Albertsons Companies is cutting out Plated’s meal kits subscription service by the end of this month and shifting it to an “in-house culinary brand” that is part of its private label products, the retailer said in a press release.
As a result, Albertsons plans to expand the Plated brand with new product offerings – including seafood – in additional stores in 2020.
“Our vision for Plated includes an expanded set of products that goes far beyond a dinner-based solution and into a comprehensive in-house culinary brand,” Geoff White, Albertsons executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, said in a press release. “With a broader scope of offerings, we see Plated solving customer demands around convenience, lifestyle, and cooking experience, while adding yet another layer of interest to our in-store journey.”
While it’s “too early” for Albertson’s to announce exactly what kind of new offerings Plated will feature, seafood dishes will likely be a part of the lineup, Chris Wilcox, vice president of communications, public affairs, and education for Albertsons Companies, told SeafoodSource.
“Plated has offered seafood dishes in the past, and we know that seafood in general is a popular choice among our shoppers,” Wilcox said.
Albertsons’ seafood sourcing teams will “continue to work closely with our expert partners at FishWise to ensure we take the appropriate steps to sustainably source seafood products for all of our stores,” Wilcox added.
Albertsons’ new vision for Plated includes a “deeper set of product solutions that solve customer demands around convenience, lifestyle, preference, and cooking experience,” Wilcox said.
The transition was expected since Albertsons said in April it was doing away with offering Plated meal kits in many of its stores. At the time, the retailer said it would limit Plated’s offerings to select stores in northern California and Texas.
“This shift will allow us to focus on innovation for the future expansion of Plated within the Albertsons Companies ecosystem,” Liz Marsh, spokesperson for Plated, told SeafoodSource at the time.
Now, the marketing and product development team behind the company’s Own Brands will manage the expansion of Plated into a “holistic home meal solution,” Albertsons said.
Albertsons’ Own Brands penetration grew from 23 percent in fiscal year 2017 to 25.3 percent in Albertsons' most recent quarter. Plus, the Own Brands team launched 1,100 new items in 2018.
The decision to formally bring Plated into the company’s lineup of Own Brands comes after extensive testing of the meal kits’ in-store performance in its Safeway stores in Northern California, Albertsons said.
“The company found that shoppers who purchase Plated products are more likely to have families and have a larger basket than the average shopper,” the retailer said.
“Plated’s brand appeals to our most loyal and highest value customers, especially those that skew towards convenient, fresh, and organic products,” White said.
As the Plated portfolio grows in the store, its products will be available for purchase online through Albertsons stores’ existing eCommerce platforms, “which offer delivery in as little as two hours or pickup through its Drive Up & Go service,” the retailer said.
Photo courtesy of Albertsons Companies
