To Buy or Not to Buy

January 22nd, 2020

Over the past year, there have been a number of home meal kit delivery services popping up

 

 

Today’s post is written by Ivy Ray, Senior Procurement Specialist at SafeSourcing Inc.

Over the past year, there have been a number of home meal kit delivery services popping up in television and magazine ads. I never ventured to try any of them because, in my estimation, it would be costly and unnecessary. Recently, my interest was piqued once I noticed Home Chef meals on display in my local Kroger supermarket.

I’ve been grocery shopping and preparing meals, almost daily, for over 30 years, but here it was right within my grasp, so I picked up a couple of the dinner-for-two meal kits to try out. Since our kids are grown and off on their own this $16.99 option seemed to be worth sampling. All of the pre-measured ingredients were included in the kit along with an easy to follow recipe card. We both enjoyed the meals, so it did not disappoint.

My online search for additional meal options and details led to the discovery of over a dozen different meal delivery services which vary in level of preparation difficulty and specialization including classic, vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten-free options. The most popular is Blue Apron which boasts recipes inspired by unique seasonal or hard to find ingredients. There is also Sun Basket, EveryPlate, Hello Fresh, Freshly, Dinnerly, Snap Kitchen, and Purple Carrot which specializes in plant-based dishes. Joining the party is Martha Stewart partnering with Berlin-based Marley Spoon, and of course Amazon owns a piece of the action with Amazon Fresh, since acquiring Whole Foods. Amazon meal kits are currently only available to members of Amazon Prime.

Preparation times range from 30 minutes to about 50 minutes, prep-to-plate. The prices generally range from $30 – $79 per week for three meals for two people. That is a huge savings for those who normally opt to eat out which can easily cost this much per meal for two.   For those who typically prepare meals at home, the savings is still apparent because it is less wasteful than purchasing ingredients in full count packaging which sometimes goes to waste if not used. Not to underestimate the time savings of not having to drive to the store and peruse the aisles searching for all of the ingredients which sometimes requires going to multiple locations. Time is money, especially if you have a busy schedule!

My final assessment is this is worth exploring as an alternative. The online reviews are mixed, but there are enough options to suit any preference, palate, or pocket. Most of the services are now offering new customer discounts for your initial order and no shipping charges. Changing or canceling orders seems to be a relatively easy process so there is no long-term commitment. Do your research before you buy, and as John Matarese says, “don’t waste your money.”

For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions for your business efforts, or on our Risk Free trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire team ready to assist you today.

 

We look forward to your comments.

 

 

 

 

 

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