HelloFresh group revenue fell to around €1.5 billion in the second quarter of 2026, down from €1.7 billion a year earlier, as it faced fewer orders.

Orders volumes dropped to 21.8 million, compared with 25.3 million in the same period last year.

The meal kit company stressed it focused on improving profits rather than chasing short-term growth. And the fall was expected, as it reflected its decision to spend less on marketing and focus on customers who are more likely to order regularly and spend more.

Its meal kit and ready-to-eat divisions both saw sales decline, while newer areas such as premium meat, seafood and pet food continued to grow.

The group made adjusted earnings of €120.6 million in the quarter, down from €158.5 million last year. For the first half of the year, free cash flow fell to €49.4 million from €156.4 million.

HelloFresh said average order value rose to €71.00, helped by product changes, more add-ons and a higher share of premium recipes.

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Dominik Richter, CEO and co-founder of HelloFresh, said: “Our product work is clearly landing with the customers who know us best – order rates and basket sizes are moving in the right direction across our tenured base.

“For new customer acquisition, we are taking a measured, strategic and data-driven approach in the current consumer landscape, but we remain encouraged by our financial resilience.

“Our margins have remained robust throughout the first half of the year, with our Meal Kits business continuing to deliver industry-leading profitability for the FMCG sector, and RTE margin improving vs. H1 2025.”

The business said customers were responding well to its “Refresh” programme, which is designed to improve its product offer and encourage existing customers to order more often.

HelloFresh added that its cost-saving programme remains on track, with most of the planned measures already in place by the end of June.