The meal kit industry is booming. In fact, the meal kit industry’s revenue is projected to grow to over $10 billion in 2020 according to Statista. With that kind of rapid growth, you’ll undoubtedly be seeing HelloFresh and Blue Apron packages show up in your mailroom more frequently. And here’s the thing: no facility that caters to a younger demographic is immune. Is your building ready?

Renters love meal kits

If your building residents are mostly young professionals, consider this: Millennials and Gen-X’ers are 321% more likely to purchase meal kits than older generations. While it might look like the younger crowd is just jumping on yet another convenience-driven bandwagon that’ll be a passing trend, meal kits are here to stay.

Meal kits are quick to prepare and include healthy, pre-portioned ingredients. For your tenants who have trouble getting a moment’s rest between meetings, don’t have extra time to grocery shop, or are just trying to keep up with a whirlwind social life, meal kits are a great alternative to take-out.

Since Millennials make up such a large portion of today’s renters, making facility upgrades to accommodate the burgeoning meal kit trend will help you attract and retain desirable tenants. Plus, some of your renters are probably meal kit enthusiasts already!

Challenges of meal kit deliveries

If at this point you’re thinking to yourself, “Can’t I just handle meal kits just like any other package?” Well… yes and no. Meal kit delivery brings its own set of unique challenges.

  • Refrigeration is required – no one wants food going bad in their workspace!
  • Immediately notifying recipient is a must
  • Tenants can forget to cancel kit deliveries while they’re away

Since staff has to spend so much extra time and care handling perishable deliveries, refrigerated lockers can be just the ticket for a smoother process.

Refrigerated lockers

If you’re interested in making meal kit and grocery delivery easier for your staff and residents, refrigerated lockers are a perfect solution. Not only do refrigerated smart lockers keep meal kits cool, but they allow residents 24/7 access to their delivery. Also, the staff doesn’t have to handle the parcels at all.

Using refrigerated lockers is a breeze, and it’s completely hands-off for facility staff. Each system might operate a little differently, but the process usually looks something like this: a courier simply scans a barcode, chooses a locker size and type, and delivers the package into a locker. The resident is automatically notified that their meal or package is ready for pickup. Simple and cost-effective.

What does your meal kit delivery solution look like? Let us know in the comments!

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Smiota’s refrigerated smart lockers are an optional part of our PoD system. All the PoDs take to operate is two 12V outlets and a WiFi or cellular connection. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us to set up a time to chat.

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