Is Blue Apron headed to brick and mortar?

Is Blue Apron headed to brick and mortar?

by Pamela Riemenschneider, Mar 15, 2018

New York-based Blue Apron Holdings Inc. is considering selling meal kits in stores, and allowing non-subscription purchases online.

The news, reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as retailers nationwide are launching their own meal kits, and partnerships with existing web-based meal kit companies.

The WSJ reports Blue Apron had 750,000 subscribers in February, down from the company’s peak of more than 1 million last year.

A company spokeswoman told the WSJ “We are in active conversations with a variety of retailers and plan to have product in stores in 2018.”

Blue Apron has struggled since its initial public offering this summer. After starting out at $10 per share, the company hit a low of $2 per share on March 12 before increasing to $2.34 following the announcement.

Retailers across the country have been implementing meal kits, whether through acquisition, like Boise, Idaho-based Safeway Albertsons, which bought Plated, or in-house development, like Cincinnati-based Kroger Co.’s Prep+Pared.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart Inc. recently launched meal kits in stores, as well.

 

RELATED: 

Are meal kits a better fit for grocery? I’m not so sure.









Become a Member Today