Cooking at home is NOT the new normal and Food Manufactures Know it.

What’s for dinner? The new normal is grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food.  If you are cooking a family meal for two, four, or five family members, chances are very good you’re buying several ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat fresh prepared meal components.  Grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants are all bundling fresh prepared meal components for the home cook.  The home cook is responding buying individualized components then mix and matching them into a customized family meal.

Foodservice branded and private label food manufactures are all vying for your attention. Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared foods including items the ilk of Swiss steak, meatloaf, baked salmon, rotisserie chicken, pizza and lasagna.  All of these fresh prepared meal components are portable in portions for 1, 2, or 5 are now available at most foodservice retail location.

Most exciting is the opportunity for new start-up’s and regional manufactures to produce sustainable business built on local, fresh and unique flavor profiles.  Legacy national brand manufactures are experiencing an increased consolidation and acquisition activities repositioning for growth in new non- traditional avenues of distribution.

Consumer are responding to these new offerings, buying meal components in new food channels, experiencing new flavor profiles all the while individualizing the family meal.  The foodservice industry is evolving with the consumer.  Those companies looking for opportunity for growth, times have never been better.

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

7 Eleven is a sales growth machine from Tampa, to Tacoma, to Taipei and back.

The world’s largest convenience store chain is a global growth machine, building top line sales, bottom line profit’s with retail outlets focusing on 7 Eleven branded fresh prepared food rather than gasoline. From Tampa, FL to Tacoma, WA 7 Eleven is building / opening nearly as many new units without gas, but with a focus on 7 Eleven private label branded fresh and prepared food offerings.

7 Eleven understands that consumers are time-starved and simply want to get in and out of the store quickly. Consumer recognize and trust 7 Elevens branded food, like the convenient locations, extended hours of operation, one-stop shopping, grab-and-go foodservice. 

With the growth of the grocerant niche 7 Eleven has proven once again it’s consumer relevance by expanding its new fresh and prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat meal options.  During the past four years the rapid accelerating of fresh food has heightened consumer awareness and driven top line success.  7 Eleven has transitioned from a convenience stores that focused on gas too attract consumers to a grocerant / restaurant that may or may not to sell gas.  7 Eleven offers fresh food fast.

Foodservice Solutions® provides 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

McDonalds LTO’s set the industry standard.

At Foodservice Solutions® we believe that differentiation does not mean different it means familiar with a consumer relevant twist. McDonalds is the global leader in vertically integrating brand marketing with relevant consumer focused brand interactive participation.  Never practicing brand protectionism McDonalds leverages LTO’s to expand the brand.

 While building a yearly marketing plan McDonalds keeps the consumer top of mind.  They integrate industry leading LTO’s with current and new menu products.  They excel at leveraging day-part participation by age with consumer focused seasonal activities. All the while evolving, controlling, and integrating brand messaging with contemporized consumer relevance. If success leaves clues, McDonalds marketing is a clue.

Understanding the universal commonality of food consumers allows McDonalds to edify the brand with industry leading differentiation yet ilk niche products and programs. Time and time again McDonalds increase consumer top of mind awareness while building consumer frequency with consumer relevant LTO’s.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. Looking for new product ideation and or brand positioning brainstorming assistance? We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  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

Wagamama success with communal dinning brings the world of flavors and people together.

When you’re ready-2-eat no need to eat alone.  The United States Census bureau reports that 50% of US adults over the age of 18 are single.  That’s was not a surprise at fast growing global restaurant chain Wagamama where communal dining tables are a staple. Wagamama has been growing around the world with consumer interactive participatory communal dining tables as a complement too high quality fresh prepared “better for you food”.

Wagamama in Boston, Massachusetts, Shells Seafood in Tampa, Florida, A Cote in Oakland and Pres a Vi in San Francisco, California all have communal dining tables. Restaurants that want to build a brand culture of consumer inclusion are rapidly expanding communal dining options.  With 50% of US adults currently single communal dinning is another way edifying a sense of community for the restaurant, its brand and the customers. Wagamama is a global food retailer utilizing food universal commonalities for retail success.

While many simply find it as a new fun experience dining with neighbors, classmates, and friends all at once.  There are those that are looking to make friends, and even long-term relationships.  Each table has its own sense of community with each new person that joins the table and it only last as long as your meal.  Starbucks has its “third place” communal dining is fun family dining without the dishes.

