The Rounds

The Rounds is a consumer delivery startup that automates the replenishment of household essentials and groceries and delivers them in reusable packaging. Members shop a catalog spanning household items, personal care, pantry staples, dry goods, produce and goods from select local sellers such as bakeries and coffee roasters, and set a recurring restocking schedule. At the time of its Series A the catalog was roughly 150 SKUs; by the 2024 Series B the company said it had added more than 100 additional SKUs including fresh produce and local goods.

The defining operational feature is what the company calls reverse logistics: deliveries are made and empty containers and bags are collected on the same visit, cleaned, and refilled, eliminating cardboard and single-use plastic from the transaction. Products are sourced locally and in bulk and divided into smaller reusable formats such as refillable mason jars. A dashboard lets members sort items into "now," "soon" and "later" columns, and QR codes scanned on returned containers feed usage data back into algorithms that adjust future orders; members can also text changes ahead of a delivery. Later AI work included a "Psychic Home Manager" feature and member-selected "Refill Day" scheduling.

The company operated in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and reported having avoided more than 1 million pounds of packaging waste. In 2025 it was acquired by online grocer Misfits Market, with members transitioned onto the Misfits platform.

Founding story

Co-founder and CEO Alex Torrey conceived the service from his own experience as a long-time big-city apartment resident without a car, frustrated by hauling bulky household products home and by the packaging waste of e-commerce orders — he cites receiving a plastic hand soap bottle inside a box inside a box, identical to the one already on his sink. Observing that a 500-unit apartment building generated many duplicate small orders while a similarly sized hotel would simply buy in bulk, he concluded consumers could be served the same way. The company was founded in 2019, originally under the name Mlkmn, by Alexander Torrey and Byungwoo Ko, drawing on the traditional milkman model of recurring delivery in reusable containers.

Business model

Subscription-based direct-to-consumer commerce. Members paid a $10 monthly fee with no per-delivery fees or tipping, and purchased individual products at prices the company compared to warehouse-club pricing but in smaller quantities. The company operated its own last-mile delivery and container-return infrastructure and sourced from local producers in bulk. It also pursued a B2B channel with multifamily property managers and corporate operators.

Recurring membership fee ($10 per month) plus per-item product sales on weekly recurring deliveries; no annual fee and no delivery or tipping surcharges. Reported 6X revenue growth following the Series A.

Traction

Roughly 150 SKUs at Series A, expanding by more than 100 SKUs by 2024; three metro markets; reported 6X revenue growth since the Series A; more than 1 million pounds of packaging waste avoided; cold chain operations launched. Employee count reported in the 51-200 range.

Latest developments

Misfits Market acquired The Rounds in 2025 following record customer acquisition at Misfits in April and May 2025. The Rounds' members were offered a $30 Misfits credit and a free year of Misfits+ (stated $69 value), moved onto Misfits' first-party driver network and packaging-return program, and The Rounds' web properties now route to Misfits Market. The acquisition also gave Misfits a B2B channel with large corporate and multifamily operators.