Meal Kits Heating Up!

One of the most interesting segments that we have seen expand over the last several years is the meal kit industry. Whether it’s delivered to your door or ready to pick up and purchase in grocery stores, meal kits provide convenience to make cooking at home more enjoyable!

The meal kit industry is re-inventing what meals look like for busy people. Its primary selling point is the time it saves with the addition of it being a better, sustainable option. This service targets mainly two audiences – the working parents and individuals who don’t have time to spare in the kitchen and, surprisingly, the younger consumers who are not well versed in the art of cooking but are willing to spend time to learn and try new foods. Below are some stats we found interesting.

• 33% of Americans have tried a free trial of a meal kit subscription service
• 17% of Americans have signed up for a meal kit service at least once
• Of the Americans who have subscribed to meal kit services, 90% recommended others to try one as well
• 26% of the Gen X population and 29% of Millennials have tried meal kit services
• 81% of Americans believe that home-delivered meal kits are more healthy than eating at restaurants
• By 2022, the fresh-food meal-kit delivery market value is estimated to be 11.6 billion

What will this look like in the upcoming years? Especially now that the pandemic has altered the restaurant industry and shifted food consumption habits? Restaurants are still not open to full capacity across the US and more people have either been forced or inspired to change their diets to boost their health. Meal kit brands are prepared to appeal and cater to various lifestyle choices in order to accommodate more consumers. A key reason why many people opt for meal kits is to make following diets easier and more of these services are now specializing in niche diets – vegan, keto, all-organic, etc. They make it easy to maintain chosen lifestyle choices while still offering a diverse variety of cuisines.

According to a Blue Apron spokesperson, data shows that people, post-pandemic, plan on continuing to cook more at home as customers may not be ready to eat out at restaurants. They expect customers to invest in meal kits that will fit personalized, unique consumer needs. Reports find that among meal kit services, pre-made meal options will also have a large share of the market. Pre-made meal kits take it up to the next level by coming pre-cooked and require little to no prep or cleanup in the kitchen. The major factor working against the industry right now is the price. For the industry to maintain its momentum and reach its expected growth of $20 billion by 2027; these brands will need to pay close attention to the shelf life of products, price, quality, and the variety it has to offer. While there will be people who return to their favorite restaurants as pandemic restrictions loosen, there’s a chance that meal kit companies can win them over in the long run once they see how easy and routine it can be.