Kroger's Home Chef to Entice New Customers With Frequent Flyer Miles

The Kroger Co.'s meal kit service Home Chef is offering United Airlines’ MileagePlus members frequent flyer miles for signing up for the service and making their first purchase as part of a new multiyear partnership with loyalty commerce company Points. 

Company officials hinted that other opportunities with customers' chosen loyalty points or miles may be available in the future. 

Rich DeNardis, chief revenue officer for Home Chef, said the partnership will offer "the ability to seamlessly introduce our leading meal delivery service to millions of loyalty program members," while the Points introduction provides a huge customer acquisition opportunity. 

Points President Christopher Barnard said the program will offer a "proven and compelling incentive that helps its customers get more out of their service" and is an engaging and profitable strategy for leading loyalty program partners such as United Airlines. 

The move comes after Kroger's recent initiative to add new meal kit options to its Home Chef line, such as oven-ready options, lunch kits and and the company's first ready-to-heat products.

The Cincinnati-based retailer purchased the company in May 2018 soon after Albertsons got the ball rolling with the acquisition of Home Chef's meal kit competitor Plated.