Grocerant

Baskin-Robbins Expands Brands Consumer Relevance

2013-05-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

Restaurant chains witnessing customer migration are taking steps to extend brand relevance, edifying restaurant unit sales with a stronger brand presence while simultaneously expanding into non-traditional points of distribution. Baskin-Robbins is just the latest company properly tracking its core consumer and announcing that it is rolling out a new line of “shelf stable sherbet flavored freezer bars” they will initially be sold at retailers the ilk of CVS/pharmacy, Dollar General, Rite Aid, and Walgreens.

Baskin-Robbins parent company Dunkin’ Donuts has long sold packages of its coffee in supermarkets that consumers can buy and then use to brew coffee at home. However to enjoy a frozen treat from Baskin-Robbins treat has generally meant a trip to a Baskin-Robbins store. Not any more soon Sherbet Flavored Freezer Bars will be available at many retailers, and that means that Baskin-Robbins products will be exposed to a wider audience.

A box of the new product (pictured above) contains 12 Sherbet Flavored Freezer Bars, and the box has a suggested retail price of $2.99 to $3.49, Baskin-Robbins said. John Fassak, vice president of business development for Dunkin’ Brands, stated “We look forward to introducing the Baskin-Robbins brand to even more people across the US and giving our existing guests yet another way to enjoy our wide array of ice cream flavors and frozen treats,”.

Baskin-Robbins understands that increasing brand value means increasing opportunity to buy, focusing on share of stomach, the value of the brand in an Omni-channel retail world.

While some franchisee may be concerned about the value of the brand being diminished they should not be concerned for long. Each CPG item sold edifies the brand and extends the brands value. This is a good retail strategy. This Omni-channel strategy will build additional awareness and traction that will ultimately benefit franchisees.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy. Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Food Providing Leadership Globally

2013-05-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Food consumer customer migration continues to drive the evolution of retail food sales around the world. Grocerant Guru, Steven Johnson of Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions stated “consumer commonalities driving ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant niche filled with fresh prepared food have a global appeal and continue driving change in Share of Stomach purchases evolving the retail food space”.

In the Netherlands with on-going economic weakness it is no surprise to us that “convenient, easy to prepare Ready Meals are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular category in the sector, with value and volume shares of 69.4% and 69.7% respectively for 2012. This popularity looks to continue over the next five years, as the category grows ahead of the sector in terms of both value and volume, at a CAGR of 2.7% and 3.3% respectively to 2017.”

This month we have been to or noted success of Jaya the Grocer in Malaysia, Coles in Australia, Pueblo, Ralphs and SuperMax in Puerto Rico, and Walgreens in the United States, there is no doubt that the growth of the grocerant niche is a trend not a fad.

Legacy food retailers including restaurants, grocery stores and C-stores are now paying attention to this fast evolving consumer focused migration wondering what to do. Well, we know what works best in every sector and can assist you in edifying your brand for success. Is your company evolving with contemporized consumer relevance as fast as the consumer?

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Outback Steakhouse at Home

2013-05-22T02:21:00.000-07:00

The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food niche growth continues to outpace all other sectors of retail foodservice. Restaurants today need to become good food merchants; not just restaurateurs serving one meal a person in store at a time. Outback Steakhouse has edified consumer relevance with its “Curbside Take-Away and Online Ordering”.

Time-starved, quality focused, consumers want Outback's convenient Curbside Take-Away® Online Ordering. Integrating ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat options that are as easy as point, click, and eat or in Outback’s case head to your local Outback and pick up your favorite items make life easy. That is a win for Outback and a win for consumers.

Restaurants need to understand that the line between restaurants and food retailers is growing ever thinner. The fight for America's food dollars continues to intensify as consumers find fresh prepared ready-2-eat food options at a wide and growing array of outlets across almost every channel: convenience stores, chain drug stores, restaurants, grocery stores, club stores, vending and even more non-food retailers like dollar stores. In an Omni-channel food retail world restaurants can no longer think that they operate in a single environment.

While food retailers and restaurants worry about choice overload, consumers have embraced their new choices and show no signs of returning to the old ways. This fight is taking place in what is called the grocerant niche. Restaurants like Outback that expand brand focus on “share of stomach” rather than just table turns will be winning in food retail for years to come.

Foodies: Instagram is Elevating and Educating Consumers on What’s for Dinner To-Go.

2013-05-21T03:01:00.000-07:00

Restaurateurs how does your food look packaged To-Go? Does your customer know what is for dinner? At 4 PM 81% of US consumers do not know what they are going to eat that night for dinner. Do you have a business development plan that can leverage your skill set into the retail food channel? Do you or your franchisees post real time pictures of fresh prepared food? Instagram, like no other tool is edifying consumers on daily specials and can entice them to buy more effectively in real time.

Consumers are interactive and desire a participatory look and feel with food, brands and family. Instagram can bind all three while solving the problem of what’s for dinner. Photos of your Food in real time can help you garner income while solving the most contemporary daily conundrum What’s for dinner?

By way of introduction my name is Steve Johnson and I am currently the Grocerant Guru at Foodservice Solutions®. My focus is on ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. In the United States the market size for grocerant niche (ready-2-eat and heat-Neat fresh prepared food is 1 Trillion a year. The niche includes restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and retail drug stores the ilk of Walgreens.

Success does leave clues. Foodservice Solutions® specific interest is in building out this niche leveraging your menu and products. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Dollar store sector extends success with Food.

2013-05-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

When you hear a CEO of any company is quoted saying “We’re going where our customer wants us to go” you know success is near. Well that is exactly what Michael K. Bloom, President and CEO of Family Dollar Stores said. Looks as if heat-N-eat and ready-2-eat food is the lynch pin of success for another retail sector.

Family Dollar current sales mix is about 64.6% consumables. Plans are now in place to continue to increase the assortment of consumables at its stores to drive sales. They expect to expect to add more than 1,000 new consumable SKUs 2012. Regular readers of this blog know the retail food landscape is evolving fast. .

Dollar Tree like Family Dollar is continuing to install freezers and coolers at additional stores this year “because frozen and refrigerated product drives traffic into our stores.” A company spokesperson said. Dollar Tree offers perishables and frozen foods at 2,220 stores — about half of its 4,351 total.

