Blue Apron Grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Fresh Food is Relevant

 

Giving the customers what they want the way they want it is important.  Blue Apron's latest grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meals will come in 16 varieties, with more being added in 2024 are driving home incremental value to its customers.

That according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who stated, “Blue Apron continues to keep a close eye on consumer’s wants and needs, these new meal entrants edify fresh food discovery for consumers and are on target.”

One of the first meal kit companies, Blue Apron is expanding its offerings with the addition of fresh prepared grocerant niche ‘Prepared & Ready meal’s’. The chef-crafted meals are delivered fresh and ready to reheat in a microwave, and are nutritionist approved.

So, get this, the new pre-made, non-frozen meals are now available to order as part of a subscription, and will be available to purchase sans subscription beginning the week of Jan. 8. There will initially be 16 options to choose from with brand-new recipes and meal categories being released throughout the New Year. The team at Foodservice Solutions® thinks you will enjoy them, so give them a try.  Save time this holiday season, spend more time with friends and family, let Blue Apron do the hard work.

“Our new category of Prepared & Ready meals opens up the opportunity for Blue Apron to become a one-stop shop for its customers,” said John Adler, SVP of physical product. “Now, we’re able to provide customers with multiple convenient meal solutions for a variety of occasions. From when they’re tight on time, but are seeking a freshly prepared meal, to cooking dinner for the family with our traditional meal kits, or looking for a convenient, seasonal offering for the holidays.”

Adlier continued, “We saw a significant opportunity within the ready-to-eat category — 62% of customers were interested in subscribing to a service with more than one meal solution — and most importantly, customers expected quality to remain consistent across all Blue Apron products, which we are delivering on.”

According to Blue Apron, the new Prepared & Ready meals offer well-balanced options, such as Carb Conscious, 30g or more of Protein and 600 Calories or Less. The recipes include signature Blue Apron sauces, seasonal produce, vegetarian options and meats that are prepared using the sous vide technique.

Menu options include:

·         Salmon & Riced Broccoli with Pesto & Feta Cheese

·         Southwestern-Style Turkey with Brown Rice & Monterey Jack Cheese

·         Buffalo-Style Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables

·         Chicken & Quinoa Grain Bowl with Feta & Vegetables

·         Italian-Style Grilled Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Pesto & Almonds

·         Korean-Style Kimchi Rice with Scrambled Eggs & Veggies

At the end of September, Blue Apron entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Wonder Group, a company founded by entrepreneur Marc Lore that aims to redefine at-home dining and food delivery. By acquiring Blue Apron, Wonder aims to create a leading platform for mealtime, enabling choice, flexibility and convenience through the two brands. 

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant Contact Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Blue Apron Meals Make Family Dinner Fun, Fast and Friendly

 

There is no doubt that time starved Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z continue seeking food discovery.  Without doubt Blue Apron is an avenue of fresh food distribution that not only provides discovery but edifies that discovery with full flavored meals and meal components that are easy to prepare. 

Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes Blue Apron simultaneously elevates dinner solution, educates your cooking skillset, while expanding awareness of global flavors and is an invaluable pantry component.

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive customer trail, adoption, in every sector of retail foodservice today. In case you have not heard, Meal kit provider Blue Apron and DashMart by DoorDash Inc. have expanded the availability of Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals to 11 markets, including New York City.

So, DashMart is a grocery store and warehousing service that sells a wide variety of products, from fresh meats, produce and baked goods to household essentials, personal care items, medicine and more owned by DoorDash. .

John Adler, SVP of physical product of New York-based Blue Apron, stated, “The expansion of our partnership with DashMart by DoorDash into additional markets follows a successful pilot program that we launched in Philadelphia last year,” ... “These types of strategic partnerships are an important market opportunity for us to expand our reach and provide customers with access to our products without a subscription. We’re committed to providing them with even more convenient ways to bring Blue Apron into their kitchens each week.”

Blue Apron debuted its Heat & Eat products in September 2021. Based on some of its best-selling and top-rated dishes, Heat & Eat products are prepared, single-serving meals that are ready in 5 minutes or less. Whether customers are looking for a last-minute dinner option for one or to complement a grocery order, Blue Apron designed Heat & Eat meals to make mealtime a bit easier. 

In addition to New York City, Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals are available for delivery in eligible cities in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. You don’t have to be time starved or a cook to try Blue Apron.  Just be ready to enjoy a good meal at home.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Blue Apron Heat-N-Eat Fresh Food is Better than Drive-Thru Food

 

Listening to consumers helps companies evolve.  The customer is dynamic not static and Blue Apron is doing all of the right things as it too continues to evolve its menu options and business model according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA base Foodservice Solutions®.

Did you know that Blue Apron is rolling out ready-to-cook meals in response to consumer demand for more quick and convenient meal options? The meals are available as part of a subscription and come with pre-chopped, pre-portioned ingredients and a recyclable aluminum tray for baking.