When you’re ready-2-eat or ready for heat-N-eat fresh prepared grocerant niche food, why not give Wagamama a try, the experience will complement your meal.  At Wagamama any meal is a good meal, so don’t wait your next best friend may be waiting for you Wagamama.

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.

The Converging Retail Food Space is The Evolving Grocerant Niche.

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.)

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

At the intersection of the consumer, fresh prepared food and technology we fine 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. Recent advances in food packaging and new points of non-traditional food distribution have empowered consumer choice, and Americans are embracing 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. Both Panera 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

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 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 restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson , Linkedin.com/in/grocerant ortwitter.com/grocerant

Do you have time Cook, Time to Shop, Time to Prepare Dinner?

If you are "ready-2-eat" there is a very good chance you are looking for fresh prepared multi-flavor, multi-ethnic Grocerant meal components. Heat-N-eat and ready-2eat fresh prepared food with portability is driving retail food success in 2012. Where are you shopping for you food today is not the same place your mother was nor is the meal prepared the same way.

As long as multi-generational family's gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors continues to permeate. Grocerant mix and match bundled meal component offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance in less time without a required cook from scratch skill set.

In the 1940's cooking from scratch was the normal. The average home cooked meal took 150 minutes to prepare. Everyone sat down at the table and enjoyed it or not but they all ate the same thing. Today's "home cooked meal" takes on average less than 30 minutes to prepared. In most cases at least two different entrées are served.

The average time spent inside a McDonalds in the 2,000 was 11 minutes. Today 65+ percent of all McDonald's food is sold via the drive-thru. U.S. fast-food chains are increasingly remodeling restaurants in an effort to garner additional drive-thru customers inside and increase sales, simple because the drive-thru can't hold all the cars.

According to the New York Times Magazine - McDonalds Came Back Bigger Than Ever McDonald's Corp. saw a 50% increase in sales during the first quarter of 2012 after opening a remodeled restaurant in Riverside, California, that features a new décor, solar panels on the carport, and ceiling panels that contain L.E.D. lights. During the first 12 months, sales at this restaurant increased 20% overall.

Walgreens is creating and bundling distinctive differentiated food consumable's as an entity with identity by day part in a mix and match meal component format in select urban setting targeted at both the office worker for lunch and meal components for them to take home for the family dinner. It is a successful program. With over 7,550 units operating in the United States Walgreens has the potential to become the most disruptive force in food retailing in 50 years. Walgreens with its modular mid-sized foot-print is garnering customers from both restaurants and grocery stores.

Consumers Want Easy to Prepare Meals

The grocerant niche continues to grow with companies like Central Market, Whole Foods, Wegmans and 7 Eleven entering the fresh prepared better for you space. Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. Safeway with its lifestyle stores are heading in the right direction however the stores are so large consumers are forced to spend more time in them than they want.

More often than not the multi-generational family today is multi-ethnic as well. Creating a demand for more varied flavors and additional cooking skill set that is simply not there. Grocery stores, Convenience Stores, Restaurants and Chain Drug Stores are all selling ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. Is your focus family dinning? Are you selling meals or meal components for Take-Out, delivery or Take-Away?

Lacking the skill set to prepared fresh prepared multi-ethnic meal components at home coupled with the time it takes to prepared a home cooked meal it is clear the buying habits of consumers will continue to evolve. Bundling mix and match meal components into a meal is one key driver within the grocerant niche. Given that most American family are comprised of multi-cultural background. The fight for share of stomach will only intensify.

Restaurants menu's at one time were very narrow in focus and have moved more upscale with offerings such as Oriental; Chicken Salad, Southwest Chicken Salad, along with a chef salads. Grocery stores on the other hand are expected to sell complete lines of reay-2-eat multi-ethnic food. That places higher expectations on grocers than restaurants or a company like Walgreens. Walgreens might just be in the perfect spot to expand fresh prepared food offerings capturing customers from both restaurants and supermarkets.

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurant concepts need to be consumer interactive and participatory.

The primary driver of the grocerant niche is quality food bundled as components allowing and promoting consumer choice.  Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.  When a family can mix and match components everyone wins.

