Happy New Year

Foodservice Solutions® assist companies in demystifying food channel points of distribution and menu opportunity. We specialize in Grocerant niche program strategy development, including program rollout with consumer relevant contemporized components, specifically brand edifying new product positioning and brand continuum positioning.

Many legacy companies peg their brand to a specific product or day-part. In industry terms it’s called brand protectionism. Foodservice Solutions® integrates its 5 P’s of food marketing (Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price) into a company specific retail food strategy; providing a platform for success within the fastest growing retail food sector the grocerant niche.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® for innovation ideation, for brand food brainstorm sessions, new product placement ideations. Is it time that you tried our grocerant program assessments. 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

Top 10 searched restaurant brands.

The list below contains the Google’s top searched restaurant brands for 2011.

The list is as follows:

1. Pizza Hut
2. Domino’s
3. Papa John’s
4. Starbucks
5. McDonald’s
6. Olive Garden
7. Subway
8. Applebee’s
9. Jimmy John’s
10. Buffalo Wild Wings

Want to know more The list, including weekly and monthly details, can be found here:
http://www.googlezeitgeist.com/en/top-lists/us/lifestyle/restaurants

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.

Subway will grow at a rate of 6.8 stores a day.

Subway now exists in 98 countries adding 5 new restaurants a day worldwide. Subway now has more than 35,800 franchised locations. This year became the world's largest restaurant chain in terms of number of locations, and was just named the top ranked restaurant brand in Entrepreneur magazine's annual Franchise 500 listings. Can you say $ 5.00 foot-long!  Has your company made the list of late?

Subway's 2011 openings included 1,000 new locations in the U.S. and Canada alone. A big part of the chain's growth came from nontraditional spaces such as convenience stores, department stores, train stations, museums, hotel lobbies and movie theaters. This year marked the company's 8,000th nontraditional opening. The consumer is dynamic not static your brand should be as well.

Subway's growth is expected to continue into 2012, with plans to add 2,500 more restaurants, approximately 6.8 new stores a day worldwide.  So how is fast is brand growing? Not growing, Why?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® for innovation ideation, for brand re- positioning brainstorm sessions, new product placement ideations.  Is it time that  you tried our grocerant program assessments. 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

Chain Restaurant sameness creates consumer discontinuity.

Grocerant niche ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food continues to drive top line growth. Restaurant consumer discontinuity is the focus on much attention from consultants to chain executives.   As an industry our concern is and should be share of stomach, first by company, second by niche-market share and third the restaurant industry overall. 

The economy is not our largest problem it is competition for share of stomach; specifically by the ready-2-eat and  heat-N-eat fresh prepared meal section of the grocery stores and C-stores or as I call it the Grocerant section.

Under reported but well known by regular reader of this blog. Noted and followed here at Foodservice Solutions since 2005.  Which was by; the way the first year that recorded a consumer increase in percent household spending for food in grocery stores and away from restaurants in 25 years.   It continues, we understand why are here to help.

Restaurants, Grocery stores and the Convenience store sectors are all competing for share of stomach and the consumers are attracted to the options presented by within the Grocerant niche.  Is your company in need of a grocerant niche assessment, national or global grocerant store tour?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® for innovation ideation, for brand re- positioning brainstorm sessions, new product placement ideations.  Is it time that  you tried our grocerant program assessments. 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

Catering is a platform for food brand manager success watch Safeway.

Unbounded opportunity for food marketing brand managers is developing in the Grocerant niche (prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat better for you food). Consumer Reports found in a head-to-head qualitative blind taste test 29 store branded food products were tested that, 23 of the 29 private label vs store branded products scored as good as or better than the national brand.  With the success in private label behind them, grocery stores are catering fresh prepared food with a focus on local business offices.

Grocerant food that is ready-2-eat fresh prepared food is now finding its way in large store formats like Safeway’s Lifestyle stores, HEB’s Central Market, and Harris Teeter to the table of business luncheons.   Utilizing traditional category management techniques all of these companies are seeing success in fresh food.  Lead by Safeway’s Brand Marketing team fresh food offerings are being pushed from store to the office party all while expanding the brand freshness.

