Dive Brief:

• Online grocer Peapod and food writer Mark Bittman are partnering to showcase some of Bittman’s recipes from his new cookbook, "Dinner for Everyone," according to a company release.
• Peapod will make several of Bittman's recipes shoppable through its website, enabling a click-to-cart format that allows customers to purchase ingredients directly from the recipes.
• In addition, Peapod will offer an exclusive meal kit option from the cookbook, Fast Pho, a Vietnamese-inspired dish that serves two or four. 

Dive Insight:

Making prepared foods and meal kits stand out can be a challenge, especially when the market is flooded with countless options from an increasing number of vendors. One way to lure diners back is to constantly refresh the menu and to engage in new partnerships that help conjure up fresh offerings and on-trend items. 

Peapod, which began offering meal kits in 2014, has made an appeal to adventurous foodies with its expanding meal lineup. In addition to its integration with Mark Bittman, the company last year partnered with two restaurant brands — Big Bowl and Wildfire — on a selection of new meal kits. Peapod says it's taking an "aggressive" approach to meal kit expansion, with 40 new meal kits rolling out over the past few months.  

As more and more retailers add meal kits in stores, Peapod is uniquely positioned, offering kits online but without requiring a subscription as companies like Blue Apron do. As meal kit demand continues to grow, research shows consumers value selection but also convenience — two opportunities Peapod is clearly targeting. 

Peapod's shoppable recipe partnership with Bittman taps into a burgeoning trend with retailers. Shoppable recipes provide convenience for consumers who don’t like having to plan out ingredients to purchase for a new recipe. Instead, customers can add ingredients from a pre-assembled list directly into their Peapod carts and have the items delivered. Survey data suggests that shoppable recipes are an effective tool for increasing online engagement and encouraging folks to check out digital shopping channels for the first time.

Peapod’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, has renewed its attention and investment in the e-grocer as competitors like FreshDirect launch bold initiatives to capture market share. The meal kit space is cutthroat and there have been a number of casualties that couldn’t make the logistics or margins work. Plated recently pulled its meal kits from Albertsons' Idaho stores just two years after the grocer acquired the brand. Blue Apron’s stock hit a historic low of $1 recently, and Purple Carrot just sold its business to a Japanese e-grocer.