Crafting the Perfect Meal Prep Menu: Shopify Apps for Pick-Your-Own Subscriptions
Building a 'Pick Your Own' Meal Prep Menu on Shopify: What's the Best App?
Hey everyone! I was browsing the Shopify Community forums the other day and stumbled upon a really interesting question from a store owner, MuscleEats, who's starting a meal prep business. They were looking for the best way to let customers build their own weekly meal plans directly on their Shopify store, with a minimum order and recurring subscription.
It's a great question because offering that level of customization can be a huge selling point for meal prep businesses. Customers love having control over what they eat! So, let's dive into the solutions that the community offered and figure out the best approach.
The Challenge: Flexible Bundles and Recurring Subscriptions
MuscleEats outlined their specific needs really clearly:
- Customers need to be able to mix and match meals from a menu of about 15 options.
- They should be able to pay for their selections as a bundle.
- It needs to be a recurring weekly subscription, ideally with a minimum of 5 meals per week.
Shopify's native features don't quite cover all of that, so we need to look at apps or custom development.
Community Solutions: Apps and Custom Development
Several community members chimed in with suggestions, and it's great to see the different angles people take!
App Recommendations
Christinebeauty suggested BOGOS: Free Gift Bundle Upsell, highlighting its bundle builder capabilities. The example they shared of a meal prep store using the app is super helpful:
They also suggested reaching out to BOGOS support for integration with a subscription app like Appstle, which is a smart move to get the recurring part working smoothly.
Galico-Digital mentioned the official Shopify Subscriptions app. While this is a solid option for general subscriptions, it might need some extra customization to achieve the specific "pick your own" functionality.
JoeTsaiJTDL from JTDL recommended their JTDL: Bundles & Discounts app. What's cool is that they specifically mentioned experience with meal prep businesses and offered a tailored solution for weekly subscriptions, including a custom customer portal for meal selection. That sounds pretty comprehensive!
Mix & Match Meal Selection – Customers can freely choose their preferred meals directly on your Shopify store.
Bundle Pricing – Meals can be grouped and paid for as a bundle using fixed or discounted pricing logic.
Recurring Weekly Subscription – We can implement a tailored solution weekly subscription model with a minimum of 5 meals per week.
Custom UI Solution
Shadab_dev mentioned they had built a UI for something similar, showcasing a "bundled discounted collection product" on their test store. While it didn't have dynamic pricing yet, they suggested it could be implemented. This highlights the option of a more custom-built solution, which could be perfect if you have specific design or functionality requirements.
Here is a link to Shadab's test store: shadabs-online-store.myshopify.com
Password: reafur
So, What's the Best Approach?
Based on the community discussion, here's a breakdown of how to tackle this:
- Evaluate Bundle Apps: Start by exploring apps like BOGOS and JTDL. See if their features align with your needs and if they offer integrations with subscription apps.
- Consider Custom Development: If you need a highly customized experience, consider hiring a developer to build a custom UI or modify an existing app.
- Subscription App Integration: Make sure your chosen bundle solution integrates seamlessly with a subscription app to handle recurring payments and order management.
- Customer Portal: For a truly user-friendly experience, consider a custom customer portal where customers can easily manage their subscriptions, meal selections, and preferences.
Ultimately, the best app or solution will depend on your specific requirements, budget, and technical expertise. Don't be afraid to reach out to app developers or Shopify experts for personalized recommendations!
It's awesome to see the Shopify community come together to help each other out. Hopefully, this breakdown helps MuscleEats (and anyone else tackling a similar challenge) find the perfect solution for their meal prep business!