Meal kit companies are facing challenging times, new entrants in the space and higher churn rates. But Chicago-based meal kit startup Tovala is trying to compete by offering discounted steam ovens in addition to the prepared food itself, and all to help customers commit to its meal kit subscriptions. According to Lauren Fink, Tovala's vice president of marketing, the offering could become a platform for brands and chefs alike — and it follows a trend of software and hardware combining in the food space.  Read More...

Home delivery of fresh grocery products is not entirely new. Milkmen used to deliver fresh milk to households across America, back before homes had refrigerators. With suburban sprawl, households became further apart and consumers started using their cars to take milk and other grocery items home from the modern supermarket — thus replacing the concept of the milkman. Now, consumers are getting home deliveries of groceries — including milk — with services like AmazonFresh, Deliv and Shipt, and in a cost-effective manner.  Read More...

With Valentine’s Day only a day away, many singles may have likely glanced at their Alexa-powered devices and wondered, at least once, why — with all the other things she can do — she is not more useful in helping users find love. As it turns out, though, that was almost the plan for 2018. Match.com previously wanted to turn Alexa into the digital wingwoman people needed. There was just one small thing that stood in the way: She gave really bad dating advice. This time around, Match.com clearly thinks the same way about AI as it thinks about love. If at first you don’t succeed…   Read More...