Is there an entrance fee?
Yes there is an entrance fee based on your vehicle category. For more information on parking, click here.
Cars: $1
Station Wagon, Van, SUV: $5
Straight Job: $10
Tractor Trailer: $35
How do I contact PWPM?
You can email us at info@pwpm.net or call 215-336-3003.
What can you purchase in the market?
Virtually every type, size, and variety of fresh fruit or vegetable. Many brands of similar commodities are also offered, providing an enormous selection to suit the needs of many different types of customers.
Do you have to be a member or from a business to shop at PWPM?
There is no requirement to shop. The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market is open to the public; everyone is welcome here!
What do I wear?
Walking shoes and a jacket. Walking shoes are needed for a huge building that's perfectly suited for a healthy, long, brisk walk. Jackets feel good because the market's interior weather is always 50 degress and sunny, like a late October afternoon!
What should I bring?
Don't forget cash for the entrance fee. A hand truck is very useful for taking small-volume purchases to customer vehicles.
How do I pay?
Cash is the currency for new customers.
Is the market wheelchair accessible?
Yes.
How do you get a "stand" in PWPM?
Unit space is rarely available. If it is available, it's a lifelong commitment to operate here. PWPM merchants signed 40-year leases for their respective spaces.
Do farmers have stands here?
No. All of the market’s merchants are produce wholesalers. A few of these companies also have growing operations.
Is there a market price sheet?
That is a beauty of a produce market; it’s not just one company selling produce. Like a shopping center with several clothing stores, a market is a conglomeration of vendors selling similar products. It is easy for buyers to visit one location to fulfill their needs in a competitive environment. The competition lowers prices while providing an incentive for maintaining high quality.
The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market's merchants compete for sales on a 24-hour basis. Here, the laws of supply and demand work to perfection. Prices fluctuate on various commodities to balance supply and demand; that is the simple price determination.
The perishable nature of produce forces sellers to move their product. "Sell it or smell it" is an age-old industry expression. Buyers shop the market and talk with individual vendors about prices.
Merchant prices vary for a wide variety of market-driven reasons. A vendor may have a surplus of a certain size or type of apple and will consequently lower prices to balance his supply before perishability becomes an issue.
How does one get a job in the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market?
The market administration involves a very small staff. Thus, the hiring for virtually all of the market positions is handled by the market's different merchants. Those merchants, then, need to be individually contacted for those seeking employment.
How do you shop here?
Walk our long, clean and bright central concourse. Price and inspect produce offered by our highly-competitive merchants. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Then purchase whatever you desire. Being a wholesale market, all sales are case-lot volumes! Share with a friend!
Do you sell local products?
Yes, in season we offer all locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Do you have specialty houses with organics?
Several merchants carry organic products as part of their regular product mix.
May I buy produce by the piece?
No. It's a wholesale market, so product is sold by the case. For example, we sell a box of apples, not one individual apple.
What types of businesses buy here?
Most of our customers are East Coast companies selling fresh fruits and vegetables through retail or foodservice outlets. Cooperative buying associations are well-suited to our operations. Also, consumers are everyday customers.
Where does the product come from?
We sell products grown by countless local farmers and producers around the world. Virtually any product available in season on the continent is available at PWPM.
Produce grown in Mexico, the United States and Canada arrives by truck directly into PWPM.
Fruits and vegetables produced in North America come from the furthest reaches of southern Mexico and from as far west as British Columbia. Growers in most of the United States ship to PWPM. Growers in most Central American and South American countries ship here, as well as farmers located in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Morocco, Israel, Italy, Spain, Holland and other European countries.
Much of this offshore product arrives into Delaware River seaports, all of which are within a few miles of PWPM. As a result of the seaport proximity, PWPM offers a vast array of off-season and exotic produce as soon as it arrives.
The Delaware River receives more fruits and vegetables than any other seaport in the Americas. This includes facilities for five major banana companies. This, plus direct receipts of continental product, is one of the key reasons we offer the freshest produce available on the Eastern Seaboard.
Does the market export produce?
Our merchants can take advantage of local refrigerated ocean freight backhaul facilities to serve international customers.
Looking for Pricing?
Visit the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