Companies that utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; will understand how and where success can be found. Building strong sales with an integrated grocerant niche food program, leveraging distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part is a clue for success. 

The retail food consumer is dynamic not static. Grocery stores are providing additional fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant meal component options weekly. Chain Drug stores are now selling ready-2-eat fresh prepared food and Convenience stores continue up grading fresh and prepared meal offerings.

Successful branded restaurant operators must rapidly readjust menus, locations and points of distribution to reflect the increased in fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat meal competition.  Regular readers of this blog are familiar with our documentation of results of companies that practice brand protectionism over brand evolution.

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Convenience Store foodservice sales continue to fuel bottom line.

Wow, another great year for foodservice sales  within the Convenience store sector according to the results from Convenience Store News exclusive 2012 Foodservice Study.  Ninety Two percent of Convenience store operators expect to match or beat 2011Food Sales profits the study found as reported by Don Longo.

Results for last year’s study had shown that the foodservice category sales grew 7.5 percent to $25.6 billion.  Regular readers of this know that ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food sales led the category with 10.6 percent year over year results. 

Convenience Store News 2012 study revealed 90 percent of convenience stores now offer a foodservice program of some sort.  In addition 97 percent sell hot dispensed beverages, and 95 percent sell fresh prepared food.  The quality of the food offered at convenience has improved dramatically and two industry leaders Sheetz and Wawa are now consumer considered “restaurant quality”.  Sheetz states they are a restaurant that sells gas!  Who are you selling?  What are you selling them?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  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

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Photo Feast

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.    His focus of late and where Foodservice Solutions® excels is vertical brand and product positioning, marketing strategy, and business development, specifically identifying, quantifying, and qualifying niche opportunity for global foodservice related activity.   If a picture is worth a 1,000 words the link below will provide a visceral view of ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food within the grocerant niche. (Note: if the link does not work in your browser simply Google: Grocerant Photos)

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&biw=1243&bih=904&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=grocerants&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=#q=grocerants&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=1&biw=1241&bih=606

Foodservice Solutions®  emphasis is in and on the grocerant niche (better for you food that is fresh or prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat).   In addition the development and implementation of the 5 P’s for food marketing for all retail foodservice sectors,  including chain drug stores, grocery stores,  QSR’s and particularly C-store clients.  Are you looking for new avenues of distribution for your products?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  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

Burger King’s Summer Sizzles leveraging LTO’s for top line growth.

Burger King’s success this summer can in part be attributed to cool treats.  Leveraging new product albeit traditional ice cream with a twist; it looks as if Bacon Sundaes and $0.50 Cones just might have done the trick. 

The 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price while ever present at Burger King, one can clearly see how wisely they utilized them during the summer season to garner new consumers while increasing frequency by day-part. Snacking; it the new normal and treats are a double positive with consumers.

The primary driver of the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant niche food is quality food bundled as components allowing and promoting consumer choice.  Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.  When a family can mix and match components everyone wins.  Burger King’s new summer snacks provide options for family fun.  Fun comes under the hallo of “better for you” and Burger King is offering heat relief fun.

Burger King while enjoying a sales bump from its introduction of new menu items will soon be creating distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part they can truly call their own.  Burger King now has top line sales momentum and is garnering consumer support.  Success does leave clues and the next challenge new branded product as an entity with identity will be rolled out in 2013. 

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Subway’s continues disrupting the food equilibrium.

Subway is in the middle of the grocerant niche with ready-2-eat fresh and prepared food and is building new units while building per-unit sales. Consumers are looking for new products, new packaging and time saving options in ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food and Subway keeps them coming.  They are attracted to Subway by the fresh focus, portion size, price points, and interactive participatory meal preparation. 

The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in Restaurants, Convenience stores and Grocery stores via fresh prepared food in the “deli”.  The wildly successful Subway $5.00 foot-long started upsetting the cart.  The QSR value focused $1.00 menu propelled it. Now Walgreens, 7 Eleven, Target, Amazon and Whole Foods are all selling fresh food and prepared meal components. Dollar stores are entering the crowded space and the consumer is going to win.