Catering fresh prepared ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food is nothing new.  The Safeway has studied the industry and picked up all the right clues.  Within retail food service there is a battle for share of stomach. The brand managers at Safeway are focused on the consumer with fresh prepared ready-2-eat food all while extending the brand.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® for innovation ideation, for brand re- positioning brainstorm sessions, new product placement ideations.  Is it time that  you tried our grocerant program assessments. 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-2-Eat fresh branded food propels growth for Convenience-store sector.

Building both the top and bottom line, convenience stores make growth look easy.  Leveraging legacy locations, convenience, speed of service while integrating branded fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food; convenience stores are garnering customers from both the restaurant and grocery sectors.

Convenience stores foodservice offerings have largely been over looked or dismissed by Quick Service Restaurant chain operators and grocery stores.  Following the lead of Wawa, Sheetz, Rutters and now 7 Eleven the convenience store sector is branding food programs from coast to coast.  More importantly they are garnering a lager share of stomach with improving food quality, healthful offerings and speed of service that quite frankly QSR’s can’t keep up with.

David Sprinkle, publisher of Packaged Facts stated "By enhancing foodservice quality and variety, we believe convenience stores are poised to benefit from increased sales of gasoline and other merchandise, as consumers seek to consolidate their purchases in the interest of efficiency"…"Because it is so well positioned, we anticipate that convenience store industry foodservice sales growth will outperform the retail and restaurant foodservice industry average through 2013."

In fact Packaged Facts projects that convenience store foodservice sales grew 6% in 2010, and will rise an additional 6% in 2011 and 5% in 2012.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® for innovation ideation, for brand positioning, product placement.  Do you need  a grocerant program assessment?  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

Happy Holiday's



Food retailers battle for market share in 2012.

Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores are all scurrying to reposition their product /menu mix of better for you prepared food to garner an increase in share of stomach.  Competitive may not be a strong enough word for the battle between sectors and companies for the consumer.   The Grocerant niche is where all the action is consisting of better for you prepared portable ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food.

McDonalds, Wegmans, Starbucks, Sheetz, Boston Market and Wawa have done great things in the foodservice area but the equilibrium between financial success and breakthrough top of mind recognition might be amiss. In Seth Godin's  book Purple Cow where the entrepreneur wants to recapture some of the magic that the brand at one time had. Godin suggests that the key to success is finding a way to stand out and be remarkable, like a purple cow in a field of regular cows.
The challenged for each company is the ability to see and understand the customers focus at its core, not your brands core. Success does leave clues and companies leading the charge in 2012 will be leaders within their niche for years to come. 
Does your team have the ability to ask outliner questions of researchers in order to identify outliner results for your product or brand?  Have you identified a new avenue of distribution or a new product that can be your Purple Cow?  Many companies are in turmoil due to the economic quagmire, very few companies will do something bold, new and fresh if they do they will garner market share for years to come.
We 'can't run fast, leap tall buildings but we sure can think outside the box with a consumer focus.  Do you need an outsiders eye’s with inside knowledge, capable of assisting you to break out of the quagmire and into a new leadership role within your niche.  Now is when the next generations of industry leaders are being formed. We all know the status quo is not.  Success does leave clues and looking forward is just one of them.  For help finding your purple cow, call Foodservice Solutions®.

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Fred Meyer Northwest Holiday Meal with Sustainability

Kroger has a national footprint in the grocery sector.  One of Kroger’s keys to success is decentralization, utilizing the national halo of Kroger then leveraging regional brand names to position it as close to the customer as it can. With Portland, Oregon headquarter Fred Meyer, Kroger has a winner this holiday season with its ready-2-eat holiday meal specials. 

Fred Meyer focusing on Northwest holiday traditions, family gatherings and fishing season, again this year is promoting a Mix and Match Fresh Local Northwest Dungeness Crab bundled meal.  For a limited time they offer Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab, Signature Salad, Sonoma Chardonnay, Lounsbury Cocktail Sauce, baked or take and bake baguette and of course butter. 

In the northwest nothing say holiday like breaking bread and crackin’ crab.  Fred Meyer leverages regional favorites, local suppliers and first of the season, into local, favorite and happy holiday sales.   Success within the grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat niche is a simple as crackin’ crab! 

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Domino’s engaging consumers via Facebook.

