Blue Apron stock has lost nearly 80 percent of its value since going public.
And Inc. reporter Zoe Henry told Cheddar that, if the meal-kit company wants to compete in an increasingly crowded space, it has to funnel more money into its marketing strategy and serve more niche audiences.
“Maybe they need to be offering different types of meals. Maybe vegan, maybe vegetarian, or sourced-locally,” she said Friday. “They need to do a little bit more of what the Sun Baskets of the world are doing.”
Shares of Blue Apron rebounded slightly Friday, after news Weight Watchers is entering the space sent them plunging more than 16 percent a day earlier.
And that’s just the latest blow. If the myriad of pure-play companies in field -- from Sun Basket to HelloFresh to Purple Carrot -- weren’t enough, earlier in the week even Walmart announced plans to offer meal-prep kits.
Competition from lower-priced rivals like that could be a real problem for the company.
“New York and San Francisco yuppies could only take you so far, so we’re going to need to expand beyond the upper middle class millennial market,” she said. “Try telling a mom of four in Barlow, Ohio, that she needs to spend however much a month on Blue Apron, when she could just run to Walgreens or the dollar store and buy cheaper products for dinner that night.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/blue-apron-stock-hits-record-low-with-weight-watchers-announcement).
What to Know About Open Enrollment
A flow of recent data from the U.S. government has made one thing strikingly clear: A surge in consumer spending is fueling strong growth, demonstrating a resilience that has confounded economists, Federal Reserve officials and even the sour sentiments that Americans themselves have expressed in opinion polls.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and caregivers not to buy or serve certain pureed fruit pouches marketed to toddlers and young children because the food might contain dangerous levels of lead.
Some pumpkin farmers in the West, particularly wholesalers in places like Colorado and New Mexico, are feeling the pinching effects of drought.
General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have reached a tentative contract agreement that could end a six-week-old strike against Detroit automakers, three people briefed on the deal said.
Apple's 8pm ET event Monday will revolve around its iMAC computer lineup of products which are expected to contain its new faster and three next-generation silicon chip.
McDonald's reported better-than-expected profit and sales in the third quarter.
Major stock indexes are slated to close lower this month as investors brace for the Federal Reserve's rate decision and ahead of new jobs data.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert and specifically mentioned 26 eye drop products from a number of brands.
Workers at a number of pharmacy chains nationwide were planning a walkout Monday and going through Wednesday.
