NEW YORK – Blue Apron Holdings Inc. added another option to its line of products with the rollout of Blue Apron Knick Knacks. The recipe kits allow customers to choose the protein and produce of their choice and then combine it with Knick Knacks.
The kit will feature a combination of pre-portioned spices, sauces, grains and dairy ingredients from Blue Apron’s suppliers along with step-by-step recipes. Blue Apron said the product would feed two people.
“Our promise, through every product we create, is to inspire and support home cooks by bringing quality, discovery, and convenience to their meal experiences. We are proud to introduce Knick Knacks as our latest culinary innovation, which gives consumers the ‘secret sauce’ – from our test kitchen to their home – to create a delicious meal, while allowing for the flexibility to customize certain ingredients based on their personal preferences,” said John Adler, vice president of culinary at Blue Apron.
Jet will be the first company to carry Blue Apron’s Knick Knacks around the New York City metropolitan area. The recipe kits available on Jet include Za’atar-spiced Chicken, Mexican-spiced Chicken Quinoa Bowl, Japanese-style Steak & Rice Bowl and Creamy Shrimp Gnocchi.
Blue Apron began its partnership with Jet last October, offering a rotating selection of two-serving meal kits for local consumers on Jet’s online and mobile grocery platform.
“We are excited to expand our relationship with Blue Apron by being the first retailer to offer the new Knick Knacks recipe kits via Jet City Grocery,” said Simon Belsham, president of Jet. “With the flexibility of the Knick Knacks portfolio and Jet’s ability to bundle the additional needed grocery items, we are able to offer a seamless and convenient shopping experience for our urban consumers.”
Blue Apron is focusing on new channels beyond its direct-to-consumer business in an effort to broaden its reach to more households, said Bradley J. Dickerson, president and CEO, during a Jan. 31 earnings call. The company has lost subscribers to its meal-kit business as competition from similar services has increased. He described Blue Apron Knick Knacks as a “differentiated, highly-scalable product with appealing benefits.”
“Consumers can now elevate their everyday home cooking experience using their preferred protein and produce with a Knick Knacks recipe that delivers the quality, flavors and culinary experience that Blue Apron is known for and trusted to deliver,” Dickerson said. “This offering also gives retailers an extended shelf-life solution and the ability to cross-merchandise their own products, which we expect will increase our addressable market by reaching consumers in innovative ways through diverse channels.”
A recent test with Costco led to the insights to expand with new innovations such as Knick Knacks, Dickerson added.
“We are in active discussions with additional prospective partners as we focus on expanding our selection of individualized two- and four-serving meals and our new Knick Knacks offering in the retail environment,” he said. “We are also pursuing additional strategies to expand same day or next day on-demand delivery of Blue Apron products to consumers in other parts of the country.”