HelloFresh and Blue Apron have two new competitors in town: Walmart and Weight Watchers. The two brands recently announced their ventures into the meal kit business, but unlike many of the other options out there, these pre-prepped packages won’t be delivered to your door.
“Customers are busier than ever and we know getting a delicious dinner on the table can be a chore. We’re here to help,” Walmart senior vice president and general merchandise manager Tyler Lehr said in a release. “These delicious meals give the best or worst of cooks a fresh, easy option for dinner tonight, or later this week.”
A vast array of meal options, which have already rolled out to over 250 stores, are made and assembled fresh in-store daily. Options include pre-portioned kits for steak Dijon, basic garlic chicken, sweet chili chicken stir fry, and pork Florentine; Thai curry chicken and chicken fried rice rotisserie meals; and one-step heat-up chicken Alfredo, cheesy ravioli, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, pulled beef, curry chicken, pot roast, and chicken enchiladas.
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Each item is a one-time purchase with no subscription required. One meal serves two people and costs anywhere from $8 to $15. Customers can order online at lunchtime to pick up in-store by dinner or just swing inside the store to pick from options on the shelf.
Weight Watchers — which just added DJ Khaled as an ambassador alongside longtime spokeswoman Oprah — is working with California-based meal kit company FreshRealm to roll out quick-prep food and individual grocery products as a part of the company’s new WW Healthy Kitchen initiative, which also includes a new line of kitchen tools (water bottles with built-in tea and fruit infusers, pineapple corers, and nonstick pans).
“At WW, our goal is to be a partner to everyone on their pursuit toward healthier living,” Weight Watchers president and CEO Mindy Grossman said in a release. “We know people today need the tools, inspiration and community to develop healthy habits in their day-to-day lives. Whether through a collection of delicious and satisfying recipes, custom WW kitchen tools, or fresh, quick-prep meal kits, we are delivering the solutions that make healthy eating and cooking accessible, easier, and simpler for all.”
The weight-loss company has not released pricing information, but consumers can expect to see the meal kits roll out in the second half of 2018.