at least 50 orders in them, on average.
Thank you for understanding
It isn't easy to make these changes. We know it isn't the most convenient solution for everyone. We know some of you may not continue shopping with us. Yet, we hope that you still see the value in our service. We hope you still share our mission to strengthen our local economy, to bring healthy and sustainable food to our community, and to give local businesses a platform beyond the summer farmers markets. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and joining us on this journey.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our customers service team at help@pinemelon.com or 720.664.9600. We're always happy to help.
For the most seamless shopping experience as we roll out these changes, please make sure your PineMelon App is up-to-date.