Known for vitamin packs and protein powders, GNC is expanding its reach in the realm of fresh food with the national rollout of its partnership with meal delivery service RealEats.
GNC’s Ventures division first teamed up with RealEats in July 2021, piloting the service in a handful of markets including Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Florida, and later Texas and New York. Now RealEats will be available to GNC customers, both in stores and online, throughout the contiguous U.S.
RealEats’ weekly meal delivery service features seasonal dishes that incorporate fresh, local ingredients and are designed to be both sustainable and nutritionally dense. GNC’s offering includes exclusive meal bundles with options for consumers with varying dietary preferences such as meat-free or lower-calorie offerings.
“Helping consumers Live Well is a holistic mission and our partnership with RealEats has enabled us to offer complete nutrition and wellness solutions,” said Nate Frazier, COO of GNC in a statement. “Since launching RealEats, consumers have continued to gravitate toward convenient health and wellness solutions that fit their lifestyle. And now with our growing partnership, more people will have access to easy, healthy, personalized meals to help achieve their goals at home or on the road.”
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GNC isn’t the only retailer to see heat-and-eat kits like those offered by RealEats and other types of meal kit companies as an avenue for growth, particularly as the consumer trend toward home cooking looks like it’s sticking even as the impact of the pandemic wanes. The global meal kit delivery services market was valued at $15.21 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $28.89 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research.
One of the leaders in meal kits in the U.S., Blue Apron, just announced a new partnership with Walmart, and Chinese rapid grocery delivery chain Missfresh sees meal kits as a key component of its future growth, highlighting the global nature of the trend.