Branded fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat is redefining the food landscape. Walgreens, Rite Aid, 7 Eleven, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar are all going where the customers wants them to go! Is your company going somewhere new? Are you moving forward with the consumer?

“Better For You” Halo driving Subway Growth 3,000 units in 2013

2013-05-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Subway’s message of “Better For You” sandwiches and “better for you” concept has resonated with consumers since its inception. The consumer interactive participatory assembly of the sandwich combined with aromatic and visceral presentation of fresh baked bread has creates a halo of “better for you” around the brand.

Unit sales were propelled higher with the price point promotion of the $ 5 dollar foot long. Not only did the $ 5 dollar foot long edify the franchisee it edified the consumer with the brand creating additional contemporized consumer relevance.

Subway day-part success with new and expanded $3.00 Breakfast Combo offering continues to drive top line growth and bottom line profits. The signal that Subway is sending to the rest of the retail food industry is look out we are serious about building breakfast and don’t intend on giving any ground on lunch.

Subway clearly is utilizing Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; leveraging all brand attributes with the 5 P’s. Subway is building strong sales with an integrated grocerant niche food program leveraging distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.

Interested in learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Bud’s Chicken and Seafood Eat In or Take-Out.

2013-05-18T02:49:00.003-07:00

There is no better place in the country to be today than one of Bud’s Chicken and Seafood restaurants located in South Florida. This regional chain restaurant has developed a national following. This second generation family owned and consummately run chain understands the grocerant niche, the importance of a local sustainable seafood chain operation, the power of consumer choice and meal component bundling.

When it comes too clam strips Bud’s is simply one of the best. Here is what one of his loyal customers had to say; “Ming T from Westminster, Colorado writes “I LOVE BUD's! Every time I go down to the Palm Beach area this is a must. I think I had Bud's 4 times during the 7 days I was in West Palm. The staff is so friendly and helpful and the fried clam strips with tartar sauce is second to none. If you're in the mood for some really good fried food I would highly suggest you get your rear-end down there. The hush puppies are a fluffy corn filled heaven... oh man, I'm drooling again!”

Bud’s Chicken and Seafood understands Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. Building strong sales with an integrated grocerant niche food program leveraging distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part is something that Bud’s does well.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant

Cook from Scratch, Get Real, Get Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat Tonight

2013-05-17T03:28:00.000-07:00

Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food is blurring the line between restaurants and grocery stores. Grocerant food targets the time-starved consumers, not with ingredients to make from scratch rather with ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food components that can be bundled into a meal.

Just think about how you shop for most meal preparation needs. You might buy a rotisserie chicken, pick out something from a salad bar and maybe an appetizer at the deli service case. Those are components vs. buying uncooked chicken, a head of lettuce and then having to clean, cut, season and then season and spend time cooking.

Steven Johnson, is the Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solution® and defines the niche this way "Grocerant means any retail food item that is ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat while fresh prepared. Currently these items can be found in grocery stores in the deli / lifestyle section, Convenience stores in the prepared food area and prepackaged, ready to eat items and in restaurants under the To-go, takeout or take away or delivery section of the menu or on the website and now at Chain Drug Stores Walgreens and Duane Reade."

What is Driving the Grocerant Trend

Its 4 PM: your customers are just beginning to think about what's for dinner. 81% of American consumers are unsure about what's for dinner. Time Starved Consumers are looking for high quality ready to eat foods and ready to heat meals. Today's time starved consumer wants to purchase meal components that they can bundle into a customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking.

Examples of Grocerants

Restaurant examples are McDonalds, Pret A Manger Burger King, Pizza Hut, Papa Murphy's and Starbucks, each having a fresh ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food menu. You may not think of Walgreens as a food destination yet Walgreens sells fresh soft-serve yogurt, coffee and sushi at selected stores, so they are technically grocerants. In the Casual Dining sector Maggiano's Little Italy offers a buy one take a 2^nd home for free in their Classic Pastas menu section.

Convenience Store examples are 7 Eleven, Wawa, Sheetz and QuickChek, all of which sell fresh and prepared sandwiches, salads, beverages.

Supermarket examples are Whole Foods, Central Market, Safeway and Kroger… all sell fresh prepared chicken, salads, sandwiches and most offer sushi and beverages.

Drug Store examples are Walgreen and Duane Reade both offer in both New York and ChicagoSushi, Smoothie, Wine, Coffee, and Fro-yo Bars then there are the 455+ CafeW’s severing baked goods and beverages.

The retail supermarket and convenience store sector have unique grocerant challenges. Presentation of the ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat fresh food is important. When you get a meal at a restaurant, the plate and the food look great… let's call this "food for now". Retailers are primarily selling "food for later" or take-out and unless an item is a sandwich, the looks of ready-2-eat meals and snacks begin to change.

Why is it so hard to package food to go? In the Hot food section of the grocery store the food in most cases does not look appealing so our expectations drop when we get it for Take-Away. In convenience stores like Wawa, the ready to eat food looks great in the to-go containers. Why? Because Wawa puts the entire package together. They exert more control on the look and feel of "food for later".

Around the world we are now seeing sections in department's stores and kiosk in malls in Europe and Asia and airports around the world. The items can range from entrees to side items and deserts. Some examples of items range from fried chicken, mash potatoes, cream spinach, to liver and onions, pizza, hot dogs, steak, prime rib, various casseroles (hot-dish) to salads, side salads pie, cake and any single proportioned deserts. They can be picked up at the specific unit, or delivered.

In summary, a Grocerant is a result of the blurring of the line between restaurants and grocery stores aimed at the time-starved consumer with ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food components that can be bundled into a meal. With new non-traditional points of distribution and retail food competition opening daily it is the grocerant niche that is growing faster than any other sector of food retail today.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Migration Marketing assessment, grocerant program assessment. For brand, product placement, menu positioning assistance simply calls Foodservice Solutions® today. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Fast Casual Restaurants Capitulate 46 Million Meal Occasions to Non-Traditional Outlets

2013-05-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

Five years from now restaurant chain leaders will understand that packaging advances help create new points of non-traditional food distribution have empowered consumer choice.

