New York, NY, April 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- - Plated, one of America's most popular meal kit services, and its parent company, Albertsons Companies, one of the nation’s leading food, health, and wellness retailers, today announced the next phase of their long-term plan to transform the way consumers create meals at home, from planning and shopping to cooking and eating. By the end of the year, Plated plans to make meal kits available in hundreds of stores around the country as the brand rolls out its expansive offering across channels to meet customers wherever, whenever and however they choose to shop. As of today, Plated is already available in 40 grocery stores in two major markets.
“This is the next big step in our journey to enable everyone to enjoy fresh, delicious meals. We’ve delivered millions of meals to Americans through our acclaimed subscription service, and now we’ll be able to meet and serve millions of new customers with an entirely new level of convenience,” said Josh Hix, Co-founder and CEO of Plated. “Since partnering with Albertsons Companies last year, we’ve accelerated our growth and are thrilled to bring an elevated culinary experience to more people in more ways. Today we’re announcing that in addition to our subscription offering, customers near hundreds of Albertsons Companies stores will be able to pick up last-minute or order online for on demand delivery.”
“We are excited to have Plated meal kits in our stores. Plated’s culinary expertise allows us to offer customers, premium-quality, chef-designed recipes for amazing meals they can prepare at home,” said Pat Brown, Group Vice President, Merchandising and Strategic Initiatives, Albertsons Cos. “Plated is not just a meal kit, it’s a culinary experience. That’s what sets us apart. Our customers learn new techniques, and can experiment with delicious and culturally diverse recipes.”
By the end of 2018, it is expected Albertsons Cos. customers will be able to enjoy this unprecedented level of culinary convenience at select Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, and Haggen locations. Plated’s store locator makes it easy for customers to find the stores nearest to them where Plated is available. Today, Plated is available in 20 Safeway stores in Northern California and 20 Jewel-Osco stores in the Chicago area with continued national expansion throughout the U.S. planned in the coming months. As part of the rollout to stores, Plated also plans to make meal kits available to Albertsons Cos. customers in more ways, including delivery in as little as two hours through Instacart, online ordering for same day and scheduled home delivery, as well as for in-store pickup via Albertsons Companies click-and-collect service called Drive Up and Go.
The new retail offering debuts with a collection of six meal kits representing some of Plated’s customer favorites. Recipes are crafted by Plated’s expert Culinary Team led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Elana Karp. The ingredients are pre-measured and portioned to provide just what’s needed to cook delicious meals at home with no food waste. The dishes currently available for in-store purchase include:
- Crunchy Chicken Milanese with Honey Mustard and Arugula
- Roasted Chicken au Jus with Orzo and Peas
- Beef Noodle Bowls with Dinosaur Kale and Mushrooms
- Steak Frites with Creamy Shallot Sauce and Sautéed Spinach
- Skillet Grandma Pie with Parmesan-Kale Salad
- Pine Nut–Crusted Salmon with Creamy Tomato Farro and Roasted Green Beans
Since launching over five years ago, Plated has developed more than 2,200 distinctive recipes. In-store meal choices will rotate seasonally, so customers will have new dishes to cook and enjoy. In-store meal kit options will include beef, chicken, vegetarian, and seafood recipes.
Plated’s online subscription service continues to offer the most variety in the category, with 20 meal choices per week, as well as two dessert options.
Hix added, “Since less than 20% of American consumers have tried a meal kit, there’s tremendous opportunity for us to make it easy for many more people to cook recipes they’ll love at home!”
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About Plated
Plated launched in 2012 with a mission to transform the way America eats by making it easy for people to plan, buy, cook, and enjoy delicious meals at home by sending distinctive recipes with pre-portioned ingredients to customers’ doorsteps. Acquired by Albertsons Cos. in 2017, Plated has rapidly scaled and evolved with a customer-centric model focusing on variety and flexibility to provide a personalized culinary experience. At the same time, the brand has an unwavering commitment to creating delicious recipes that appeal to people who are passionate about food and seek discovery in the kitchen. The Culinary Team is led by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Elana Karp, the company’s Chief Culinary Officer and Culinary Co-founder. Learn more at Plated.com.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Cos. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2016 alone, along with the Albertsons Cos. Foundation, the company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.
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This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our perspectives and expectations, are forward looking statements. The words “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions, when related to the Company and its subsidiaries, indicate forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current view of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on various assumptions and factors, including general economic, market, industry and operational factors. Any changes to these assumptions or factors may lead to practical results different from current expectations. Excessive reliance should not be placed on those statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company and its subsidiaries undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made.
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