Walmart Meal Subscriptions Debut with Big Menu

The new Walmart meal subscription service officially debuted this week with what looks like a more expansive menu than a fair number of its competitors.

Walmart’s menu of pre-portioned meal kits already includes 30 different choices, with prices ranging from $8 to about $10 per plate, depending on which dish you order.

These prices are generally comparable to competing services from Amazon, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Peach Dish, Plated, Purple Carrot, and Sun Basket.

Dinner for Four

One drawback to Walmart’s offering isn’t unique in the category: You are currently limited to ordering for at least four people at a time, although most other subscription services also have minimums — although in many cases it’s two people at a time.

While people who live alone may balk at this limitation, it would seem to encourage people to host dinners for guests or go in on a subscription with neighbors.

Meanwhile, Walmart’s menu options change weekly on Tuesdays, a frequency that’s generally similar to a lot of competitors, although not necessarily with respect to the day of the week that things change.

Some of the most recent menu items have been Thai crab curry with jasmine rice and Spanish paella. There are many other diverse meal options as well, including gluten-free meal options.

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Walmart Meal Subscription Availability

A preview version of Walmart’s pre-portioned meal delivery service actually appeared at a few stores in December, this week the company made it available at 250 stores and says it will be available at 2,000 U.S. stores by year end.

The meal kits are also available for pickup if you order them on Walmart’s website — and this doesn’t require you to commit to a subscription — enabling you to taste test things first.

Walmart has made all of this possible through partnerships with other brands to create its meal kits. So far, two companies, Takeout Kit and Home Chef handle the Walmart meal subscription service — from filling the order to shipping.

Supplies Remain Limited

However, this hasn’t freed Walmart from the possibility of running out of the product — something that’s by no means unique to the category. Walmart has reportedly already sold out of some of the more popular items in its first week.

Walmart has promised that once the service rolls out more broadly, it will enable people to have items shipped just about anywhere in the U.S. If Walmart can do this seven days a week, that would give it an advantage over competitors that may limit deliveries to certain days of the week.

As for how Walmart’s menu tastes — and whether it’s any better than what you get from Amazon, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Peach Dish, Plated, Purple Carrot, and Sun Basket — stay tuned.

Readers, have you tried out any meal delivery subscriptions and if so, which ones? What’s your opinion of this category?

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James Hendrickson

James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, digital publishing junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.