46 Million Reasons Restaurants Should be Concerned:

In three years between 2009 and 2012 NPD reported that the grocery/supermarket sector increased sales of prepared meals by 46 Million. That occurred in a short three year period. Chain Drug stores have taken notice and continue testing fresh prepared food at locations from coast to coast. Five years from now as restaurant chain leaders return to Chicago for the restaurant show they will be focused on Non-traditional fresh food competitive growth.

Restaurant Customer Migration Expanding

Five years from now chain restaurant leaders will be attending the National Restaurant Show in Chicago networking, learning and laughing aloud about the money they wasted sending employees to Fast Casual Summits. Laughing aloud about how a multi-billion dollar restaurant industry missed the Consumer Marketing Migration that took place from 1999 to 2013.

Coddling Brand Protectionism

Five years from now chain restaurant leaders will wonder how Mintel, NPD and Technomic reported on but missed the Consumer Marketing Migration. Five years from now chain restaurant leaders will laugh at the fact that the undercurrents of the evolving face of retail food competition has been all around yet while they practiced brand protectionism, drug stores, C-stores and grocery stores simply catered to the evolving consumer preferences garnering share of stomach and did so within in the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food grocerant niche .

Five years from now chain restaurant leaders will wonder why when in 2013 Technomic reported that revenue from prepared foods at supermarkets had increased more than six percent annually during the past five years. Why they continued to host, speak and pontificate on Fast Casual when the consumer had migrated. More important T echnomic reported that the prepared food number grows to 13 percent for mass merchandisers and superstores during the same period. All the while the margins on prepared food were expanding creating a fast growing new revenue center for fresh prepared food in this non-traditional fresh prepared food retail sector.

Looking Outside Current Boundaries

Five years from now all food retailers will evaluate how they do business not how they did business. Five years from now chain restaurant leaders will be laughing how they missed the universal commonalties the drug store, grocery and c-store food marketers did not. Five years from now they will understand that successful competition comes from outside well established operating boundaries.

Five years from now no one will wonder about the findings in a Harris Poll of 2,496 adults surveyed online between February 13 and 18, 2013 by Harris Interactive found that Americans continue to be reducing how often that they eat out at restaurants : Fast food restaurant chain (26% less, 14% more),Local casual dining restaurant (20% less, 14% more),Casual dining restaurant chain (24% less, 11% more),Local fine dining restaurant (21% less, 7% more),Fine dining restaurant chain (23% less, 4% more).

Channel Blurring

Five years from now all food marketers will understand that channel blurring exist only in the minds-eye of legacy food marketers not in the minds-eye of consumers.

Five years from now Food retailers will understand the 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson found: The line between restaurants and food retailers is growing ever thinner. The fight for America's food dollars continues to intensify as consumers find fresh prepared ready-2-eat food options at a wide and growing array of outlets across almost every channel: convenience stores, chain drug stores, restaurants, grocery stores, club stores, vending and even more non-food retailers like dollar stores. While manufacturers, retailers and restaurants worry about choice overload, consumers have embraced their new choices and show no signs of returning to the old ways. This fight is taking place in what is called the grocerant niche.

The restaurant industry is not an industry known for trying to be first as in fastest to market with an ideation, food or technology advance. In the United States the larger the chain in almost all cases the more slowly they are to adopt something than a smaller chain or independent restaurants will. Chain restaurants goal is simple feed one meal at a time in the restaurant while protecting and edifying the brand.

Historically chain restaurant leaders have denied the credibility of start-up competitors as non-relevant. The pizza sector is a great example; evolving from family dinning independents to national chain of "Red Roof" Italian, then to delivery only outlets and now take-N-bake is garnering market share in the pizza sector. (Note: Home Made Pizza Company and Papa Murphy's are further examples of take and bake pizza operators.)

Future Trends Point to an Increase in Non-Traditional Meal Occasions

Five years from now restaurant chain leaders will understand that packaging advances help create new points of non-traditional food distribution have empowered consumer choice

Foodservice Solutions

Trends in the Food Industry Point to an Increase in Non-Traditional Meal Occasions

Five years from now at the intersection of the consumer, fresh prepared food and technology they will have found that consumer eating behavior is evolving and is now beyond the control of traditional food marketers. Evolving culture and lifestyle, demographics along with the new uncertain economy are all putting pressure on the American food consumer: Demands of work, economic shrinkage, demands of raising a family, commuting, social interaction, kid's after-school activities, all contribute to a food marketplace where convenience vies with price over legacy brands. That one in 10 shoppers choose higher-end cuts of meat in order to recreate a restaurant dining experience (FMI, 2013).

Packaging Advances Extended Acceptance

Five years from now restaurant chain leaders will understand that packaging advances help create new points of non-traditional food distribution have empowered consumer choice, and American embraced these choices even as legacy marketers cringe. Who's after restaurant food dollars… simply put… everyone.

Why should you care if Walgreens is selling fresh prepared ready-2-eat and made-2-order sandwiches? Why should you care if Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Safeway and Wegmans are selling ready-2-eat and or heat-N-eat fresh pizza? Why should you care if Coinstar is selling Seattle Best Coffee at 1,000 locations for $1.00?

You should care because they are selling it, and you are not! The fastest growing sector of retail food service for the past four years has been the Convenience store sector. The C-store sectors growth in large part has been driven by fresh prepared food. Non-traditional avenues of distribution are growing, gobbling market share while establishing new patterns of consumption, price points and customer loyalty.

The Shopper is in Control Spurring New Retail Food Formats

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have created ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food items with qualitative differentiation as an entity with identity that has help propel them into ready-2-eat fresh prepared food leadership. In fact recent research shows that both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are each known for high quality (restaurant quality) ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat foods with distinctive offerings. More important each is leading with innovative products and package size that create value and have positioned each chain as a food shopping destination for meal components customized and personalized for immediate consumption or mix and matched for a meal time at home. In short they are stealing your customers.

Walgreens fresh prepared food i s restaurant quality and priced less than Panera Bread or Corner Bakery CAFE. BothPanera Bread and Corner Bakery CAFE thrive in urban locations. Walgreens is now growing price, quality and speed of service advantages over legacy retailers. Legacy restaurant chains must reconsider the speed at which they evolve and adapt or non-traditional outlets will capture profits margins as well.

