Blue Apron, a company that helped pioneer the subscription meal kit industry, announced a partnership today with challenger WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers International.
It wasn’t long ago that the weight loss company announced it wanted a piece of the meal kit pie. On March 8, 2018, the Oprah Winfrey-backed company said it was set to launch a line of quick-prep meal kits with partner FreshRealm that would be available at grocery stores. For Blue Apron the move was expected to bring one more competitor to an already highly competitive and crowded space.
While the quick-prep meal kits are still in the process of hitting store shelves, the two companies have found another way to work together. Instead, the new meal kit delivery system will focus on different consumer needs by delivering the packages exclusively through Blue Apron’s digital platform.
“This partnership is all about bringing delicious, inspiring meals directly to your home,” said Stacey Mowbray, President of North America at WW. “The recipes – based on WW Freestyle, our most effective and livable program to date – make cooking at home simpler, convenient and enjoyable.”
The menu will consist of six new two-serving meal recipes that rotate throughout the year. All the recipes will use the well-known SmartPoints system that allows users to keep track of their food and nutrient intake via points, all of which is trackable through the WW mobile app.
“The passion, engagement, and enthusiasm of WW members closely mirrors the attributes of our community of home cooks,” said Brad Dickerson, chief executive officer of Blue Apron. “Our new WW Freestyle menu is designed to bring discovery and achievement to the home cooking experience, introducing consumers — including WW members and Blue Apron customers –– to ingredients, techniques and delicious meals that empower them to develop a wellness-inspired home-cooking routine.”
The meal kits will be available to order through Blue Apron’s digital platform beginning Dec. 26, which is also scheduled to launch with WW’s “For Every Body” campaign. The campaign features two newly announced global WW ambassadors, Kate Hudson and Robbie Williams. It is seen as part of the company’s rebranding efforts to focus on wellness instead of weight loss.
This partnership is one of the few positive headlines to come out of what has been a difficult couple of years for Blue Apron. The meal-kit provider has seen a decline in customers and revenue, as well as a plunge in market value since its initial public offering in 2017. We’ll see if a surprising partnership with WW is enough to keep the company afloat.
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