Baltimore is relaunching grocery delivery to neighborhoods without stores

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Paul Taggart

ShopRite Holdings Ltd. has partnered with Baltimore to relaunch the city's Virtual Supermarket program.

James Briggs

Deputy Managing Editor-Baltimore Business Journal

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Baltimore on Wednesday will resume offering a program that lets residents order groceries online and pick them up in areas that lack grocery stores.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is scheduled to announce the relaunching of the city's Virtual Supermarket program at noon Wednesday. She will be joined by Dr.Jacquelyn Duval-Harvey, the city's interim health commissioner, and officials from ShopRite Holdings Ltd., which will provide the food.

The city's Virtual Supermarket program provided food delivery to more than 450 residents until October when Santoni's Super Market closed. Santoni's in Highlandtown was the only grocery store that participated in the program.

ShopRite has partnered with the city to relaunch the program, which is scheduled to begin delivering food immediately following Rawlings-Blake's announcement. United Way of Central Maryland and the Walmart Foundation will cover the delivery costs. Delivery locations for the service in the past included senior citizens housing complexes and Enoch Pratt Free Library branches in Washington Village and on Orleans Street.

As Baltimore relaunches the Virtual Supermarket, it also is launching a new website, called Baltimarket, which provides information about healthy food and where it can be found in the city.