Is Amazon Preparing to Broil Blue Apron?

July 17, 2017 by Paul Ausick

Following a report this morning that Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has filed a trademark application on a phrase that refers to prepared food kits, shares of Blue Apron Holdings. Inc. (NYSE: APRN) tumbled as much as 12% to $6.51, — 35% below the company’s initial public offering (IPO) price of $10.

Blue Apron’s IPO came just a few day after Amazon announced its agreement to acquire Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) for $13.7 billion.

Amazon filed a trademark application on the phrase: “We do the prep, you be the chef.” The e-commerce giant said the phrase covers “Prepared food kits composed of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, fruit and/or and vegetables and also including sauces or seasonings, ready for cooking and assembly as a meal,” according to a report at MarketWatch.

Amazon’s massive customer base, including some 85 million Amazon Prime subscribers, could punch a serious hole in the plans of Blue Apron and other startups seeking to play in the meal delivery business.

The big problem is customer acquisition costs. It’s a marketing truism that keeping a customer you already have is much cheaper than drumming up new ones. And while Blue Apron reported in its IPO filings that it had 1 million subscribers averaging just over 4 orders each, the average order value fell from $59.28 in the first quarter of 2016 to $57.23 in the first quarter of 2017.

Now that Amazon appears poised to enter the meal-kit market, Blue Apron faces a truly formidable challenge. It’s worth noting, however, that companies frequently file for trademarks they have no intention of using, either because they changed their mind or because it was just a nuisance filing aimed at keeping a competitor away from the golden words.

Blue Apron’s stock price has recovered a bit, trading down 10.6% at $6.58 at the noon hour Monday. The stock’s post-IPO range is $6.51 to $11.00.

Sponsored: Attention Savvy Investors: Speak to 3 Financial Experts – FREE

Ever wanted an extra set of eyes on an investment you’re considering? Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply
clicking here
you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help guide you through the financial decisions you’re making. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.


Click here
to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.