The concept of an all-in-one-box meal has been around for years, going back to the first frozen TV dinners. Today’s meal kits are far removed from their earliest origins, though. These kits feature high-end, gourmet entrees with exotic, trendy flavors. They also add fresh produce to a category that traditionally has not seen strong ecommerce sales.
“Even the basic things we know about the meal kit category continue to evolve at a very, very rapid pace, says Meagan Nelson, Associate Director for Nielsen, Fresh Growth & Strategy Team. At the 2019 Annual Meat Conference, held this past March in Dallas, she gave a presentation that discussed the past, present and future of meal kits. She pointed out that meal kits have seen a 36 percent growth in a little under a year, and that 12 percent of total consumers have purchased a meal kit in the last six months. What’s more, 23 percent of total consumers would consider trying a kit in the next six months.