BOISE, IDAHO — Albertsons Companies, Inc. has acquired Plated, a New York-based meal kit service. The transaction paves the way for Albertsons to advance its strategy of focusing on innovation, personalization and customization, and opens the door for Plated to become the first omnichannel meal kit offering with national scale.

Bob Miller, chairman and CEo of Albertsons Companies

“Today’s consumer is looking for a variety of personalized shopping alternatives, and this transaction is the latest example of Albertsons Companies meeting our customers wherever and however they like to shop,” said Bob Miller, chairman and CEO of Albertsons. “With Plated, we’ve found a partner who shares our commitment to delicious, affordable food; superior technology and innovation; and world class customer service. Plated knows its customers better than anyone, and together we will accelerate our ability to serve them. We are excited to offer our customers more on-line options and fresh, quality ingredients along with distinctive recipes at their doorstep or through traditional shopping trips.”

The companies said Plated will benefit from Albertsons’ resources and national reach — the grocery retailer has more than 2,300 stores across the United States. The partnership also will enable Plated to expand beyond its existing subscription model by offering meal kits at many store locations, across digital channels and through a variety of distribution options.

Josh Hix, co-founder and CEO of Plated

“Joining Albertsons Companies presents an amazing opportunity to accelerate our positive impact on the future of food in America by making fresh, delicious food more widely available,” said Josh Hix, co-founder and CEO of Plated. “Albertsons Companies is at the forefront of the changing food and grocery landscape with their customer obsession, their large national store footprint, and their exciting plans for the future of the grocery store. We’re excited to be partnering with them to shepherd our growth while preserving the unique strengths that define Plated today. There’s tremendous upside for Plated’s customers whose experience with our brand will only get better. As meal kits continue to gain traction in the marketplace, we believe the winning formula combines choice, flexibility, culinary expertise and the ability for customers to buy across channels — all of which we are now singularly positioned to deliver in collaboration with Albertsons Companies.”

Albertsons is joining a fast-growing meal kit market. In August, Amazon filed a trademark application for meal kits, and earlier this year Kroger launched prepared meal kits under the name Prep+Pared in the Cincinnati area.