Burger King vs. Wendy’s Big Beef with small differentiation.

Most legacy retailers have been focusing how to expand consumer demand via new points of quality “better for you” food, all the while capitalizing on the popularity of the grocerant niche. Success does leave clues and one clue is that incremental steps count and McDonalds is great at continuous incremental progress.

In a duopoly copy-cat positioning is a requirement; the burger sector is not a duopoly.  Regular readers of this blog understand that the burger sector is in the middle of the grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and expanding better for you food.

Smashburger, Five Guy’s and In & Out Burger are all expanding new units with defined points of consumer better for you quality differentiation.  Wawa, Sheetz, and 7 Eleven are all expanding both with new locations and new fresh prepared better for you food. Yet, these two legacy retailers are in a battle for the bigger burger title while growth is on hold. Can copy-cat positioning replace innovation, niche expansion or authentic differentation?

Burger King Corp. introduced for a limited-time BK Toppers line of three cheeseburgers available at participating restaurants until Dec. 31, 2011.  Each of the burgers weighs 3.2 ounces and has a suggested retail selling price of $1.99.

Wendy’s® is giving its cheeseburgers a complete “taste-lift” by totally reinventing it – beef patty, bun and toppings -- and aptly naming it Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy™ ‘Here’s the Beef!™’” The new made-to-order cheeseburger starts with fresh, North American* beef, and the patty is thicker so it will be juicier.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.  Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant