Blue Apron, the meal-kit startup that at one point was shipping meals to more than 1 million monthly subscribers, will begin selling its products in brick-and-mortar grocery stores after slacking sign-ups have slowed business. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Blue Apron CEO Brad Dickerson announced the change, saying that the company wanted to access the "broader" customer base that stores can reach.
Since launching in 2012, Blue Apron had remained steadfast in its subscription-only model, even as the meal-kit market became more crowded. Amazon's acquisition of upscale grocer Whole Foods last year enabled the online giant to begin selling its own meal kits through its Amazon Fresh program, while just weeks ago Walmart announced that it too would offer proprietary food packages in its stores and online, no subscription required.
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