Consumers prefer QSR prepared fresh, portioned appropriately and appetizing food!

The ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat grocerant niche is growing across the nation. The QSR sector has provided a platform success for others to follow. Grocery stores the likes of Safeway and Kroger are now serving fresh prepared sandwiches, ready-to-heat meal components. They are following the lead of the QSR’s in product, pricing, promotion.

Retail foodservice research leader Technomic; in a recent consumer survey asked "In general, which type of food establishment does a "really good" job at offering the following?" The results were:

-- Good value for your money: quick-service burger restaurant (56 percent of respondents); quick-service sub shop (41 percent); local independent deli (21 percent); and supermarket deli (21 percent).

-- Fresh Ingredients: quick-service sub shop (44 percent); local independent deli (39 percent); bakery/café (27 percent).

-- Good portion sizes: family-style restaurant (36 percent); casual dining restaurant (34 percent); quick-service sub shop (33 percent).

-- Sandwiches that are appetizing in appearance: quick-service sub shop (35 percent); casual dining restaurant (34 percent); family-style restaurant (33 percent).

Retail drug stores CVS and Walgreens are entering the fresh prepared food niche as well. High end steakhouses are developing “bar” menus. What they are doing is entering the Hand Held Food sector. The Hand Held Food sector is where consumers are comfortable and accustom to eating.

Foodservice Solutions specializes in outsourced business development; we can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities and brand leveraging integration strategy. 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 on Facebook at Steven Johnson.