All retail food sectors have noticed a discontinuity in consumer food shopping behavior and all are fighting for share of stomach.   Contributing to this displacement is a focus on short term market metrics particularly price and away from the consumer.   Which in turn has caused a loss is consumer traffic for those with their eye off the consumer.  There are other attributes that are much more important to the consumer than price yet many don’t take time to look.  Subway is focused on the customer with “better for you” food positioning and is disrupting the retail food equilibrium.

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.

Coffee is Cool and Starbucks is anything but Square.

Filled with consumer contemporary relevance, Starbucks continues expanding consumer interactive participatory touch points.  When QSR Magazine reported that Starbucks was the Number 3 on its top-50 list the only question left was when will Starbucks become the Number 1 QSR brand in the world?

Starbucks is more than Hot Coffee they reinvented cold coffee drinks making them hot!  Remember Frappuccino anyone? The Frappuccino line alone has produce multi-billion in retail sales for Starbucks.   Consumer contemporary relevance success is not all about original, unfamiliar, or brand new products it is differentiation on similar / traditional food products with a twist.   Starbucks simply happens to do brand and menu differentiation better in the food and beverage space than all most anyone else.

Starbucks is a food retail merchant with a focus on growing market share within the fastest growing sector of food retail, the grocerant niche.  Leveraging product diversification with retail foods universal commonalities the grocerant niche is a perfect match for a company focused on ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food.

Evolving with consumers Starbucks premium beverage leadership was edified with the addition of Evolution Fresh premium juices.  The ability to extend its brand and menu options within its own retail outlets simultaneously extending  the brand at Safeway, Whole Foods, Ralphs and health food stores creates a platform of brand success few other can duplicate.

However, Starbucks has always been about more “the third place”.  There is home, work, and Starbucks, that idea of “the third place” is safe, comfortable and consistently evolving with the consumer.  When Starbucks announced they were going to accept payment via mobile payment platform Square consumer relevance was edified once again with expanding consumer interactive participatory touch points.

Food Merchant and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said “The evolving social and digital media platforms and highly relevant payment capabilities are causing seismic changes in consumer behavior and creating equally disruptive opportunities for business.”    Starbucks has made Square payment safe, comfortable and consumer relevant. Coffee is cool and so is Starbucks.   

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.   Foodservice Solutions® provides 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® 2012 10 Retail Food Merchant Steps to Success.

Retail food merchants understand that there is a universal set of food commonalities that when viewed with the consumer in mind provide clues too retail food success. Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson of Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solution® has identified 10 clues driving the growth within the grocerant niche.

At the intersection of contemporary consumer meal consumption trends and the confluence of the time starved consumer is the grocerant niche filled with fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  Driven by consumer demand these items can be found in Grocery Stores, Chain & Independent Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Chain Drug Stores and increasing at food trucks and online food portals.

Purpose.   Why you are there; contemporized relevance! The most successful brands are inclusive include values greater than themselves. A lifestyle, a philosophy, an emotion a point in time today that means, “better for you and better for all”.

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.

Consumer interaction. 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. Consumer will build the brand and the story for you.

Trust. When you've consistently delivered for your customers long enough, you'll gain the type of trust that many brands have.  Would you buy a Toyoda today? Maybe so, but how long do they have to rebuild that trust?

Consistency. 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. The expectation must be met time after time.

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.

Imitators. Imitation is the sincerest of flattery and you're probably not a 'brand' until you have competitors trying to copy you. Do what you do best and lead your niche, don’t follow.

Market leadership Top brands are usually looked at as leaders in the markets they compete in. Own the space, and understand why you do.

Grow The best brands are flexible and capable of reshaping and reinventing themselves and their messages over time. Consumers are not static!  Your brand must be dynamic and grow, change and adapt over time.

A strong marketing presence. The information super highway is evolving; your message must follow the traffic.  Don’t get stuck on the road less traveled.

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Understanding food differentiation too out game the competition.

At Foodservice Solutions® we believe that there is a universal set of consumer food commonalities that when view with the consumer in mind provide clues to retail food success. That differentiation does not mean different it means familiar with a consumer relevant twist. 

At the intersection of contemporary consumer meal consumption trends and the confluence of the time starved consumer is the grocerant niche filled with fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  Driven by consumer demand these items can be found in Grocery Stores, Chain & Independent Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Chain Drug Stores and increasing at food trucks and online food portals.