Josh Friedman, Blue Apron’s chief product officer, stated, “Our customers’ desire for easier meal options on days when time is limited has led us to introduce Ready to Cook recipes,” ... “After exploring and testing dozens of options, our culinary team created delicious meals, without compromising on quality of ingredients for convenience. We believe these meals meet an important need for our key customer segments, including families, a category we see as one of the biggest opportunities for Blue Apron.”

These new menu options join the meal solution provider’s slate of quick prep options, which include prepared, single-serving meals and a series of recipes designed to be ready in 30 minutes or less. The ready-to-cook options will rotate on a weekly basis beginning July 29 and will include:

·         Oven-Baked Chorizo & Black Bean Tacos with Jalapeño & Monterey Jack.

·         Oven-Baked Sweet Chili Udon & Vegetables with Coconut Chips & Sesame Seeds.

·         Oven-Baked Pesto Chicken & Orzo with Spinach, Tomatoes & Ricotta.

·         Oven-Baked Cheesy Tomato Gnocchi with Calabrian Chile & Spinach.

John Adler, VP of culinary, for Blue Apron, stated, “Our Ready to Cook recipes were developed by testing a combination of grains, starches and sauces from our pantry to offer a variety of options and cuisines, including Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican, with a cooking vessel that delivered the most consistent results,” … “For example, our oven-baked gnocchi feature a mixture of juicy tomatoes, spinach, spicy Calabrian chile paste topped with mozzarella, and our hearty tacos feature a mixture of chorizo and black beans served in a soft tortilla.”

So, now that Blue Apron has been busy as it continues to execute on its turnaround strategies through a partnership with retail giant Walmart. The company has launched a new offering on Walmart.com that allows consumers to purchase a selection of meal kits without a subscription. With this move, Blue Apron has now become the first and only meal kit provider on the Walmart Marketplace platform.

Are you listening to your customers?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

At Walmart and Blue Apron Meals Matter

 

Looking to refocus its grocery department with one eye on today’s consumer and the other eye on tomorrow’s consumers Walmart is seeking incremental customer relevance with a new partnership with Blue Apron focusing on grocerant niche meals and meal components according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

In a big move for both companies Blue Apron aims to broaden its audience by offering Walmart.com shoppers a selection of meals without a subscription. That’s right Blue Apron has dropped its subscription requirement for Walmart.com customers.  Great more great start according to Johnson.

Blue Apron has begun offering four meals without a subscription to online customers at Walmart.com. The strategy behind the initiative is twofold, the meal kit company explained: Suspending the subscription removes potential barriers for trial, and the plan introduces Blue Apron to a substantially wider audience.

Building a Larger Share of Stomach

Meals, Meal Components, and Beverages Matter

Dani Simpson, Blue Apron’s chief marketing officer, stated, “Through our work with Walmart.com Marketplace, we will be able to scale our e-commerce presence and introduce restaurant-quality meals without a subscription to a new group of customers who may not have considered meal kits before… “This is just the beginning, and we look forward to expanding the offering throughout the year.”

Blue Apron launched the plan with three meal kits that serve from 8 to 12 — featuring cheeseburgers with roasted potatoes, chicken rice bowls, and rosemary chicken with roasted potatoes — and a Heat & Eat selection containing six single-serve meals that are ready in 5 minutes or less, featuring beef Bolognese, beef meatballs and chicken stir-fry.

Currently, Blue Apron is the only meal-kit provider on the Walmart Marketplace platform. The boxes will be directly fulfilled by Blue Apron, maintaining the scale of its direct-to-consumer model and supply chain.

The meal-kit pioneer is promoted the concept during Walmart+ Weekend, an online savings event exclusive to Walmart+ members.

Sheetal Patel, GM of food consumables, health and wellness, Walmart U.S. Marketplace, stated, “We are thrilled to work with Blue Apron to offer an assortment of meal kits to Walmart customers,” … “At Walmart, finding ways to help our customers live a little better each day is at the heart of everything we do.”

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert, and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call 1-253-759-7869

Enjoy A Happy Holiday Feast with Blue Apron

Staying home for the holidays, and worried you holiday meal will not be a feast like the one you usually get at a restaurant with your family?  Don’t worry stay home and stay safe.  This year for the first time Blue Apron is offering its first-ever Thanksgiving “feast”, featuring chef-designed recipes, as a meal-kit.

If success leaves clues and it does cooking a gourmet meal at home has never been made easier.  If it’s you first Thanksgiving meal, or your fist Thanksgiving with the in-laws over don’t worry Blue Apron has you covered according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

Blue Apron's Thanksgiving-inspired, southern-style menu will give options to suit every holiday table for parties up to eight people. Complete with a step-by-step guide on how to organize, prepare and cook a Thanksgiving meal, Blue Apron will also support its home cooks by sharing tips on its social channels to help make the holiday as fun as possible.

