Grocers Ramp Up Ready-to-Eat Dinner Programs as Consumers Cut Back on Restaurant Dining

Key points

• Kroger and Home Chef are expanding their ready-to-eat meal lineup in retail stores to target busy households.
• Prepared grocery meals offer consumers a cost-effective compromise between cooking from scratch and ordering restaurant takeout.
• Centralized supply chains and store-level distribution improve unit economics compared to traditional direct-to-consumer meal kits.
• Data tracking from store loyalty programs helps customize local meal inventory and reduce food waste.

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Sources and methodology

Reported from the public datasets below.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - Consumer Price Index, food away from home
• Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) - Food services and drinking places series
• U.S. Census Bureau - Monthly Retail Trade, food services

All sources Foodie Pundit reports from

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