NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blue Apron (Nasdaq: APRN), the pioneer of the meal kit industry in the United States, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Wonder Group, a company founded by entrepreneur Marc Lore that is redefining at-home dining and food delivery.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Blue Apron’s Board of Directors, Blue Apron stockholders will be entitled to receive $13.00 in cash per share of Class A common stock through a tender offer, representing an equity value of approximately $103 million. The per share purchase price represents a 137% premium to the September 28, 2023 closing price and a 77% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s Class A common stock.
Wonder’s acquisition of Blue Apron is expected to create a leading platform for mealtime, enhancing mealtime with choice, flexibility and convenience through two exceptional brands. The combination is expected to enhance both companies’ abilities to deliver chef-curated meals with high-quality ingredients to more customers across the country, solving for additional meal moments throughout the week. Following the close of this transaction, Wonder plans to continue Blue Apron’s current operations serving customers nationwide under the Blue Apron brand, with expected new synergies between consumer-facing apps and delivery logistics.
“By joining forces with Wonder, we continue to realize our vision of Better Living Through Better Food, and support how families and loved ones come together over food,” said Blue Apron President and Chief Executive Officer, Linda Findley. “Wonder and Blue Apron deliver high-quality, chef-curated meals, making this a great match to offer more incredible mealtime experiences. The Blue Apron brand and products that our customers know and love will stay the same, with more opportunity for product expansion in the future. Further, the transaction delivers immediate and certain value for Blue Apron stockholders at a significant premium over recent trading prices.”
“Wonder is creating the mealtime super app, serving a broad range of occasions that feature cuisines from some of the world’s best chefs and restaurants while leveraging our culinary engineering and vertically-integrated model,” said Wonder Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Marc Lore. “At-home meals play a key role in this vision and have been on our strategic roadmap since the beginning. When the opportunity presented itself to unite with Blue Apron, pioneers in the meal kit industry, we knew it would accelerate our strategic position, create immediate opportunities for synergy and most importantly, enable us to further delight customers by expanding the ways you can access and experience Wonder. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Blue Apron to the Wonder platform and look forward to working with Linda and her exceptional team.”
Following Blue Apron’s shift to an asset light business, as a result of the sale of its operational infrastructure and strategic partnership with FreshRealm, which will continue, the Company received a proposal from Wonder. This proposal, along with others, were considered as part of a thorough strategic review process led by Blue Apron’s Board of Directors. Further details of the transaction and background on the transaction process will be included in the Company’s Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer.
Terms of the Agreement
Under the terms of the merger agreement, Wonder will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for a purchase price of $13.00 per share in cash.
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The closing of the transaction is not subject to any financing conditions or regulatory approvals, and Wonder has fully committed financing already on its balance sheet sufficient to fund the closing of the transaction. Following the successful closing of the tender offer, Wonder will acquire any remaining shares of Blue Apron that are not tendered in the tender offer through a second-step merger at the same consideration per share paid in the tender offer.
The Company’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that Blue Apron’s stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer. FreshRealm, Inc., which beneficially owns approximately 16.5% of Blue Apron’s outstanding shares of Class A common stock, has agreed to exercise its warrant as part of the transaction and then tender its shares in the tender offer in accordance with the terms of the tender and support agreement, and has waived applicable termination rights it has under the production and fulfillment agreement between FreshRealm and Blue Apron in connection with the transaction.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP is acting as legal counsel to Blue Apron. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Fenwick & West LLP is acting as legal counsel to Wonder.
Third Quarter 2023 Results
The Company will release its third quarter 2023 results before the market opens on Thursday, November 9, 2023. Given this transaction announcement, Blue Apron will not conduct an earnings conference call or provide financial guidance in conjunction with its third quarter 2023 results.
About Blue Apron
Blue Apron’s vision is Better Living Through Better Food™. Launched in 2012, Blue Apron offers fresh, chef-designed meals that empower home cooks to embrace their culinary curiosity, challenge their abilities in the kitchen and see what a difference cooking quality food can make in their lives. Blue Apron is focused on bringing incredible recipes to its customers, deepening its commitment to its employees, continuing to reduce food and packaging waste, and addressing its carbon impact. Visit www.blueapron.com to learn more.
About Wonder Group
Wonder is revolutionizing the food industry by creating the mealtime super app, operating a collection of vertically-integrated, delivery-first restaurants and pioneering a new category of “Fast Fine” dining. Featuring some of the world’s best chefs including Bobby Flay, Jose Andres, Nancy Silverton, Michael Symon, Marcus Samuelsson and others, along with award-winning restaurants from across the country including Tejas Barbeque, Di Fara Pizza, Barrio Cafe, Maydan and more, customers can experience any combination of these chefs and restaurants all together in one order for the first time. Everything is made-to-order in a Wonder location and delivered to your door by a Wonder courier, or available for pick-up and dine-in as well. Wonder brings an elevated, curated dining experience to you every time.