Understanding the consumer is something that Domino’s Pizza does better than anyone other pizza company in America. This week seeking consumer interactive brand participation Domino’s up-loaded to their facebook.com home page the photo’s above.

Note: This is pizza is an ideation only, but garnering attention from consumers and competitors alike. Here is what some are saying “Uploaded to the brand’s Facebook page, this pizza makes use of cheese as a backdrop of snow, spinach as the leaves of the tree, sausage as the trunk, olives, red peppers and tomatoes as decor and a yellow pepper as the star.” 

Starbucks stated with online product ideations suggestion while many scoffed at the attempt, service, quality, store “look and feel” have all been influenced of late.  The consumer is dynamic not static allowing ones brand to grow with the consumer is a key element in continued brand growth.

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurants can say yes to Food Stamps.

Food Stamp Recipients deserve the full range of Alternative and Affordable Meal Solutions. Food Stamps, or now more commonly called EBT cards (Electronic Benefits Transfer) should be accepted at Fast Food (QSR) restaurants.

Yum Brands did the right thing requesting permission to accept food stamps at fast food…its restaurants in Kentucky. Our question is: why not in every state?

The reported US unemployment rate is hovering at 8.9%, but we all know that combined with the underemployed and those not even looking any longer the unemployment rate is much closer to 20%. It's clear a large portion of America is going without. Unemployment numbers are disproportionately high for those under 24 and over 55 increasing anxiety while creating a climate of disorder in the workforce.

The NPD Group reports that" the number of annual restaurant visits by an average Millennial consumer (age 16 to 30) has dropped from 245 visits five years ago to 192 this year -- approximately one fewer visit each week. Additionally, a National Restaurant Association survey found that in July, restaurant performance dropped to its lowest level in almost a year, and restaurant owners predicted their worst overall performance expectations in 20 months. This gets more complicated as fast food blurs the lines between a meal and a snack .

Subsidized in part with food stamp programs Conveniences stores, Chain Drug Stores, Grocery Stores and now Walmart Express are increasing fresh food sales and garnering ready-2-eat market share.

Why Are the Food Police ignoring 45 Million people's needs in using food stamps for fast food?

QSR's, Fast Casual, Casual Dining and all other restaurant formats as well as deli's should be able to accept food stamps. Why?

Recession, stagnation or double dip… 45 million plus Americans are currently receiving assistance from the Food and Nutrition Service division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the USDA SNAP), which oversees the food stamp program. Like most legacy government programs it's time to update this program ensuring participant parity and contemporized consumer relevance. For another view here is a link:

http://foodbeverage.about.com/b/2011/11/28/yum-brands-retreats-from-lobbying-for-food-stamps-at-fast-food.htm

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Quickchek when you’re ready-2-eat all day every day.

It does not matter what time of day to get started, Quickchek has fresh coffee, iced coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccino 24 hours a day every day.  Quickchek is one of the leading convenience store chains selling quality ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh food.  Quickchek is focused on the grocerant niche and building customer loyalty and frequency with fresh food.  

Understanding the power of choice they have breakfast burritos, sandwiches.  The Rancho burrito is filled with Scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese, southwest corn and black bean salsa in a 10” tortilla. They have a  breakfast club sandwich with scrambled eggs with ham, bacon, cheddar cheese and tomatoes with roasted tomato and garlic spread on a sub roll.  Quickchek is not your grandfather’s convenience store. 

They have chicken wings with a choice of five signature sauces including Spicy buffalo, creamy ranch, honey mustard, Bourbon BBQ or low fat jalapeno ranch.  With a full complement of signature salads and premium Angus Burgers Quickchek’s menu is more akin to many legacy casual restaurants chains than legacy C-stores.  Built on quality food and convenience Quickchek is rapidly growing in the grocerant niche.

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Walgreens testing Soft Serve or food court.

When you’re ready-2-eat your next sweet treat you may just be stopping by one of the 459+ Walgreens CafeW’s for a frozen yogurt. Duane Reade aka Walgreens in NYC began testing a new frozen yogurt bar.  Now at the 52^nd and Broadway location you can find a: slurpee-esque Freezee station, its Good & Delish oatmeal station, self-serve juice/smoothie offerings and the Sushi Station for fresh custom ordered sushi and frozen yogurt.  That sounds  like a food court to me.

