Meal Kit Market By Meal Type (Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free); By Serving Type (Single-Person Meal Kits, Family Meal Kits); By End-User (Residential Consumers, Corporate Offices, Institutions); By Geography (Segment revenue estimation, Forecast, 2024–2032).

The meal kit market was USD 14.8 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 31.3 billion during the next several years, with a CAGR of 11.2% between 2024 and 2030. Some of the trends that favor the market include shifting consumer trends in food consumption, growing inclination towards healthy foods, and increasing demand for online food delivery.

 

The meal kit market refers to services where customers can order fresh and precut ingredients and recipes ready for cooking, with an option of subscription-based or one-time purchases. Meal kit delivery services also offer special diets for customers, such as vegan, vegetarian, keto, and gluten-free diet preferences. The market has gained a lot of popularity due to factors such as busy life schedules, the need for home-cooked food, and the most important factors being convenience and avoiding going to grocery stores.

 

Market Drivers

Busy Lifestyles and Time Constraints: Increased busy schedules due to work, school, and other activities have compelled people to source easy meal preparation methods. Meal kits may be convenient for busy individuals and families who want home-cooked food but do not have the time for meal planning and purchasing groceries. Example: On average, in 2023, the food delivery through meal kits contributed to 25% of the total online orders in the North American region due to its utility by working professionals.

 

Rising Demand for Healthy and Customized Diets: The emphasis on healthy eating has escalated the utilization of crazy meal-conveyor services that offer low-carb, organic meals and those free from allergens. Another survey conducted in 2023 showed that 60% of the people who subscribed to meal kit services wanted services that provided healthy meal options.

 

E-commerce Expansion and Digital Convenience: E-commerce integration with Apps has made it convenient for consumers to subscribe to meal kits and manage their orders. Example: One of the biggest European meal kit providers saw a 30% subscription boost in 2022 through engaging app-based interfaces.

 

Reduced Food Waste: Meals that are already divided into portions allow the buyer to buy only what they are going to use, and they also do not spoil easily, which conforms with the current trends of reducing food waste encouraged by both the consumers and the government. Example: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pointed out that with meal kits, households may save up to 30% of food that would otherwise be thrown away, compared to regular grocery shopping.

 

Market Opportunities

Expansion in Emerging Economies: Market players in the industry can benefit from the growing trend in urbanization, the growing disposable income within populations, and these changing eating habits, especially within growing economies such as India, China, and Brazil, to mention but a few. Example: The India meal kit market in 2023 expanded to rise by 20% through demand in metropolitan cities.

 

Growth of Vegan and Plant-Based Meal Kits: The growing propensity of consumers to switch to vegan and plant-based diets is another unique but fast-growing segment with significant potential for meal kit companies. Example: A plant-based meal kit delivery service in Canada noted that subscriptions grew by 40% in the year 2022 due to increased health awareness among millennials.

 

Corporate Partnerships and Bulk Meal Kits: The sale of bulk meal kits from collaborations with corporate offices and institutional customers significantly improves MoreAlice’s growth because its target market is urban areas. Example: In 2023, a meal kit provider gave the U.S. tech company employee meal options to increase the company’s revenue to 15%.

 

Market Restraints

High Costs and Subscription Fatigue: Cooking with a box is much easier and quicker, but it is more expensive than regular shopping, and some users get bored of subscriptions.

 

Logistical Challenges and Perishability: Food requires timely delivery to be fresh, and problems arise in remote or developing areas.

 

Market Segmentation

By Meal Type:

• Vegetarian

• Non-Vegetarian

• Vegan

• Gluten-Free

 

By Serving Type:

• Single-Person Meal Kits

• Family Meal Kits

 

By End-User:

• Residential Consumers

• Corporate Offices

• Institutions

 

By Region:

• North America

• Europe

• Asia-Pacific

• Latin America

• Middle East & Africa

 

Segment Analysis

Leading Meal Type: Vegetarian

In 2023, revenues from vegetarian meal kits were 40% of the total market share, thanks to a growing trend towards veganism and the overall concern about healthy nutrition. Example: A US-based meal kit provider announced vegetarian meals made from organic ingredients in 2023 and saw its new customer subscriptions rise by 20% this year.

 

Leading Distribution Channel: Online Retail

Digital sales represented 70% of revenues in 2023 since app subscriptions are more comfortable and time-saving, while e-commerce is becoming increasingly significant. Example: An established meal kit firm in Europe said it received 85% of its orders online by 2023.

 

Regional Analysis

North America is the most prominent region, holding 45% of the global shares in 2023 due to improved users’ disposable income levels, relatively fast-paced living standards, and well-developed e-commerce. The market share in North America was dominated by the US because of the convenience that consumers seek in managing their meal times and the need for healthy foods. Example: One of the largest U.S. meal kits services utilized artificial intelligence by the start of 2023 and saw an uptick of 25% in use.

 

Europe contributed 30% of the overall revenue, motivated by increasing customer inclination towards organic and plant-based meal delivery kits. For example, the Germans’ interest in meal kits rose to 15% in 2022, with consumers preferring vegan meal kits.

 

The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing region because of increasing urbanization, better disposable income, and changing palates in nations like India and China. Example: In 2023, a Chinese meal kit provider extended its service coverage, increasing sales by 35%.

 

Key Players

• HelloFresh

• Blue Apron

• Home Chef

• Marley Spoon

• Green Chef

• Freshly

• EveryPlate

• Gobble

• Purple Carrot

• Daily Harvest

 

Future Outlook

The global market for meal kits is well positioned for future growth due to various factors, such as changes in consumers’ eating preferences, the development and enhancement of technology, and steady growth in urbanization. Increasing disposable income and shifts in people's living standards will determine opportunities to tap into Asia-Pacific and Latin American emerging markets.

 

Thus, the health-oriented, environmentally friendly and adjustable manufacturers are likely to get advantages over their competitors. This industry is only predicted to grow and become as commonplace for families around the globe by 2030 as we consider meal planning and preparation to be today.