PUBLISHER: Allied Market Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1225013
PUBLISHER: Allied Market Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1225013
The global meal kit market was valued at $11.1 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $43.4 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.9% from 2022 to 2031.The meal kit market consists of the sales of meal kits by players in the market who prepare and deliver fresh ingredients, pre-cooked meals, half-cooked food products, and customized food ingredients to their consumers so they can conveniently finish preparing the meals at home. Meal kits are a good substitute for grocery shopping since they cut down on visits, offer a good nutrition diet, and save time & money.
The COVID-19 pandemic offered a great opportunity for the market to grow since almost all the restaurants, eateries, and hotels were closed across the globe. People were concerned about their health and started focusing on healthy diets more than prior to increase their immunity and maintain a balanced diet, which resulted in a rapid increase in the number of people who were looking for healthy and easy meal options for themselves. Even the players in the market have seen a rapid increase in revenue during the pandemic. For instance, Hello Fresh's revenue has increased by more than 100% in 2020 in comparison to 2019.
The rapid increase in the female workforce is expected to drive the meal kit market growth owing to the busy schedule of both partners in a family which leads to a reduction in the time for cooking and buying vegetables. According to the report of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women's labor force participation was 57.4% in 2019, up from 57.1% in 2018. According to the report of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, the share of female labor in the total labor force increased from 23.1% to 27.9% in two years from 2018-2020. Such a rise in the female workforce coupled with rapid urbanization is expected to drive the growth of the meal kit market during the forecast period since more female workforce cause more time-poor consumers which is one of the main reasons for the use of meal kits.
Most meal kit services provide vegetarian and gluten-free diets to the consumer. There are also a growing number of specialized meal kit services that cater to unique dietary needs and preferences. Nowadays consumers are more aware of what they are eating and the health effects of the food they are having and generally they prefer a healthy and nutritious diet for themselves. Meal kits offer a nutritious diet to consumers and are generally healthier as compared to ready-to-eat food offered to consumers since the ingredients are fresh and there are no additives or preservatives. Players in the market are offering consumers to choose meals as per their diet or meals suggested by nutritionists that best suit their bodies and health. Such health benefits offered by meal kits are expected to drive the meal kit market growth.
The meal kit services are not generally available in tier 2 and tier 3 cities which can hold back the growth of the meal kit market since a very big part of consumers remain untapped. Meal kits are not available in these cities owing to their short shelf life and the special care needed for them. Along with this, the high price of meal kits compared to the traditional way of cooking is also a factor that restraints tier 2 and tier 3 cities people from using meal kit services.
There has been a surge in the demand for plant-based food owing to a surge in the vegan population since veganism has emerged as a trend with increasing awareness of animal cruelty. According to a survey commissioned by the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2018. In 2019, there were 6,00,000 vegans, around 1.16% of the population. As per the survey commissioned by the government of the UK, Britain's vegans are pretty new to the lifestyle, with 63% having started out only in the last five years. That being said, the overwhelming majority of Britain's vegans (81%) graduated from vegetarianism, so many have been avoiding meat for much longer than this. The rise in the vegan population is the reason companies are launching plant-based meal kits. For instance, Freshly, Purple Carrot, and Fresh n' Lean are dealing in plant-based meals, especially for plant-based diets which are expected to create an opportunity for the market to grow at a rapid pace.
The meal kit market is segmented on the basis of meal type, offering type, distribution channel, and region. According to meal type, the meal kit market is classified into vegetarian and non-vegetarian. As per offering type, it is categorized into heat & eat and cook & eat. By distribution channel, the market is fragmented into online, hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, and others. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.
As per the meal kit market forecast, depending on meal type, the non-vegetarian segment is expected to sustain its dominance during the forecast period. The non-vegetarian segment accounted for 68.5% of the meal kit market share in 2021. This dominance is attributed to the presence of proteins, minerals, and vitamins such as A, B6, B12, niacin, and thiamine in meat, that is making it appealing to consumers.
As per the meal kit market trends, on the basis of offering type, the cook-and-eat segment is expected to be the dominant segment during the forecast period. The cook-and-eat segment garnered revenue of around $5,568.6 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast period. The segment is expected to grow owing to the popularity of gourmet-style, home-cooking among youngsters.
Based on the distribution channel, the online segment dominated the market with a 60.2% market share of the global meal kit market in 2021 and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The segment accounts for the major share since the online sales channel has increased consumer reach owing to which it has evolved as a key source of revenue for many companies.
Region-wise, the meal kit market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America dominated the market in 2021, garnering a market share of 43.7% followed by Europe with a 23.5% share. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period, owing to the surge in the number of time-poor consumers coupled with rising disposable income in the region. Region-wise, the Asia-Pacific meal kit market is expected to witness a CAGR of 16.8% owing to the convenience and freshness offered by meal kits.
The major players operating in the global meal kit industry are Blue Apron, LLC., Daily Harvest, Fresh n' Lean, Global Belly, Gobble, Gousto, HelloFresh, Hungryroot, Marley Spoon AG, Nestle Group, Oisix ra Daichi Inc., Pruvit Ventures, Inc., Snap Kitchen, LLC., The Kroger Co., and Yumble. These market players are constantly engaged in various developmental strategies such as acquisitions, mergers, and product launches to exploit meal kit market opportunities and gain market share.
Key Benefits For Stakeholders
By Meal Type
By Offering Type
By Distribution Channel
By Region