Traditional views of meals and mealtime can pretty much be discarded. Legacy retailers waiting for the "next big thing" to copy simply might be out of luck this time. Legacy food retailers may not like to be first movers very much but it may prove that waiting too long will not work this time.

Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price are Foodservice Solutions® 5 P's

The retail food world is evolving at an ever increasing pace filled with innovation in food, portion size, points of distribution, and quality fresh prepared meal solutions. The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in retail foodservice. In order to edify the brand and reinforce consumer relevance restaurateurs must leverage Foodservice Solutions® 5P's of food marketing.

Many legacy food retailers continue to practice brand protectionism, stifle the brand while diminishing consumer relevance. The consumer is dynamic not static. Brands must be dynamic, evolving with the consumer. Four more years of watching other retail sectors thrive should be long enough. Success in the restaurant world is no longer simply about what happens within your 4 walls.

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit operator, consultant and brand/product positioning. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Is Your Food Brand Dynamic?

2013-05-15T05:53:00.001-07:00

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru, Steven Johnson shares 10 clues to edify your brand. The value of a product or brand at times diminishes in consumer relevance. The vernacular of the consumer is ever evolving and the vernacular of your brand must as well. Foodservice Solutions® understands that the consumer is dynamic not static. Here are 10 clues to keep your brand dynamic:

1. Symbolism. Why you are there! The most successful brands are inclusive include values greater than themselves. A lifestyle, a philosophy, an emotion a point in time.

2. A story. Most major brands have a story. Examples: if you like Ford vehicles, you might be familiar with the story of Henry Ford or if you love your Nikes, you probably know how the Nike swoosh logo was created.

3. A track record. When your business is first starting out, don't fool yourself into believing that your marketing efforts are 'brand building' efforts. They're not because to build a real brand, you have to have an extensive track record with consumers.

4. Trust. When you've consistently delivered for your customers long enough, you'll gain the type of trust that many brands have. Case in point: a friend of mine always reminds people that he won't buy an automobile that isn't a BMW. He's had a good experience with his and trusts so much in the company that he doesn't believe there's a better-made car.

5. Expectation. When a consumer chooses a product or service because of brand association, he or she is buying an expectation. Perhaps it's the expectation that the branded product is of higher quality or that the service will be provided in a more efficient manner.

6. Differentiation. Expectation is often borne of differentiation. Many brands offer products and services that are commodities but they're successful in developing some differentiation for their products and services that consumers are sold on.

7. Imitators. Imitation is the sincerest of flattery and you're probably not a 'brand' until you have competitors trying to copy you.

8. Market leadership. Top brands are usually looked at as leaders in the markets they compete in.

9. Adaptability. The best brands are flexible and capable of reshaping and reinventing themselves and their messages over time. Coca-Cola is a good example of a brand that has never abandoned its core product but has evolved its message over time to keep up with changes in the marketplace and society at large.

10. A strong marketing presence. Although it's nice to believe that you can market yourself for free on Facebook and Twitter, the reality is that brands aren't advertising on television and radio because they're dumb. Building and maintaining brand equity requires awareness and awareness requires broad marketing efforts.

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, and Chain Drug Stores Converge

2013-05-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Nothing binds a society together like food. We celebrate birthdays with it, weddings and funerals with family favorites and holidays are filled with food, flavors, and tradition. Today retailers are converging into a unified space the Grocerant Niche all fighting for a larger “share of stomach”. The Grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food Drug stores, C-stores and grocery stores all see opportunity in garnering sales within the fresh prepared food space.

46 Million Reasons Restaurants Should be Concerned:

Understanding the Consumer:

Convenience Stores once filled with roller-grills have evolved with the consumer and are expanding fresh prepared food at an ever increasing rate. Wawa and Sheetz continue to expand into new territories and Rutter’s seems to win every industry award there is for fresh prepared food, operations, and marketing. All the while the food world location leader 7 Eleven has opened more new units in the past two years than any other food retailer in the world. 7 Eleven now has over 50,000 locations worldwide.

Non-Traditional Retailers Extend the Experience:

The fresh food buying experience has been greatly expanded to include non-traditional locations. One might think that grocery stores are cannibalizing their own on-shelf products. Cannibalizing was the mind-set of 30 years ago not today. Fresh is the desired consumer focus and emphasis. Today a family meal is not about cooking from scratch but about bundling fresh prepared meal components for a family meal. The consumer food paradox of choice is about where to buy the fresh prepared meal components?

Should Restaurants Move Branded Fresh Food to Non-Traditional Locations?

2013-05-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

Establishing a positive brand image is one of the hallmarks US based restaurant chains. Leveraging the emotion of the brand in non-traditional avenue of distribution is something that they are now about to exploit at much faster rate if they intend to continue to grow both the top and bottom line.

In the 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast, a majority of operators questioned said they offer merchandise, such as sauces or frozen foods, for retail sale. Few offer fresh prepared ready-2-eat products at alternative avenues of distribution. This may be the year that we will see operators begin to refocus.

Hudson Riehle Senior Vice President of the NRA’s Research & Knowledge Group said “Selling retail items generates additional sales and in some cases, licensing fees, and that's important considering that the average pretax restaurant profit ranges in the modest 3-percent to 6-percent range.”

The study found that in “the family-dining segment, 54 percent of operators said they sell retail items, while 35 percent of casual dining, 37 percent of quickservice and 41 percent of fast casual restaurateurs said they, too, have merged into the retail fast lane. The highest percentage, however, was in the fine dining segment, where 59 percent of operators said they also sell retail items.”

While retailers the ilk of Starbucks, 7 Eleven each have found success leveraging branded fresh food items in non-traditional avenues of distribution few others have. That will change as food retailing continues to evolve at ever increasing rate. Do you know which chain restaurant will be next to offer fresh prepared food at non-traditional outlets?

Culinary Grocerant Development Setting New Fresh Food Standards Globally.

