For the first time in nearly 40 years, Portland-based Alpenrose launched their home delivery service on Aug. 5 of this year. Months later, the nostalgic deliveries from the “modern-day milkman” are continuing to see strong demand – particularly in the Ridgefield and Vancouver areas of Southwest Washington, according to Alpenrose General Manager Josh Reynolds.
The decision to offer the home delivery service was an effort to socially distance and limit grocery store trips during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, more families have been embracing online shopping, curbside pick-up and home delivery for their routine grocery shopping needs.
“We love being (the Portland Metro area’s) hometown dairy,” Reynolds said in a recent news release. “It’s been nearly 40 years since our trucks delivered fresh milk to the area and we are ready to bring back a new, modern twist on home delivery. We are partnering with Northwest brands you know and love to bring the freshest flavors and products right to your doorstep.”
In addition to dairy favorites, customers that utilize the home delivery can shop for popular local brands, including Tillamook, Franz Bakery, Spielman Bagels and Portland Coffee Roasters, as well as special artisan brands and seasonal food items.
In 2019, Smith Brothers Farms acquired Alpenrose, and the acquisition actually made the transition to the home delivery service a little easier, Reynolds said, because Smith Brothers had already been doing a home delivery service prior to acquiring Alpenrose. Originally, Reynolds said they had been planning to roll out the new home delivery service slowly over the course of about 15 months, however, when the pandemic hit he said it was a good time to get the home delivery service going.
Due to the fact that they were able to pivot and start offering the home delivery service rather quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reynolds noted that Alpenrose only ended up laying off one person during their worst time of the pandemic, and they are now in full force of hiring again for delivery drivers and other positions.
“I truly love my job, being able to provide such a unique service to the wonderful people of Vancouver and Ridgefield, while working for a company that has been around for over a century,” said Michelle Watts, an Alpenrose milkwoman from Washougal who delivers to the Vancouver and Ridgefield areas. “Alpenrose has become a second home to me and I feel very fortunate to be a part of something so great.”
So, how does the Alpenrose Home Delivery service work? Unlike milkman deliveries from the past, Alpenrose Home Delivery is fully digital with a mobile app to make it “fun and easy to order farm-fresh milk and local groceries.” There are no service or subscription fees or contracts and customers can pause or cancel anytime, no charge. For more information on how to set up an account and use the Alpenrose Home Delivery service, visit www.alpenrose.com.