John Adler, vice president of culinary at Blue Apron stated "Thanksgiving is going to be different for many families this year, and we're happy to join them in the kitchen by creating a one-stop shop to make their entire holiday feast a little easier," "Building upon positive reactions to our dessert offering last year, we wanted to give our home cooks more Thanksgiving options, especially as some people may find themselves playing different roles, either as a first-time host or just cooking for themselves."

So, satisfy yourself, cook at home, with the help of Blue Apron.  Yes, you get the satisfaction and assurance you need to cook a meal that will be full flavored, complete, and simple. Customers can select a complete Thanksgiving feast with a boneless and easy-to-carve turkey breast, side dishes and dessert; or add Thanksgiving recipes to the Signature Menu, including a holiday pork roast, dessert or side dishes.

So, you want the one stop online experience you can get that as well. Blue Apron will also offer a Holiday Feast Favorites wine bundle, featuring its chefs' selections of four red and two white wines chosen to complement its new Thanksgiving dishes. Don’t stress out over your holiday meal, Blue Apron takes out the stress, you simply add the smiles.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Kid’s Meals Grocer H-E-B aims to Win back Families

In an effort to win back family business once the mainstay of the grocery business Texas, based H-E-B took a direct shot at chain restaurants when the company's Central Market location in San Antonio, Texas, has launched family focused meal kits for kids. The kid-friendly entree choices the ilk of spaghetti and meatballs and chicken quesadillas are designed to appeal to and feed only kids.

The meal kit are priced at $6.99 to compete with fast food restaurants and feed two kids. The meals come with pre-portioned ingredients and require some cooking, Ok we know that at fast food restaurants now cooking is required but you can serve a meal they like at home and your kids will know you cooked for them.  That just might be more important than you think.

H-E-B is the only grocer at this time targeting kids with specific kits designed to appeal to the younger palate. Scrumpt, Nurture Life and some other companies do offer subscription based meal kits for kids, and the "kid meal kit" space seems to be exploding accord to new reports.

1.        A new target consumer has emerged in the fast-growing meal kit industry – kids. H-E-B has launched meal kits for kids at its San Antonio Central Market store, according to Retail Leader. The new line features entrees such as spaghetti and meatballs and chicken quesadillas. Each kit costs $6.99 and feeds two.

2. H-E-B joins Yumble, Scrumpt and Nurture Life in the children’s prepared meals space. HelloFresh co-founder Dan Treiman helped launch Yumble last summer and it is now available in 26 states with expansion planned this year.
3. The home meal kit category has grown to $5 billion, according to Packaged Facts. Although online players like Blue Apron and HelloFresh dominate the market, grocers like Kroger, Albertsons, and now Walmart, have steadily grown sales. According to Nielsen, sales of in-store meal kits grew 26.5% last year, to $154.6 million.

McDonald’s Happy Meal just might be under attack as both H-E-B and Yumble have promised “fun” in their offerings, and Yumble’s boxes include activity sheets and trivia cards. It will also take some promotional pushes to get the word out that these targeted kits exist. H-E-B will need to promote the new offerings in store circulars and online, and, if they haven't already, position the kits next to their grown-up counterparts. H-E-B currently offers dinner-for-two meal kits ranging in price from $14 to $18. Think about it fun for mom, dad, and kids. 

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant

Grocerant Guru’s Meal Kits Success Clues

Competition within the Meal Kit sector is not a disruptive, nor are incremental points of fresh food meal kits distribution curtailing growth among current meal kit companies in the battle for share of stomach according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma WA, based Foodservice Solutions®.  

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards have revealed four consumer points of irritation with meal kit offering today.  In addition the ScoreCards revealed five attributes the team at Foodservice Solutions® is convinced will propel success within the Meal Kit sector for those that evolve with consumers desires.

One of the first ways to evolve with consumers is to stop doing with irritates consumers so that’s what we will focus on in this blog today.  The top four points of customer irritation with meal kits are:

1.       Subscription

2.       Price

3.       Pre-Ordering To Far in Advance

4.       No Deserts

The one item that was not a surprise to us was that every age group was disappointed that meal kits did don’t come with desert.  Overall deserts was the most commented item listed  on the ScoreCards yet never  rated number one or two.  So what were the top five request attributes?

1.       Regular ‘food’ (not special occasion meals)

2.       Deserts

3.       Local availability at stores: Grocery, C-store, Drug stores

4.       Family Size meals

5.       Kids Meals

Some food axioms are true others defy data one such fact is Millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the largest living generation in the United States and their grocery store habits are destined to have a marked effect on future food demand. 

Data and big data tell’s us Millennials are looking to buy healthier and fresher food than their predecessors but far Millennials tell us that they want desert with their meal kits. Regular readers of this blog know what consumers say and what they do are too very different things when it comes to food retail.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869