2013-05-12T04:16:00.001-07:00

Malasysia:

In Malaysia’s Jaya Grocer was the first culinary grocerant in Asia currently focused on ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. Jaya is transforming grocery shopping in Asia blending a dining and shopping experience. Here visit for yourself: http://www.jayagrocer.com/home.php

Jaya Grocer’s introduced “grocerant” first at its Empire Shopping Gallery outlet – a one-stop shopping and dining experience within a supermarket. Shoppers can walk in, choose their choices of meat or seafood from the butchery or seafood counters, head to the El Fresco cashier to pay for it and specify their choice of how they want it cooked.

Australia:

In Australia a new :survey by Lonergan of 4000 Australians found that 59% of Australian children eat a different evening meal than the rest of the family. There are universal commonalities around the globe that point out why the grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food is booming. Without doubt families still want to eat together but they simply do not want to eat the same thing in today’s world. The Grocerant Niche is not a fad it is a trend that has been expanding rapidly since 1997.

United States:

In the United States a new study by The NPD Group found that in the three years between 2009 and 2012 NPD reported that the grocery/supermarket sector increased sales of prepared meals by 46 Million. That occurred in a short three year period. Chain Drug stores have taken notice and continue testing, fresh prepared food at locations from coast to coast and are expanding fresh food offerings. How many fresh meals will be service before the restaurant sector takes notice?

Puerto Rico:

In a recent study conducted by Foodservice Solutions® on grocery Prepared Food in Puerto Rico found customer counts in the prepared food service “deli” area exceed 60 customers per hour regularly for both lunch and breakfast day-part. Ralph’s, Pueblo, SuperMax all sell consistent quality Fresh Prepared Food and lots of it in Puerto Rico.

Outside Eyes

The world is getting smaller people around the globe are repositioning fresh food and traditional avenues of distribution. Who have you been listening to? Have they do they understand migration marketing? If you are a food retailer and you think you can do what you have done for the past 20 years, well you can’t! You just might end up looking like A & P or Burger Chef either could end up being bought by Jaya Grocer of Malaysia! Yes, there are still some Burger Chefs around. Have you called Foodservice Solutions the global leader within the grocerant niche?

Are you ready for a grocerant program assessment or grocerant brand positioning plan? Is your restaurant prepared to compete with all of these new points of fresh food distribution? Foodservice Solutions has helped developed concepts and edified positioning for companies within the grocerant niche and competing with it. Do you need some outside eyes?

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant on at: twitter.com/grocerant or via phone at: 1-253-759-7869

Walgreens Up Market Foodservice Program Welcomed in San Francisco.

2013-05-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

Walgreens brings more fresh food to San Francisco at Powell and O’Farrell streets in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood. This new store features an extensive collection of innovative offerings and services unexpected from today’s drugstores but not the legacy of Walgreens. This remodeled expanded store is tailored to reflect the uniqueness of San Francisco, at a location where Walgreens has been present since 1946.

“This is our first flagship location in Northern California, and we look forward to helping the residents and visitors of the Union Square neighborhood get, stay and live well,” said Mark Wagner, Walgreens president of operations and community management. “Our flagship stores are unlike any traditional drugstore and reflect our transformation into a retail health and daily living destination.”

The store’s expanded fresh food features include:

Hundreds of fresh food items including produce and high-quality, on-the-go meal options such as wraps, sandwiches and salads made fresh daily. A Coca-Cola Freestyle machine dispensing 130 varieties of Coca Cola fountain drinks.

Several flavors of self-serve frozen yogurt accompanied by an enticing toppings bar can be found in the store. An Upmarket Café offering a barista preparing fresh brewed premium coffee and espressos. Local, freshly baked goods also are available in the store and at the espresso bar.

A juice and smoothie bar featuring fresh fruits and vegetables included in distinct recipes.

A fun replica display of Ghirardelli Square that pays homage to Ghirardelli’s local history offers one of the largest selections of Ghirardelli premium chocolates and gift selections in the San Francisco Bay Area. One thing is clear Walgreens is focused on quality fresh food prepared daily and is becoming a retail fresh food leader in the United States.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant

Whole Foods Too Double the Number of Units Garnering Sales from Restaurants

2013-05-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods future focus of success is simple, continue garnering customers from restaurants. Accelerating new store growth with smaller footprint units Whole Foods is doing all the right things. Whole Foods new units with a focus on “better for you” fresh prepared food is the secret sauce to successfully double its store count, drive top line growth and bottom line profits all the while winning the food retail share of stomach game.

Chain restaurant executive board rooms on the other hand have barely begun to repositioning future focus away from just restaurant competition to include grocery store delis, Convenience stores, and Drug stores.

Restaurants need to worry about the expanding fresh food marketplace. In a study conducted by The NPD Group they found that “supermarkets have enjoyed 46 million more out-of-home eating visits in 2012 compared with three years ago”. The customer is on the move grocery stores know it, C-stores know it and drug stores know it. The Grocerant Niche is Booming. Are you watching, or joining customer migration into the evolving grocerant space?

Regular readers of this blog know we have help companies develop grocerant niche success paths since 1991. If success leaves clues having other edify our work is one of them. The NPD Group does good work and 46 million customers migrating has now caught the eye of The NPD Group as well.

Guy Fielding, director of business development for the NPD Group, stated: “Previously more traditional restaurants would typically benefit from people not wanting to cook or having nothing in, but more and more consumers are answering this need with a trip to a supermarket; in many cases choosing the smaller local c-stores with their extensive prepared ready-to-eat meals and snacks”.

Whole Foods success based in smaller footprint units and fresh food is a clear and simple clue for others. Integrating Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing is another.

Is Amazon.com Experimenting with Fresh Food the Last Mile Solution?

2013-05-09T01:56:00.001-07:00

The grocerant niche is a fresh prepared food focused sector focused on consumer meal customization. With the convenience of fast-food, the quality of full-service restaurant dining, without the hassle laboring around an entire grocery store or sitting in a restaurant and paying a tip the grocerant niche is booming. Amazon Fresh via “Seattle Spotlight” just might become a new power-player in fresh food retail.

Amazon Fresh is the solution that is evolving across many retail food platforms empowering the consumer, simplifying the meal process while saving time starved consumer both time and money. Chain Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores and Chain Drug Stores are all offering meal component options. Amazon Fresh may be the only company that can focus on all simultaneously.

