Case Study
How Byte Helped 6AM Health Scale from Boston Food Delivery to New England Retail Powerhouse
6AM Health is a prepared food startup serving customers throughout the New England area. Brad and his team are on a mission to democratize healthy eating by making fresh, wholesome food accessible.
“Once we started placing fridges in high-traffic locations, the model really took off. In 2019, we stopped doing the home deliveries and went all-in on the Fresh Fridge model." — Brad Callow, Founder
The Highlights
The Challenge
Wanted to grow faster, but felt bottlenecked with finding new customers for home delivery Traditional vending platforms lacked the real-time data and customer insights needed to make high-quality fresh food sales profitable
The Solution
Find a vending technology that could be stocked with fresh food in high-traffic locations Use robust data to optimize logistics and product mix to maximize revenue and minimize waste
The Result
Reduced labor and expenses with streamlined distribution to centrally-located fridges Influx of interest from locations that want a simpler alternative to hot cafeterias
The Challenge
Home Delivery was the Bottleneck to Business Growth
Brad Callow earned degrees in psychology and behavior economics before he began working in healthcare. He loved helping people recover from illness, but he wanted to help people be proactive about their health. He learned that it’s hard to help someone change their diet, unless you make the healthy choice the most convenient option.
His startup, 6AM Health, began delivering healthy meals straight to customer doorsteps across the greater Boston area in 2017. For two years, Brad proved the concept, but as the business
expanded, it became clear the model faced challenges. Finding new customers with online ads was expensive, and with so much competition, retaining customers was difficult. On top of that, the logistical challenges of doorstep delivery were too great to overcome at scale.
6AM Health hit the growth ceiling, but the way forward was clear: Fresh Fridges. Now Brad just had to find the right technology to make it happen.
“Instead of doing hundreds of deliveries per night, we needed to find a way to do fewer deliveries, but with more products. We figured, ‘Let's put it in high-traffic locations, and people can go and purchase items there’.”
The Solution
Creating More Impact by Pivoting to Unattended Retail
Brad began looking at vending technology partners to help him explore, and ultimately scale, the Fresh Fridge concept.
“We were testing out a couple different technologies. Research shows that if someone can touch and feel a product, the likelihood of them buying is significantly higher than if they can’t. That experience was what we were after.”
It was immediately clear that Byte’s platform was the right technology for 6AM Health. Byte’s smart fridge technology allows customers to open the fridge door and handle products before buying. Customers are only charged once they shut the door and remove a product.
6AM Health quickly launched its Fresh Fridge concept with five Byte stores around Boston.
“It was very clear that Byte’s technology was the best on the market, for us and consumers. We felt really confident marrying up to a company that we trusted.”
The Results
An Influx of Sales from Locations Burned Out on Hot Cafeterias
Brad knew building owners were tired of paying high prices for real estate and labor in owned cafeterias. What he didn’t expect was just how ready these locations were to switch to a less burdensome food solution.
“When I show them how the Fresh Fridge works, they say, ‘Hey, wait a second, this is fantastic! It’s 24/7, contactless, and deliveries can happen throughout the night.’ They can immediately see it’s easy and seamless.”
6AM Health went from five locations in 2019 to serving fresh food in office buildings, hospitals, and train stations across five New England states by 2020. Despite explosive growth, Brad’s logistical bottleneck issues haven’t come back to haunt him, thanks to Byte’s real-time inventory and predictive analytics.
“We just stocked 1,000 cold press juices this morning, and I can already see where they are across the entire fleet. You tag a product, you put it in, and it’s immediately in your inventory. I mean, what other inventory system works like that?”
“We know what sells at which hour, so Byte’s platform is incredibly predictive as to which fridge should get different products. We’re able to predict, optimize, and minimize waste. Not just fresh food waste, but time and labor waste too.”
6AM Health is now on a rapid growth trajectory, made possible by technology that easily scales with their commissary operation and distribution.
“We’re still focused on that mission of helping people live healthier lives, and there's no way we could have built what we have now, or would be able to implement our eventual expansion plans, without Byte. Byte Technology makes it easier for us to expand that vision faster, and we're not slowing down anytime soon.”
Unlock New Opportunities
Byte Technology helps retailers, food service providers, and vending operators sell fresh food anywhere, anytime. Reach out today to learn more about how Byte’s platform can help your business grow.
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