As long as multi-generational family's gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors continues at meal time will continue to grow. Grocerant mix and match bundled meal component offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance in less time without a required cook from scratch skill set.

In the 1940's cooking from scratch was the normal. The average home cooked meal took 150 minutes to prepare. Everyone sat down at the table and enjoyed it or not but they all ate the same thing. Today's "home cooked meal" takes on average less than 30 minutes to prepared. In most cases at least two different entrées are served.  Is your company positioned to retail food sales success?

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.

McDonalds, Popeye’s, and KFC Chicken Battle Brewing.

Chicken is the most popular meat in North America second most popular selling meat in the world.  In the United States McDonalds has very successfully sold Chicken McNuggets since 1983 and is currenlty testing bone-in chicken wings.   KFC evolved from Kentucky Fried Chicken into a global power house yet is capitulating North American market share currently too Popeye’s Chicken.  McDonalds may try and garner share from both KFC and Popeye’s leveraging grocerant niche success clues.  Thus creating Chicken Wars not only in North America but around the globe.

Understanding the success of the rapidly expanding grocerant niche McDonalds has been testing mix and match meal bundling of chicken in France, Germany, and Luxembourg via the Chicken Box.   In France the Chicken Box contains six McNuggets , three chicken wings and three chicken strips.

In Germany and Luxembourg it is more consumer interactive and participatory and I quote: “The “Chicken 3er Box” is three portions and three dipping sauces. The “Chicken 5er Box” packs five portions of chicken and five sauces. You pick the chicken you want from among Chicken McNuggets (six pieces in a portion), Chicken Sticks (three in a portion) or Chicken McBites (portions are by weight not number). Mix and match as you wish. Want five portions of McNuggets? Fine.”

Chicken is versatile, convenient, made to order, encapsulate fresh, personalization, and portability.   That by the way just happens to be the heart and soul of the grocerant niche; personalization, portability and portion size. At the intersection of contemporary consumer meal consumption trends and the confluence of the time starved consumer is the grocerant niche filled with fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  McDonalds plans to leverage the fact that chicken is the second most popular meat in the world to expand its menu opportunities while leveraging the success tactic’s found within the grocerant niche.

Don’t discount McDonalds, the can rapidly become a huge player in the chicken sector. Fun Fact: The most popular meat consumed in the world is goat.

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.

Fresh Prepared food with portability is driving retail food success.

Consumers Want Fast and Easy Meals for Dinner. Do you have time to eat, time for dinner or even time for cooking at home today?

If you are "ready-2-eat" there is a very good chance you are looking for fresh prepared multi-flavor, multi-ethnic Grocerant meal components. Heat-N-eat and ready-2eat fresh prepared food with portability is driving retail food success in 2012. Where are you shopping for you food today is not the same place your mother was nor is the meal prepared the same way.

As long as multi-generational family's gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors continues to permeate. Grocerant mix and match bundled meal component offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance in less time without a required cook from scratch skill set.

In the 1940's cooking from scratch was the normal. The average home cooked meal took 150 minutes to prepare. Everyone sat down at the table and enjoyed it or not but they all ate the same thing. Today's "home cooked meal" takes on average less than 30 minutes to prepared. In most cases at least two different entrées are served.

The average time spent inside a McDonalds in the 2,000 was 11 minutes. Today 65+ percent of all McDonald's food is sold via the drive-thru. U.S. fast-food chains are increasingly remodeling restaurants in an effort to garner additional drive-thru customers inside and increase sales, simple because the drive-thru can't hold all the cars.

According to the New York Times Magazine - McDonalds Came Back Bigger Than Ever McDonald's Corp. saw a 50% increase in sales during the first quarter of 2012 after opening a remodeled restaurant in Riverside, California, that features a new décor, solar panels on the carport, and ceiling panels that contain L.E.D. lights. During the first 12 months, sales at this restaurant increased 20% overall.

Walgreens is creating and bundling distinctive differentiated food consumable's as an entity with identity by day part in a mix and match meal component format in select urban setting targeted at both the office worker for lunch and meal components for them to take home for the family dinner. It is a successful program. With over 7,550 units operating in the United States Walgreens has the potential to become the most disruptive force in food retailing in 50 years. Walgreens with its modular mid-sized foot-print is garnering customers from both restaurants and grocery stores.

