US sales of in-store meal kits reached $93m in 2018, according to the latest Nielsen data, with 187 new retail meal kit items introduced during the year as high-profile brands sought to reach consumers that like the concept, but don’t want to commit to an online subscription. Meal kit users have increased 36% over the past year, with in-store meal kit users accounting for 60% of that growth. Nielsen shows that 14.3 million households purchased meal kits in the last six months of 2018, up from 3.8 million households at the end of 2017. However, growth both online and instore is being driven by affluent consumers aged 35-44 earning an income of more than $100k.
Source: foodnavigator-usa.com
Lightbulb Moment: In-store meal kits are a great hybrid where consumers can round out the meal with other grocery store items and they can also see, feel, and choose the meal kits themselves. Want to learn more about what drives this trend? That’s where Culinary Tides, Inc. comes in.