Consumers respond positively when components with a “better for you” element are bundled as part of the meal focus. It’s a mix and match game that is very empowering for the consumer. Consumer’s select by meal occasion what “better for you” attribute they want. It can be fresh hamburger, low salt, cooked to order, green packaging or delivery.

Don’t discount the value of consumer choice or limit the world of “better for you”. Mix and match of small portion, fresh products, green packaging is making meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization. The meal component can come from a restaurant, drug store, grocery store or convenience store and aggregated by Amazon.com.

Today you can find retail foodservice outlets that don’t offer seated dining rather they utilize call ahead and take-away or delivery only business template blending the benefits of different segments. In fact, according to a 2011 survey done by the National Restaurant Association, nearly half (47 percent) of adults said they would be likely to use a home delivery option if it was offered by a full-service restaurant.

In the same survey, more than one-third of adults (37 percent) agreed that purchasing meals from restaurants, take-out and delivery places make them more productive in their day-to-day lives. The grocerant niche is consumer driven and garnering share of stomach from legacy retailers.

Simply look at the retail foodservice growth and sales leaders of today. Trader Joe’s, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 7 Eleven are all growth leaders. Trader Joe’s leads in sales per square foot at over $1,750 per Sq. Ft. Chipotle, Five Guys and 7 Eleven are all growing units and garnering share of stomach from everyone else. All are members of the grocerant niche. Amazon may be next to join the list. Are you expanding points of distribution for your food products?

Ready-2-Eat Brand Managers Evolving Consumer Food Continuity

2013-05-08T03:26:00.003-07:00

Fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food is driving top line growth in every sector of retail food service today including restaurants, grocery, c-store and drug stores. Increasing top line revenue, customer continuity, bottom line profits in the food industry should be an ongoing focus of all retailers. Customer continuity means maintaining a level of excitement in your menu or food products that drive contemporized relevance for your customer in order to maintain or increase frequency levels.

Each food retailers goal should be creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part. Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables will place you in a select industry grouping. Research with a focus on the grocerant niche will help you get there.

The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist. In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar. Private label brand managers have been contributing by expanding quality offerings while displacing national brands. Are you edifying your menu or product offerings?

Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of growth, redevelopment and deployment of your new menu’s with appropriate COG’s. Foodservice Solutions is very good at assisting people reach their goals. The grocerant niche is in need of private label brand managers to assist in building long term brand value for both individual product and brands.

Does Your Restaurant Have Contemporized Relevance?

2013-05-07T03:17:00.001-07:00

Americans love affair with restaurants is not dying or fading away. However increased competition with innovative food with a twist broadens consumer choice of dinning with quality, ease at home. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is expanding consumer choice of Mix & Match Meal component options.

Restaurants, Convenience stores and Grocery stores are all selling Take-Away food. Meal Mix & Match grocerant meal components have been the leading sector in retail foodservice of late. It’s menu magic.

Mix & Match grocerant food allows the consumer to spend more time in front of the 65 inch TV. Grocery store brand loyalty and frequency increases with each advancement in quality Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food. Here are examples of Mix and Match Meal components from Grocery stores only: What is your local grocery store are selling? More important how are you positioning your brand and products? Below are local grocery or C-store offering from around the country. Can you guess which retailers?

Goat Cheese Strawberry Salad: spring mix topped with thinly sliced

strawberries, blueberries, walnuts and crumbled goat cheese

Cajun Seasoned Potatoes: roasted potatoes topped with Cajun

blackening seasoning

Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi and Chicken Tenders: coated in

toasted panko bread crumbs and cream of coconut (ready-to cook)

Mexican Lasagna, Mushroom Risotto

Crabcakes, Aegean Salad: shell pasta with Feta, onion, artichoke hearts, cherry

tomatoes and kalamata olives

Caprese Panini, BBQ Chicken Quesadilla,Matzo Ball Soupeared Chicken Breast with Peach & Chive Sauce

Parmesan Chicken Fingers, Turkey Roulade with Cranberry Stuffing.Side orders

Cauliflower Spinach Gratin

Artichoke & Asiago Croquette, Spaghetti with Seasoned Tomato Sauce, Escarole & Beans

Apple Almond Yam Cakes

No need to Fight the Kids buy Fresh Prepared Meal Options Eat Together

2013-05-06T01:55:00.000-07:00

Children in Australia are no different than in France, Japan, the United States or Germany.

In a new :survey by Lonergan of 4000 Australians found that 59% of Australian children eat a different evening meal than the rest of the family.. There are universal commonalities around the globe that point out why the grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food is booming. Without doubt families still want to eat together but they simply do not want to eat the same thing in today’s world.

Why cook two, three, or four different meals when you can stop at a grocery store deli, C-store, or restaurant and buy an individual meal components to complete a meal and make a meal and happy time and family time.

Bundled meal components are a key driver in meal assembly today. In the United States, Wegmans, Whole Foods and HEB all do a great job and in Puerto Rico SuperMax, Pubelo and Ralph’s all do a great job at breakfast and lunch as seen in the pictures above and below. Do you want to help consumers make meal time a happy time and family time? Contact Foodservice Solutions for more at: grocerant@q.com

Ralph’s, Pueblo, SuperMax Grocery Stores Fresh Prepared Food in PR

2013-05-05T04:33:00.003-07:00

Digital menu boards at Ralphs in Puerto Rico within the ready-2-eat fresh food are a great example how grocery stores are leveraging visceral presentation to boost sales of ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food in 2013. Ralph’s plan’s to seriously compete with both Pueblo and SuperMax in a very competitive Puerto Rico marketplace.

Inside seating and day-part menu differentiation contribute to the success of Pueblo’s ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant niche food offerings. Fresh food presented well prepared with local food cooked fresh on-site daily are propelling the success of Pueblo’s fresh food offerings. Customers while shopping add meal components or entire fresh food meals from Pueblo more frequently than in the US.

SuperMax urban customers have made SuperMax a destination point not only for grocery but specifically ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. In the United States a Hartman-Group study found a full 77% of eating occasions involve at least some pre-pared foods. In our study in at SuperMax in Puerto Rico a full 88% of consumers purchased fresh prepared ready-2-eat and or heat-N-eat fresh food. If success leaves clues local Food, local Flavors and prepared Fresh are three that you should not overlook.

