Which Food Retailers Are Offering Meal Kits? There are many companies that offer meal kits, but Walmart, Albertsons, and Publix have joined the growing trend. According to a recent study by the Hartman Group, 71% of millennials say that they prefer home-cooked meals over restaurant-style food. This is why these companies have stepped up to offer these meals to their customers.
ShopRite
When disaster strikes, grocery stores like ShopRite have responded to the need for community food and support by providing food and meal kits. One Minneapolis middle school requested 85 meal kits for students, and thousands of bags of groceries were collected. The food was then distributed to those in need, and many of the items in the kits were perishable. The store’s founder Jeff Brown also teamed up with a local food assistance group to distribute food.
Meal kits are designed for both busy people and those with limited time to prepare meals. They feature fresh ingredients sourced from multiple departments in the store. The menu is regularly changing, featuring on-trend seasonal foods, such as pumpkin soup, turkey-apple grilled cheese, and herb-poached salmon. In addition, shoppers can order meals and meal bundles in advance through the grocery chain’s app and website, as well as via a QR code or digital screen.
In recent years, ShopRite has expanded its menu and launched the Fresh to Table store-within-store concept. Fresh to Table features meal solutions crafted by registered dietitians. Fresh to Table is a new initiative from the grocery chain’s parent company, Wakefern Food Corp. Fresh to Table will expand to other ShopRite stores in the coming months. Once it is up and running, it could help people save time in the kitchen.
In addition to meal kits, ShopRite has launched a pilot program for battery-powered delivery robots. These robots will turn out at ShopRite stores in Bethlehem and Yardley, Pennsylvania. The technology is an affordable last-mile delivery option that aims to meet consumer demand for more convenient grocery services. And, if ShopRite doesn’t have it yet, it will soon come to the area.
ShopRite operates over 270 stores throughout the northeastern United States. Meal kits are available to cater for a party or cater an event. They can be delivered right to your home or picked up at the store. The stores are also clean and staffed by friendly and helpful people. It is an easy way to save money on food while you enjoy a meal you’ve prepared at home. You can even order them online and have them delivered right to your door.
The meal kits are a convenient, healthy, and delicious option for busy families. And they’re available in a variety of menus. A ShopRite in Wayne, New Jersey, will be a part of the revitalization of the Wayne Hills Mall. This new location will replace the former ShopRite that was closed in 2017.
Albertsons
The new meal kit offering from Albertsons comes after companies like Plated and Blue Apron returned to the grocery store. The companies, which sell meal kits through subscriptions, are also partnered with Walmart and Weight Watchers. The grocery chain announced plans to sell meal kits in its stores. While most people still prefer to shop for ingredients in their own grocery stores, Albertsons’ meal kits might have more appeal to consumers looking to make healthier food choices.
The company plans to offer Plated meal kits in its grocery stores by the end of 2018. Customers can subscribe to the service and get their meal kit delivered to their homes within a two-hour window. Plated meal kits can also be ordered online for home delivery through Instacart, which enables people to order dinner at work and get it delivered two hours later. If you don’t want to wait, you can also pick up the ingredients at the store, which is convenient for those who do not have time to cook from scratch.
According to a market research firm, millennials make up 29 percent of all grocery purchases and 27 percent of in-store sales. Despite the popularity of meal kits, 93 percent of U.S. consumers haven’t tried one yet. While these numbers may be low, the move by Albertsons could indicate a larger opportunity to expand. A recent survey by grocery delivery service Peapod LLC shows that millennials are twice as likely as baby boomers to buy meal kits in the coming year.
Among Albertsons’ latest initiatives is the integration of digital gaming with Albertsons. Through the partnership, the two companies plan to offer a new interactive game called “In the Bag” for their customers. The game requires users to squeeze as many groceries as possible into a virtual grocery bag. Every level has different levels of difficulty, but the top scorer can win up to $5,000 in DoorDash credit. A partnership like this is a great opportunity for both Albertsons and DoorDash, both in the grocery store and on the web.
In addition to offering meal kits in grocery stores, Albertsons is expanding its subscription meal kit program to a broader range of markets. Plated meal kits will be offered in nearly 50 Albertsons grocery stores, including Jewel-Osco and Safeway. In addition, Albertsons will offer the kits through its partnership with Instacart. Plated already has a handful of stores in Chicago and northern California.
Meanwhile, Plated will transition to a private label product. The subscription service will be phased out by the end of November. The company plans to focus on building a better in-store experience for its customers. Albertsons plans to expand the brand across more stores nationwide. However, there are also other changes in the meal kits business. Albertsons Cos. will focus its attention on the Plated brand.
Coborn
To the Table meal kits are available at most major grocery chains. These meal kits are pre-assembled and include many of the same ingredients as more traditional meal kits. To make them even easier to prepare, Coborns meals include parts such as potato salad and potato medley. Some of them even include guacamole. Other meal kit services require that you make the entire meal from scratch. Whether this meal kit is right for you depends on your level of cooking and convenience.
Among the new offerings at the Coborn Food Retailers is a salad robot named Sally. Sally dispenses a customizable menu of salads. The company also developed an app for ordering Sally the Robot. Coborn’s first Sally came out in early November in Otsego, Minn. Then, it added a second Sally unit to its Princeton, Minn. Now, Coborn has three Sally the Robots at its two stores, and the company is exploring more options to meet the needs of its consumers.
To the Table’s meal kits are designed to make cooking easier for busy people. Coborn’s, the parent company of Cash Wise, is launching the kits at its grocery stores. Similar to Homegrown Foods, Blue Apron, and Local Crate, the company sees an increase in customers looking for meal kits. They offer convenient meal kits that can be delivered right to your doorstep.
The grocery chain is also expanding its online ordering service. It also operates a state-of-the-art SuperStore in New Hope, Minn. The grocer’s employees own and run Coborn’s, Inc., which is a 95-year-old employee-owned grocery retailer. With 55 stores in Minnesota, it also operates under the Cash Wise Foods and Marketplace Foods banners.
The meal kits are made to order and are freshly prepared. The convenience factor is one of the primary reasons meal kits are becoming more popular. For example, Kroger started offering Prep+Pared meal kits last year, which feature preportioned ingredients. You can either get them delivered via Instacart or purchase them in your local store. These meal kits are located near the prepared foods section.
While most meal kits follow certain nutritional criteria, Coborn plans to have half of its meals meet Dietitian’s Choice criteria. They must contain less than 650 mg of sodium per serving. Meal kits with a Dietitian’s Choice label are deemed to be healthier than non-dietitian-designed kits. Some meal kits will also include regular grocery staples. And as an added bonus, the cost per serving is considerably lower than meal kits from national subscription services.