The Yogurt bar is called the “Fro-Yo Bar will include the following flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Original Tart, Blueberry Tart, Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Mango, Coffee and Peach. Toppings will include various candies, fresh fruit, cereals and Ghirardelli sauces.”

I like what Walgreens is doing.  They carry both fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  I think that the addition of frozen yogurt is a perfect complement to cafeW’s all around the country.  If you’re in the store waiting for a prescription to be filled a cup of coffee or a frozen yogurt is a perfect way to pass the time.  Walgreens is going to be a large player in the ready-2-eat, heat-N-eat grocerant niche.

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Foodservice Solutions® retail food success comes in the Grocerant Niche.

The Grocerant niche is inclusive of all ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared fresh food products offered by any food retailer.  This niche is driven by demand from consumers.  Food retail companies are now flooding into the space focused on ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food.   

Foodservice Solutions® assist companies in demystifying food channel points of distribution and menu opportunity.  We specialize in Grocerant niche program strategy development, including program rollout with consumer relevant contemporized components, specifically brand edifying new product positioning and brand continuum positioning. 

Many legacy companies peg their brand to a specific niche, product or channel.  In industry terms it’s called brand protectionism. Foodservice Solutions® integrates its 5 P’s of food marketing (Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price) into a company specific retail food strategy; providing a platform for success within the fastest growing retail food sector the grocerant niche. 

The consumer is dynamic not static, brands must be the same.  Foodservice Solutions views a product or brand from the consumer view utilizing well established but different set of consumer metrics than legacy traditional internal metrics. 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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Burger King innovation success comes in better French Fries and Free.

Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing are: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.  Today Burger King has declared “Free Fries Friday”.  Burger King is leveraging all® 5 P’s of food marketing are: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price offering consumer a free sample order of fries.

Free is “better for you”; the new Burger King French Fry, which I have had the opportunity to try is Good.  Indeed, it is then a “better for you” product with a “halo” of brand value and industry buzz via the free promo that will allow Burger King to regain some momentum in the burger sector.

Leo Leon, vice president, global innovation, Burger King Corp stated “We believe our new fries are the latest example of our commitment to quality and innovation, and we invite everyone to visit our restaurants and taste the difference.”

Here at Foodservice Solutions® differentiation does not mean different it means similar with a twist.  The new Burger King French Fry is very noticeably better and the twist is it will be a quality driver moving forward.

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/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Boston Market: Fewer Units Again

Boston Market finds itself at the end of 2011 with fewer total units than they had in 2010. This story is simply the same one we have witnessed year after year with this company.  Boston Market finds itself in the conundrum of being in Sun Capital’s retail food group. Ask Friendly’s and Real Mex employees just how that is working.  

Boston Market (BM) once a leader in the grocerant niche, attempted to re-position away from the fastest growing retail food sector the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food niche and into “casual in-store” dinning.  Why, why even bother asking.  Sun Capitals food team at least appears consistently filled with misguided efforts.  In the BM case they are so far wrong in direction and timing it’s simply professionally embarrassing.

Their spin is remaining unit sales numbers are up?  Well come on, all chain restaurants that remodel – positioning garner a natural 2-3% uptick.  However in BM’s case when you increased the marketing advertising spend one would expect to see stellar numbers.  We are hearing they are holding onto up numbers but nothing stellar or even close.  

Scott Beck please buy back BM, you understand BM, the grocerant niche, consumer flow and positioning for success.  Scott Beck understood how to look a customer ahead. When McDonald’s own BM they tried to put it in a QSR box, under Sun Capital they utilize retail foodservice philosophy’s, positioning and branding ideations from the 70’s and 80’s text book.  The consumer is dynamic not static.  Without change next year BM will be a bit smaller again.  Many retail food chains are growing units topline sales and bottom line profits. 

The fastest growing sector of retail foodservice is the Grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food.  BM was once the leader of the pack, it time for them to get the mojo back.  

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

Retail Foods contemporary relevance.

Retail foodservice is undergoing a transformation or is it simply a migration from traditional cooking from scratch to Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food.  Here are some interesting view of a changing retail food world or not.  Maybe the more change the more things are the same. 