Consumers like digital images of fresh prepared food and Ralph’s is doing many things right with digital menus. Here are some additional findings from the Hartman-group study.

77% of eating occasions involve at least some pre-prepared foods.

42% of eating occasions involve all pre-prepared foods.

54% of consumers use social media to discover and share foods experiences.

42% of consumers use social media to get advice about food

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Migration Marketing assessment, grocerant program assessment. No other foodservice research or marketing company has focused on the Grocerant niche since 1991. For brand, product placement, menu positioning assistance simply call Foodservice Solutions® today. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin

.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurant Brand Protectionism Will Cost You Customers.

2013-05-04T03:50:00.001-07:00

I have noticed that Kodak is nearly out of business. Growing up in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, every family had a Kodak Camera and I still have one of mine. Those yellow boxes were everywhere and getting your very own Kodachrome camera was seemingly a rite of passage, heck, Paul Simon even wrote a song about it.

As digital cameras gained popularity, Kodak stuck to what they believed. They sneered at digital’s quality, righteous in their knowledge that Americans would NEVER give up shiny pictures for their photo albums.

Today, cell phone cameras take most of the pictures and they are rarely printed. Kodak will shut the doors, correct in their assertion that professionally developed pictures look better than low-resolution versions uploaded to Facebook.

Being dead and correct is not a great strategy. Today chain restaurants are either growing or dying much the same as Kodak. Simply look at restaurants that filed bankruptcy of late: Claim Jumper, Mr. Pita, Friendly’s, Chevys, Sbarro, Perkins. They are not all dead but they have been far from right.

These are statements frequently heard from legacy restaurant operators. Like Kodak, crystal clear that what has always worked will continue to work.

• Our executives have 30 years of experience and know how to run the business.
• We never use coupons, nor do we deliver.
• We don’t allow our brand to wander, we protect our brand.
• We don’t use online ordering, I-pad ordering or voice screen ordering.
• We don’t advertise on Google, Twitter or Facebook.
• We don’t open for breakfast.

• We like the umbrella approach each store different personality but under one umbrella.
• Video menus and video signage is visceral gimmickry.
• We don’t measure ingredients, we create daily specials and simply show employees how to make it
• We can’t raise our menu prices.

How did a dominant brand and sector leader like Kodak, in a rock-solid consumer staple lose everything? Simple, they determined the market, the direction of that market and took the steps to conquer it. If that sounds like your restaurant, retail food sector or niche leader, you better keep reading.

There is little about today’s market, the consumer or food marketing / promotions that was predictable 3 years ago. In the next three years the rate of change will continue to increase. So let’s look at the above list:

Reliability and a comfortable working relationship is correctly a key to success. However, if you find your team is blaming the economy, minimum wages increases, cost of health care and rising food cost for disappointing results. Do not forget that many restaurants companies are growing both the top and bottom line, number of units and garnering market share. It might be time for Outside Eyes.

We always/never use coupons – coupons and promotions are very complicated today. Add the online aggregators the ilk of Livingsocial and Groupon and how can you know what works. Here is the point, what you measure you manage. All advertising must have a objective that is clear and measurable to insure a proper marketing ROI.

We don’t deliver – face it, convenience is a driving reason why foodservice is popular. If you do not want to deliver, consider outsourcing. Delivery is not about you. That’s right it is about the consumer.

We protect the value of our brand and its integrity for the consumer, our shareholders and stakeholders. We know the consumer is dynamic not static, but our customer’s comeback because we have a brand promise and they trust in us to keep that promise. Sounds a lot like Kodak, don’t you think?

We don’t use online ordering our food does not “carry” well. Think about this if you don’t have a way to connect your menu to computers and mobile devices, your competition will woo your customers. Consumers are time starved, and hooked on technology, make it easy.

Google or Facebook – as above, set up a Facebook page, it costs nothing. Have someone help if you need it and then monitor your page 5 minutes a day. Don’t think about it get started today.

We don’t open for breakfast – you pay rent 24/7, find ways to increase the utilization of your “factory”. Considering catering or school lunch program, contract out your kitchen. Don’t become the next Kodak of chain restaurants.

Different store brands / personalities under one large corporation and all expected to operate utilizing a uniform set of metrics. Worked well in the 70’s, 80’s but you have the answer. Let me know just how well that works out.

Visceral gimmickry does not replace high quality food and great service ever. Who defines quality service? You via your brand promise or the consumer?

We don’t measure ingredients; my employees know how much to use – why have menu prices, let customer pay whatever they want. If you don’t care what your product costs, you CAN’T make money.
We can’t raise our menu prices – tell that to the gas station owner on the corner, or the farmer growing your food. Costs are up, you must raise your menu prices or you will not exist.

Kodak management, smart and hard working as they were, did not see the world changing, fortunately you do. Realize that change is good and necessary. Act now to challenge your assumption, create new revenue streams and increase profits. Success does leave clues, Disney movies leave you with a smile, being dead and correct is not a great strategy.

NPD Study Finds Fresh Fruit is The Favorite Snack of All Age Groups

2013-05-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

NPD’s current Snacking in America report found fresh fruit is the “favorite snack among all ages, according to the Snacking in America report. Consumers 65 and older eat the most fruit, followed by children under 12. Teens, ages 13 to 17, eat the least amount of fruit but their consumption increases as they get older.”

Fresh Fruit is Fast Food. Consumers continue looking for “better for you food.” In a poll taken by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation they found that “nearly 70% of Americans reported eating more fresh fruits and vegetables than five years ago”. Why? Health and affordability were cited as the most important qualities.

Interestingly the poll noted that,” 23% know “a lot” about where the fresh produce they buy comes from. Forty percent said they knew “a little”, 25% said they didn’t know too much and 11% said they didn’t know anything about their produce.”

Seventy-one percent of respondents said that grocery stores were their most frequent source of fruits and vegetables, while 14% and 7%, respectively, said the same for farmers’ markets and big box supercenters.

The survey said that 64% felt that purchasing regionally/locally grown fruits and vegetables was “very important” to them, while 93% of those surveyed said it was “very important” or “somewhat important” that all Americans had equal access to fresh produce.

