Following its launch in Belgium, Simply You Box is coming to Luxembourg: the provider of meal boxes with recipe cards should launch its Luxembourg website in a few days, at the beginning of August, manager Charles Van den Bogaert told Paperjam.
"We are in the first chapter of a long story in Luxembourg", says the country manager Belux. Initially, the meal boxes ordered in the Grand Duchy will be prepared and delivered from Belgium. But this subsidiary of the Carrefour group intends to establish contacts with local suppliers and then propose a more specific offer with local ingredients.
We are entering a new market that is less evangelised in relation to the box.
Two players already in the Luxembourg market
"This is a first step into the international arena for Simply You Box, we are entering a new market that is less evangelised in relation to the box delivery. We are going to analyse the first few months of activity and then adapt our offer accordingly," Van den Bogaert explains.
Food box deliveries have become increasingly popular because they are marketed at customers who want to save time, find inspiration and save money by receiving the exact quantity of each ingredient required to make the supplier's recipe. In Luxembourg, Simply You Box is entering a market already occupied by local player Foodbox and the Belgian subsidiary of the German market giant, HelloFresh.
The former is promoting specific boxes with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menus, but also menu formats adapted to single people. The latter offers a subscription-based service with offers ranging from quick-to-prepare meals to family packages.
Simply You Box, on the other hand, requires no subscription, and is also promoting itself as being value for money. "Our customers tell us that we are a little less expensive, with fairly large portions," says the country manager. Customers pay €43.50 for a box of three meals for two people and up to €109.50 for five meals for five people.
A partnership with Carrefour
Simply You Box has been operating in Belgium since the beginning of this year. In six months, the service claims to have delivered more than 500,000 boxes representing one million meals in the country. In 2020, the service was an integral part of the Belgian subsidiary of Carrefour, which then sold it to start-up Quitoque. The latter continues to collaborate with the French retail giant, for example for its supply chain.
In Luxembourg, Simply You Box initially plans to deliver to customers' homes once a week, in collaboration with its carrier, which operates in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The operator also offers parcel collection in one of the country's three Carrefour Express shops located on Avenue de la Gare, in Kirchberg and Esch-sur-Alzette.
Although he has not disclosed the figures for the Luxembourg market, Van den Bogaert reveals that the Belgian market is set to double its activity this year compared to 2020. With 56% growth achieved in the first half of this year this target seems to be on track. "The months of September, October and November will be crucial,” Van den Bogaert notes.
This article on Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.