Amazon launches meal kit delivery in latest grocery foray

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In its continuing push to dominate the grocery industry, Amazon now appears to be delivering meal kits to some customers, potentially threatening established companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, according to multiple reports.

Amazon registered a trademark in the U.S. earlier this month for a service called “We do the prep. You be the chef” — a prepared meal-kit delivery service that comes ready to assemble, according to a report by The Sunday Times, a British newspaper.

The trademark, filed on July 6, was posted in a report by TheVerge.com, and can be viewed here.

The filing outlines a business proposal that says the service would include “prepared food kits composed of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, fruit and/or and vegetables” and a list of other ingredients that would be ready-to-assemble upon delivery.

A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment on the trademark filing and about any plans to deliver meal kits.

The move comes just weeks after Amazon’s purchase of the supermarket chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion.

A selection of Amazon Meal Kits appear to already be available on the company’s website.

However, an Amazon Prime customer in Seattle told GeekWire.com that he had purchased and tested Amazon’s new meal kit serviceroughly two weeks ago.

And, according to a report by TheVerge.com, the meal kits range from $16 to $20 per kit — coming out to about $8 to $10 per serving.

The tech news outlet also reported that Amazon currently appears to have 17 meals available, including “Steak Au Poivre,” “Tacos al Pastor with Pork,” and “Roasted Cod with Cannellini Bean Ragout & Pesto.”

By Noah Cohen