Blue Apron, the meal kit company known for delivering fresh ingredients and recipes to your doorstep, is moving beyond the subscription model it helped pioneer.
First announced on Good Morning America, customers can now order Blue Apron meals à la carte, no commitment required, and get them delivered in as little as three days, rather than the usual six to seven.
This shift comes nearly two years after Blue Apron was acquired by Wonder Group for $103 million. Wonder, which also owns Tastemade and Grubhub, is building a “food super app” designed to meet all kinds of mealtime needs, from heat-and-eat to full on cooking.
“Blue Apron has always been about helping people cook and eat well at home,” said Whitney Pegden, SVP and GM of Blue Apron, during the GMA segment. “But the way families manage mealtime has changed. Households don’t want to be locked into rigid plans or forced to subscribe just to get dinner on the table.”
The company also rolled out a new logo, redesigned app and website.
The menu has also more than doubled in size. It introduced Dish by Blue Apron, a rotating menu of 40 heat-and-eat meals ready in about five minutes, all high in protein and free from artificial flavors. It also launched Assemble and Bake, one-pan meals with pre-prepped ingredients that only take a few minutes of hands-on time.
There is also a new membership option, Blue Apron+, for $9.99 a month with perks like free shipping and exclusive deals, though it is completely optional.
For anyone who still prefers the old way, there is an Autoship and Save option with a 5 percent discount.
Blue Apron is leaning into convenience and choice and one wonders what it will do next to make its offerings even more frictionless.
