Amazon's Meal Kits are already available for some customers
The prepackaged kit service is more bad news for Blue Apron.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Amazon had registered a trademark for a meal kit service with the slogan "We do the prep. You be the chef." And apparently those kits are already available to some AmazonFresh customers, one of whom told GeekWire that he began noticing them in his shopping searches a week or two ago.
There are reportedly 17 different options available including Tacos al Pastor with Pork, Veggie Burger with Harissa Aioli and Smoked Eggplant as well as Steak Au Poivre with Parmesan Fries and Snap Peas. Vegetarian options are priced around $16 and other kits range up to $20 for two servings. Those prices are comparable to HelloFresh's and Blue Apron's where servings are around $9-$10 each.
When news broke of Amazon's plans to move in on their business, Blue Apron's stock fell more than 11 percent. The company has hit some bumps in the last year including reports of safety and crime incidents at its fulfillment center. And its stock has performed poorly since its IPO last month. Amazon on the other hand, keeps adding grocery-related services to its offerings. In just the past few months, Amazon has opened drive-through grocery stores and acquired Whole Foods.
It seems the meal kits have been available at Seattle's Amazon Go store. As for its online availability, we've reached out to Amazon for more details on the rollout, but as of now, it's unclear when it will begin reaching a wider customer base.
