Kit or Miss
- Details
- Category: April 2018
- Published: 06 April 2018
- Hits: 3260

Nearly six years ago, meal kits companies took the food scene by storm in the United States.
They looked to be the major disruptors in how people choose to procure, prepare and eat food.
As American food culture evolves, what we eat, when we eat and how we eat are all open to personal interpretation.
The crowded space of meal kit companies is facing fierce competition as meal subscribers are selecting from vast options for convenience, value and variety.
Grocery industry “brick and mortar” spending represents about $650 billion, with a “B”, dollars in the U.S. The experience of daily provisions can be frustrating at best with lots of energy devoted to meal planning, grocery shopping and finally preparation.
They looked to be the major disruptors in how people choose to procure, prepare and eat food.
As American food culture evolves, what we eat, when we eat and how we eat are all open to personal interpretation.
The crowded space of meal kit companies is facing fierce competition as meal subscribers are selecting from vast options for convenience, value and variety.
Grocery industry “brick and mortar” spending represents about $650 billion, with a “B”, dollars in the U.S. The experience of daily provisions can be frustrating at best with lots of energy devoted to meal planning, grocery shopping and finally preparation.
No wonder Americans love to eat out. Busy lives often dictate priorities and activities. Cooking meals from scratch is both a creative and time consuming endeavor. That is, until the emergence of these numerous convenient kit choices.
Meal kits offer a solution for healthy, fresh, diverse and less processed meals. Portion control, no waste and on demand, these customized meals let us get what we want, when we want it. From vegan to performance to gourmet, its all there.
Industry estimates, according to market researchers, say that meal kit companies sold between $1 billion and $1.5 billion in 2016.
Recent announcements have meal kit companies partnering with brick and mortar grocers.
Purple Carrot has teamed up with Whole Foods. New rumors pair Blue Apron with Target, Gobble with Safeway and have Plated partnering with Albertsons.
Kroger’s has invested in an in-house program called Prep + Pared. Not to be outdone, behemoth Walmart launched their own, no subscription, meal kit program.
The jury is still out on the success of any of these new iterations. Bringing in the retail component means that consumers will still rely on shopping for the kits.
Price points and original chef inspired meals may dictate staying in or dining out. Home delivery or point of purchase at retail can influence consumers.
The USDA is running pilot programs that allow recipients of SNAP benefits to buy food online through e-grocers like Amazon Fresh and Fresh Direct. Meal kit companies are in line next for SNAP.
Access, scale and profitability all figure into which kits will stick around. Getting out of normal meal routines is a big hit so far.




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