Raley's Introduces 4 Meal Kit Types for Various Need States

Raley's is entering the meal-kit business with a line of chef-created, subscription-free offerings for different need states, understanding that not all meal-kit consumers have the same preferences – or needs – when it comes to the category.

Kits in the line range from those providing full-blown dinners to offerings for quick preparation or specific meal components, all designed by Raley's Culinary Innovation Manager and Chef Evelyn Miliate. They include:

• Full kits: Containing all items needed to make a complete meal, this line comprises six kits, ranging from $16.99 to $19.99 each: vegetarian curry, chicken with red wine sauce, chicken tarragon, butter chicken, steak with peppercorn sauce, and salmon with cilantro yogurt sauce
• Quick kits: Containing cut vegetables and cooked chicken for a quick-prep dinner, this line comprises three offerings, each $14.99, featuring mole enchiladas, Greek-style pasta and sage butter gnocchi
• Steamable rotisserie sides: Intended to pair with a grab-and-go rotisserie chicken, these kits retail for $4.99 each and comprise four offerings: broccoli parmesan, green beans with parmesan, Mexican-style vegetables and Italian-style vegetables
• Components: Intended to boost kitchen creativity, these items range from $3.99 to $4.99 and encompass nine sauces, eight whole grains and starches, eight vegetables and freshly prepared meat by an in-house butcher

Citing data from Nielsen, Raley's asserted that more than half of shoppers want to purchase components separately and build their own meals, while seven in 10 want to try new recipes and new foods. Moreover, consumers today are looking for kits that emphasize fresh food, health and nutrition.

“We want to be the destination for our customers looking for a healthy home-cooked meal," said Miliate. “Fresh Kits are an affordable solution to dinner that customers can trust. The kits include high-quality ingredients and offer great variety so your family doesn’t get bored with the same recipes."

The new kits are another way that the grocer is trying to empower its customers to take charge of their health in a personalized, effective manner, with the flexibility of how, where and when they wish to do so. In addition to grabbing a kit on a standard shopping trip, Raley's patrons can order the kits online for in-store pickup or delivery.

Last week, Raley's introduced a YouTube channel dedicated to helping viewers understand serious issues currently facing the food industry and how they can better take control of their own health and eating habits. Hosted by owner and Chairman Michael Teel, the series is one of many moves that the western grocer has made in recent years to help shoppers have an easier time getting access to better foods and making more informed decisions about what they eat. Others include replacing candy with more healthful alternatives at checkout, introducing Shelf Guide standards, and more, all intended to have a domino effect that brings about a major change in the way consumers think about eating.

Raley's operates 129 stores under five banners: Raley's, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Market 5-One-5. The company is No. 26 on Progressive Grocer's Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.