1.        Hudson Riehle  stated recently that 26% of chefs ranked smartphone apps as the top restaurant technology trend in 2012.  Can anyone be surprised? 

2.       McDonald's has "promoted" Tweet 2nite that goes to "Party with #BigMac" & Facebook RSVP link. 

3.       Google gobbles up restaurant-recommendation app. 

4.       TaskRabbit raises $17.8M, plans to hop into Seattle with errand service http  how many of the errands will be food related?  We suspect many. 

You better be good because Santa Claus is coming to a White Castle in a town near you this holiday season! More than 370 participating restaurants are hosting Breakfast with Santa from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 17. This is the first year White Castle is hosting Breakfast with Santa.

Up to four children, 12 and younger, eat free with each adult who makes a purchase.

The children’s menu includes:

• A small four-piece French Toast Sticks and small hash rounds with juice or milk
• tne breakfast Slider on a bun and small hash rounds with juice or milk

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

The Food Price Conundrum Reset for 2012

The food price value equilibrium continues resetting in Restaurants, Grocery stores and Convenience stores, where is the bottom?  We won’t know until the consumer stands still.  Retail foodservice consumer discontinuity is the only constant.  Consumers are looking for “better for you” products at a better for you price. 

What is the price of breakfast?  McDonalds is putting the US on notice that it does not plan any capitulation of breakfast market share! There is no greater gift than customers that love your food, and will pay for it-but at what price?   Here is my formula for establishing customer focused price in 2012:

Price + Quality + Service + Portability = Value 

Incremental Value = Constantly Changing Menu (Seasonally / Sustainability with creditability). 

Successful retail food operators today need to utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of Food Marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. Then  leverage them too build strong sales with an integrated grocerant niche food program filled with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.  

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 Email: grocerant@q.com

Safeway is out catering Au Bon Pain, Boston Market, and KFC for the Holidays.

When you’re ready for your next holiday office party, office celebration, birthday or retirement party, there is no need to order from a restaurant or catering company any longer. All you have to do is go on line to Safeway.com there you will find one page ordering, and if you order by 8:30 AM same day delivery. 

The best part is for a limited time, when you visit Safeway.com your delivery is FREE. All you have to do is enter the Promo Code: BREAKROOM.  (Note free delivery is valid for your first order only and with a minimum order of $49 in areas that they have delivery).  Guaranteed deliver windows of 1 hour Safeway is going to be a very serious ready-2-eat player. Retail foodservice success is about garnering Share of Stomach and Safeway’s team of ready-2-eat brand managers is doing an excellent job integrating the messaging system wide and too the customers. 

Tradition be dammed caterers and restaurants be forewarned. Safeway is a ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant niche power player.  They have the Signature Café Chicken Snack Attack Tray, Love Those Veggies Tray, Primo Taglio Party Platter, Spiral Sliced Ham need I go on.  Safeway will deliver beverage and food right into your BREAKROOM.  So if your staff is working hard and they deserve a treat, I recommended Safeway.com this holiday season.  Safeway is redefining grocerant food delivery options by integrating the 5 P’s of food marketing into all aspects of its business model. 

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.

Links:

 www.Safeway.com, ,  www.aubonpain.com, www.BostonMarket.com www.KFC.com

Food, Fresh or Prepared Fresh is better for business.

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 are “better for you”.  These components can be bundled into a meal of the consumer choice.

Grocerant food refers to any retail food item that is ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat  sold in a Grocery store, Convenience Store, Chain Drug Store or Restaurant  for To-go or Take Away format.  Most retail companies goal is to create a collection of branded private label entrée and side dishes that have niche leading identity.

Traditionally these items can be found in grocery stores  in the deli / lifestyle section,  C-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.  If success leaves clues most retailers having success have developed a reputation for their unique flavor profiles, right sizing packaging and creating a halo of better for you around their offerings.

Around the world we are now seeing Grocerant sections in department’s stores and kiosk in malls in Europe / Asia and airports around the world.   The items can range from entrees to side items and deserts.  Some examples of items range from crab puff pastries 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.  Grocerant prepared ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat foods contributes to making life just a little easier.  For a Grocerant program assessment contact Steve Johnson at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions. 

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.