Competition in the meal-kit industry is fierce.
Rivals are looking for creative strategies to minimize time in the kitchen and still cater to varied dietary restrictions and preferences.
But how can smaller players stand out from the pack?
“Focus on needs,” Sun Basket’s Co-founder and CEO Adam Zbar, told Cheddar. The executive argues that the industry has become big business, with meal-kit companies bringing in $5 billion in revenue last year.
Sun Basket currently has less than ten percent of the meal-kit market, according to research firm Second Measure, but it's managed to create big waves. Just in 2017’s first quarter, the company saw sales grow 80 percent. But the industry is constantly changing, and participants have to keep up.
Blue Apron is currently the dominant player in the market, holding a 40 percent market share. But Second Measure says that the leader's recent challenges, including layoffs and a plunging share price since its IPO, open the door for other players.
Sun Basket hopes to capitalize on the opportunity. The company rolled out a new strategy Tuesday and now features more premium meat selections, the CEO told Cheddar.
“All of our consumers were really asking for that,” Zbar said. “We are always talking to our consumers, and they said that they wanted even better premium proteins.”
American businesses that rely on Chinese goods are reacting with muted relief after the U.S. and China agreed to pause their exorbitant tariffs on each other’s products for 90 days. Many companies delayed or canceled orders after President Donald Trump last month put a 145% tariff on items made in China. Importers still face relatively high tariffs, however, as well as uncertainty over what will happen in the coming weeks and months. The temporary truce was announced as retailers and their suppliers are looking to finalize their plans and orders for the holiday shopping season. They’re concerned a mad scramble to get goods onto ships will lead to bottlenecks and increased shipping costs.
Shopping expert Trae Bodge discusses how talks between the U.S. and China is good news for now, but uncertainty remains for back-to-school and the holidays.
Jake Traylor, White House reporter at Politico, joins Cheddar to discuss how Trump is aiming to lower drug prices and how it differs from Biden's approach.
Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Taylor Morrison, talks tariff uncertainty, being a female leader in a male dominated industry and what homebuyers need to know. Watch!