Demand for Fresh Fruit is a driving force in the exploding growth in health vending format within the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh food grocerant niche.

Burgerville is a restaurant chain that has integrated regional fresh fruit seasonally into it menu with great results with items like Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Wrap and a plethora of Strawberry refreshments. (burgerville.com) Success does leave clues and better for your focused food is one of them. Fresh fruit is ready-2-eat and better for you and your customer. Fresh fruit is fast food that is good for your company and customer.

Interested in learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Fresh Prepared Food is Driving Consumer Locality Frequency around the Globe

2013-05-02T02:15:00.000-07:00

SuperMax in Puerto Rico leverages fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food to drive customer Loyalty and frequency. Leveraging different menu mix options for urban and suburban locations SuperMax is able to drive frequency focusing on day-part authenticity offering local fresh prepared meals catering to community flavor profiles. Pictured above is a 2013 picture of beef stew.

In Taiwan both 7 Eleven and FamilyMart sold more than $1.115 billion in fresh prepared food in 2013. That is about 8% of the dining out dollars for 2012 in Taiwan. 7 Eleven fresh food sales account for 18% of total sales in Taiwan. Don’t think that FamilyMart has not been noticing last year FamilyMart’s prepared food sales in Taiwan accounted for 14% of sales and continues to grow.

The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared grocerant niche offering around the world continue expanding driving success for retailers while garnering new and loyal customers. One key element and change noticed is the increase communal seating/table options at all of the above location. If success leaves clues one clue is fresh prepared food and communal seating elevates brand authenticity and consumer acceptance.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Migration Marketing assessment, grocerant program assessment. For brand, product placement, menu positioning assistance simply call Foodservice Solutions® today. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Ready to Eat Your Customers Are

2013-05-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

Where are your customers going to get dinner? 81% of American consumers are unsure about what’s for dinner at 4 PM every day! Your customers are just beginning to think about what's for dinner. Eighty-one percent of American consumers are unsure about what's for dinner; the opportunity is yours for the asking. Consumers are looking for high quality ready to eat foods and ready to heat meals… I coined them as ready-2-eat and or heat-N-eat. Consumer trends point to this - what today's time starved consumer wants is to purchase meal components that they can bundle into a customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking.

Food is Everywhere

At one time you purchased your food at the grocery store, channel blurring has created food to be everywhere! Consumers today have the opportunity to purchase high quality chef prepared ready-2eat and heat-N-eat food from independent restaurants, grocery stores, chain drugstores (Walgreens) convenience stores, chain restaurants and non-traditional food retailers the ilk of Amazon.com and food trucks. At the convergence of all of these new and legacy meal component points of distribution you find the Grocerant niche.

What is a Grocerant?

The grocerant niche refers to prepared food that is portable, ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food that is deemed "better for you food". The consumers are finding grocerant niche food in grocery store deli sections including Whole foods, Trader Joes, Safeway Lifestyle stores, Central Market and Wegmans Market Café . Not to be left out, convenience store segment has grocerant pioneers in the brand names of Wawa, Sheetz, Rutter's Farm Stores, and 7 Eleven. Finally chain restaurants and independent restaurants around the world complete the circle of grocerants.

Successful foodservice operators today understand that differentiation in menu items and food products doesn't mean different, rather it means familiar with a twist; taking ordinary daily menu items, adding contemporary relevance. Then presenting, brand positioning and pricing competitively; these are the universal footprints of success found within the grocerant niche.

Consumers Want Food On Sale.

90 percent of people look for deals to get more value when making food purchases in new national research survey conducted by DiGiorno January 2013.

US consumers estimate that restaurant rewards program would increase their visit rate to a particular restaurant by average of 35%, according to new study; 65% would recommend restaurant more to others if that restaurant offered rewards program in a study by LoyaltyPlus January 2013

US millennials seem to be spending more money than other generations when it comes to dining out, industry officials noted as reported by Ginia Bellafonte of the New York Times as a percent of income January 2013.

I would like to introduce you to Threep. Threep is a mobile application that rewards users for visiting your business in groups of 3 or more people. It is consumer interactive and participatory, with real time consumer relevance, adding value to your brand, building sales with incremental group size, and leveraging Micro groups for Macro results. Threep is a sales building tool that complements restaurant LSM programs. Threep is a platform enabling consumer choice and brand equilibrium. Let your brand win.

Ready-2-Eat Breakfast On The Run and its "better for you"

2013-04-30T02:59:00.001-07:00

The evolving face of retail foodservice continues pointing to the success of the grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. In the NPD Group chart above you can see that breakfast sandwiches outrank coffee. That is the time that has ever happened since NPD began the tracking it in 1985.

In the case of the breakfast sandwich it is one step back and ten forward. Harry Balzer NPD’s noted researcher and international presenter said “ “The beauty of the breakfast sandwich is that you can get that 1950’s breakfast of eggs, toast, cheese and meat all in one and you can walk out the door if you want to.

One of the drives is Portability one of Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of food marketing. It is a driver because Americans are eating more breakfast meals in their cars than ever before according to Balzer, and author of the annual Eating Patterns in America.

Blazer said that “For breakfast we focus so much on coffee, which was always number one, but what has really changed in the America’s eating habits is the breakfast sandwich. When eating out, breakfast sandwiches now rank higher than coffee!”.

Here are some numbers from Balzer report “People are getting their sandwiches on the go, rather than making them at home. For the year ending November, 2012, 46 percent of all breakfasts (excludes morning snacks….just breakfast) ordered at a restaurant include a sandwich. That number includes breakfast sandwiches, 34 percent, breakfast wraps, seven percent and burgers/other sandwiches, four percent. By comparison, 42 percent of all breakfast meals ordered at restaurants include coffee. The importance of the breakfast sandwich continues to grow. It is the fastest growing item at restaurants for breakfast. In 1989, 23 percent of all breakfasts ordered from a restaurant included a breakfast sandwich (this includes traditional sandwiches ordered for breakfast). By comparison, coffee is shrinking as a share of breakfast; 51 percent of breakfasts purchased at restaurants in 1989 included coffee.

I recommend that if you like this you should purchase a copy of the full report by contacting kim.mclynn@npd.com. If success does leave clues others edifying Foodservice Solutions findings is one of them.