Kroger, Home Chef Light Up the Small Screen

In what appears to be a first of its kind deal in the grocery meal kit space, Home Chef and NBC’s Peacock have teamed up to offer $60 off Home Chef, plus one month of Peacock Premium to households who sign up for Home Chef before Nov. 30.

Home Chef is the meal kit brand run as a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., offering direct-to-consumer subscriptions for home delivery as well as a variety of meal solutions, including traditional meal kits, oven-ready dinners and ready-to-heat meals at Kroger stores. 

“The Home Chef and Peacock Premium partnership is a natural fit during these unprecedented times when more people are staying home to enjoy dinner while streaming their favorite shows,” Shane Smith, VP of paid media for Home Chef, told WGB in an email. “NBC’s new streaming service Peacock has a universal appeal which we knew would be an extremely meaningful and relevant offering that we are proud to bring our customers. We could not believe this type of streaming service partnership had never been done before within the meal kit industry.”   

The innovative partnership comes at a competitive and rapidly evolving time in the meal kit space. Nestle recently acquired Freshly in an effort to help the fresh-prepared meal delivery service reach its goal of being in every household in the U.S., the company said in a release. The Berlin-based HelloFresh Group said its revenues worldwide were up by more than 120% in its fiscal third quarter, achieving an all-time high of 5 million active customers globally, up 91% as compared to the same period last year. And while recent operational setbacks have tempered what looked like would be a triumphant return for Blue Apron, the company also reported Q3 sales increases.

Home Chef is seeking to carve out growth from its Kroger and Peacock partnerships, as well as constantly expanding offerings. Just in time for the cold weather, Home Chef Heat & Eat Soups and Sicilian-Style Pizzas are now available at approximately 2,000 Kroger grocery stores in the U.S. From classic Chicken Noodle to Thai Style Chicken Coconut Curry, the Heat & Eat line includes seven new soup flavors available in Kroger stores nationwide, priced from $4.99. The Sicilian-Style Pizza line features premium toppings like sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Home Chef’s Heat & Eat Pizzas are 10 inches and start at $5.99.

“With so many more meals being eaten at home these days, cooking is becoming overwhelming for home cooks,” said Home Chef founder and CEO Pat Vihtelic in a statement. “At Home Chef we are always listening to customer feedback and these new meal options bring the convenience and simplicity that a lot of overburdened families and individuals need when it comes time to answer the daily question of ‘What’s for dinner?’ ”

As the pandemic continues and further shelter-at-home measures are encouraged, consumers are not only looking to eat at home, but to find new sources of entertainment at home. The Home Chef and Peacock partnership seeks to satisfy increased demand for both.

“This also represents the forward-thinking partnerships Home Chef has become known for and is part of a broader omnichannel strategy designed to reach new customers through different media channels,” added Smith. “We are consistently seeking new ways to connect with households looking to redefine dinnertime.”