Meal delivery continues to grow as 'chef-to-consumer' provider nets new funding

New York-based CookUnity, which offers meals prepared by "top culinary talent," has raised $15.5 million in Series A funding as it aims to expand across North America.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Jan. 14, 2021

Giant Food debuts Cook-in-Bag meals

The line, which launched last summer at sister chain The Giant Company, has 14 different meat and seafood entrees that shoppers can cook in their slow cookers or ovens. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Jan. 12, 2021

Prepared meals delivery startup Thistle raises $10.3M

The plant-based meal delivery company plans to use the funding round to expand to the East Coast.

By Rosie Bradbury • Jan. 6, 2021

Blue Apron names new CFO

Randy Greben, who most recently served as CFO at Ann Taylor, aims to help the financially challenged meal kit company achieve profitability long-term.

By Jane Thier • Jan. 6, 2021

Pardon the Disruption: 2021 will be a critical year for supermarkets

They've benefited from one-stop shopping, but the same structural and competitive forces that rattled them pre-pandemic are still lurking.

By Jeff Wells • Dec. 21, 2020

Freshly launches new lower-carb product line

The new meals target a growing nutrition trend as consumer interest in healthy, active lifestyles has increased during the pandemic.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 16, 2020

Blue Apron rolls out 'holistic wellness' campaign to sustain at-home cooking trend

The meal-kit maker is using "Wellness 360" to roll out new menu offerings and recipes with less prep time, along with promoting several partnerships including ones with Disney+ and WW.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 15, 2020

HelloFresh boosts revenue forecast as it prepares to double production capacity

The German meal-kit maker has raised revenue projections for 2020 and plans to bring U.S. brands to customers in other countries.

By Sam Silverstein • Dec. 14, 2020

Amazon bans 'chemicals of concern' from its Amazon Kitchen brand

The retailer is asking suppliers to phase out substances like PFAS and phthalates that have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts.

By Rosie Bradbury • Dec. 9, 2020

Online impulse buys: The newest item on the grocery industry's list

Consumers like the convenience of online food shopping but miss the discovery of new items. Integrated intelligent search lets retailers add spontaneity to the digital experience.

By Eric Farber, Vice President in the Retail & Consumer Goods Practice at Cognizant in North America • Dec. 7, 2020

Hy-Vee to open its 20th in-store Wahlburgers next week

The grocer currently owns six full-service locations of the burger chain and plans to open an additional 24 across eight states in 2021.

By Rosie Bradbury , Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 3, 2020

Walmart gets an extra branding shot for its automated smoothie pilot

The first co-branded Jamba by Blendid kiosk debuted Wednesday in Dixon, California, furthering the retailer's foray into autonomous technology. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 3, 2020

Kroger adds Saladworks location to Cincinnati store

The addition of the salad chain is one of several moves the grocer has taken recently to improve its meal services, including the launch of its own food hall and two ghost kitchen facilities.

By Rosie Bradbury • Nov. 25, 2020

Albertsons rolls out flash-frozen skillet meals

The company is introducing the Open Nature line, which features dishes like shrimp scampi with pasta and chicken tikka masala, as it pivots toward store brand meal solutions.

By Rosie Bradbury • Nov. 25, 2020

HelloFresh acquires ready-to-eat meal company Factor75

The combination brings the fast-growing German meal-kit maker additional facilities in the United States, home to half of its customers.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 24, 2020

Kroger-owned Home Chef beefs up product lines, promo deals

New soup and pizza offerings along with a partnership with NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service have positioned the meal kit company for growth.

By Rosie Bradbury • Nov. 13, 2020

Save Mart spotlights guest chefs as local restaurants struggle with pandemic

The grocer recently handed over brunch service at its flagship location to a well-known local establishment and plans to feature similar partnerships at stores in the near future.

By Rosie Bradbury • Nov. 9, 2020

HelloFresh posts record Q3 as it hits 5M active customers for the first time

The German meal kit company also saw its revenue and order volume surge as at-home eating accelerated during the pandemic.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 4, 2020

Inside the store: Wegmans' new location in Tysons, Virginia

The 80,000-square-foot supermarket on the campus of banking giant Capital One features a smaller, urban concept with prepared foods as the focal point.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Nov. 4, 2020

Nestlé buys Freshly, valuing meal delivery firm at $950M

The world's largest food manufacturer, which purchased a stake in the upstart in 2017, can bring its deep knowledge of customer trends, R&D capability and portfolio of brands to the meal kit delivery business.

By Christopher Doering • Oct. 30, 2020

Q&A: How Freshly is scaling to meet prepared meal delivery demand

The company's new warehouse in Southern California is part of a strategy that includes doubling capacity and tripling product offerings next year, according to Mike Wystrach, co-founder and CEO.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Oct. 28, 2020

4 mealtime innovations that picked up during the pandemic

Retailers like Barons Market, The Giant Company and Hy-Vee are helping customers solve the age-old dilemma of what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 28, 2020

Fast-casual salad franchise opens at The Giant Company

Saladworks already has several locations in other grocery stores, including ShopRite, and has plans for at least 10 more by early next year.

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 23, 2020

Spoiler alert! Replenishing based on prior demand is shrinking your profit

Find the balance between having enough product on the shelves without needlessly increasing inventory costs.

Oct. 12, 2020

Kroger brings ghost kitchens inside stores

The grocer opened a delivery and pickup-only restaurant inside an Indiana location on Thursday and will open a second facility in Ohio next month.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Oct. 8, 2020