In the bustling world of meal kit delivery services, Blue Apron and HelloFresh have become household names. As these two giants continue to compete for market dominance, their recent performances offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolving landscape of home dining.

Our latest analysis compares these two popular mealkits based on analysis on our report Food Delivery Report Spring 2024 which dives deep into their app usability, service quality, and product quality, revealing key insights into their customer experiences. When we mention the industry average in this blog post, it includes the performance of other apps featured in the report, such as Factor_, EveryPlate, GreenChef, Chef’s Plate, Sunbasket, Dinnerly, Home Chef, Goldbelly, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, and Snap Kitchen.

App Usability – Winner: Blue Apron

Imagine settling in after a long day, ready to select your next week’s meals, only to be met with a clunky app that tests your patience. For many, this is the reality with HelloFresh. With only 30% positive reviews, HelloFresh’s app usability leaves much to be desired. Users frequently express frustration over its inefficiency and lack of user-friendliness. In contrast, Blue Apron shines in this area, boasting a commendable 59% positive sentiment. The app is praised for its intuitive design and seamless navigation, making meal planning a breeze. Blue Apron stands out as a leader in digital user experience, while HelloFresh lags.

Service Quality – Winner: Blue Apron

Service quality is where both Blue Apron and HelloFresh stumble. The sentiment tells a similar story: Blue Apron holds a 42% positive rate, while HelloFresh lags at 32%, but both are below the industry average of 33%. Reviews indicate several common pain points in service quality across both platforms.

Service Quality Struggles for Both Apps

The main problems in service quality were billing and refund problems (38%), service and delivery problems (33%), and cancellation and subscription issues (28%). Reviews in the billing and refund category highlight issues such as billing errors, unauthorized charges, difficulties obtaining refunds, and general dissatisfaction with the financial handling of subscriptions. These types of issues could have been mitigated with contact center performance management software to track and address customer concerns promptly. Service and delivery complaints primarily concern the quality and punctuality of the service, including late deliveries, poor meal quality, and inconsistent service. Cancellation and subscription issues focus on the difficulties users face when trying to cancel their subscriptions, along with complaints about the overall inferior quality of service and the subscription model.

 Product Quality – Tie

When it comes to product quality, Blue Apron and HelloFresh are neck and neck. Sentiment rates further underscore this closeness, with Blue Apron achieving 82% positive reviews and HelloFresh at 79%. Customers appreciate the fresh ingredients and diverse recipes offered by both services. Despite their challenges in service quality, the core product—delicious, home-cooked meals—remains a strong selling point.

Overall oCX Scores

Looking at the big picture, Blue Apron emerges as the stronger performer with an overall oCX score of 27. HelloFresh follows with a score of 20, among the 12 meal kit apps featured in our report, Blue Apron ranks 4th, while HelloFresh is close behind in 5th place.

 Key Takeaways

• Overall Customer Experience: Blue Apron delivers a better customer experience, excelling in app usability and service quality, and closely matching HelloFresh in product quality. Blue Apron’s general oCX score is also superior.
• Service Quality Challenges: Despite Blue Apron performing better than HelloFresh in service quality, both are below the industry average. The main issues include billing and refund problems, service and delivery complaints, and difficulties with cancellation and subscriptions.
• Positive Sentiment in Product Quality: Both Blue Apron and HelloFresh receive high positive sentiment rates for product quality, with Blue Apron at 82% and HelloFresh at 79%, indicating strong customer satisfaction with the meals themselves.

The Road Ahead

As Blue Apron enhances its service offerings and HelloFresh continues to expand its menu options, the landscape of meal kit delivery services is poised for exciting developments. These companies are not just competing with each other but also striving to set new standards in the industry. For consumers, this means more choices, better services, and a more satisfying dining experience at home.

For a more detailed analysis, feature requests from meal kit delivery app users, and the full ranking of all meal kit delivery apps, you can download our report here.