Consumers Want Easy to Prepare Meals

The grocerant niche continues to grow with companies like Central Market, Whole Foods, Wegmans and 7 Eleven entering the fresh prepared better for you space. Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. Safeway with its lifestyle stores are heading in the right direction however the stores are so large consumers are forced to spend more time in them than they want.

More often than not the multi-generational family today is multi-ethnic as well. Creating a demand for more varied flavors and additional cooking skill set that is simply not there. Grocery stores, Convenience Stores, Restaurants and Chain Drug Stores are all selling ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. Is your focus family dinning? Are you selling meals or meal components for Take-Out, delivery or Take-Away?

Lacking the skill set to prepared fresh prepared multi-ethnic meal components at home coupled with the time it takes to prepared a home cooked meal it is clear the buying habits of consumers will continue to evolve. Bundling mix and match meal components into a meal is one key driver within the grocerant niche. Given that most American family are comprised of multi-cultural background. The fight for share of stomach will only intensify.

Restaurants menu's at one time were very narrow in focus and have moved more upscale with offerings such as Oriental; Chicken Salad, Southwest Chicken Salad, along with a chef salads. Grocery stores on the other hand are expected to sell complete lines of reay-2-eat multi-ethnic food. That places higher expectations on grocers than restaurants or a company like Walgreens. Walgreens might just be in the perfect spot to expand fresh prepared food offerings capturing customers from both restaurants and supermarkets.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. For product or brand positioning assistance contact Steven  Johnson or the Grocerant LinkedIn page or on Facebook at Steven Johnson, BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants or Grocerant on Twitter

Restaurant sector cedes sales to other food retail sectors.

Highly respected restaurant industry analyst from The NPD Group, Bonnie Riggs reported yesterday that restaurant industry sales in the United States “which struggled through a slow spring season and will likely see flat traffic for the next two years.”  Riggs has proven very accurate in her predictions.

Where are restaurant customers migrating?  Regular readers of this blog know; the grocerant niche. Restaurants are part of the grocerant niche.  However, the new entrants into ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food are garnering momentum energized by positive consumer response, top line sales and bottom line profits.  Restaurants are just beginning to understand the depth of competition.

The grocerant niche is a result of the blurring of the line between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and chain drug stores all selling fresh prepared, portable convenient meal solutions that are “better you,” portable and portioned for one or two.

Interestingly Riggs noted “Some segments, especially fast food, continue to be strong. The so-called quick service sector brings in 78% of restaurant traffic and enjoyed a 2% boost in the spring. But visits to mid-scale family dining establishments and casual spots slid 3% and 2%, respectively.

Given the fact that 50 percent of United States adults over the age of 18 years old, are single according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The growth in ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food should continue for some time.  Is your grocery store, restaurant, C-store bundling meal components by day-part?  What to know how to build both the top and bottom line in the grocerant niche?  Contact Foodservice Solutions® via Email at: grocerant@q.com

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.

Are Metro AG, The Tengelmann Group, and Marks & Spencer looking at United States for Growth?

“Shallow Shoppers” pose an additional risk for Safeway, Supervalu and Kroger. Three of the United States largest grocery store chains faced with underfunded multiemployer pension plans have a growing drain on cash flow and earnings reported Jon Springer in Supermarket News.  When combined with an exposure to “Shallow Shoppers” the risk of takeover would appear even greater.

Safeway, Supervalu and Kroger just might be getting another look from Metro AG, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour, or The Tengelmann Group.  While Europe’s largest retailers prepare for an economic slowdown on their home turf could they be looking at Supervalu as the next opportunity? 

The Tengelmann Group has learned lessons of retailing in the United States and now understands what it takes to convert a legacy chain that is out of step with consumers into one with contemporary relevance.  Tengelmann Group is an outstanding multi-concept food retailer with a global reach.  If not Supervalu, Kroger are they looking at Safeway?

Metro’s new CEO Didier Fleury is looking for growth as well.  Will these three chains in the United Sates all with “Shallow Shoppers” be a target?  Don’t forget that the Carrefour Group is repositioning for growth right now as well.

Shallow Shoppers as defined in “The Commitment Economy” survey of over 39,000 people in 17 markets as “consumers which would love to shop at a better quality retailer, but who are unable to because of alternatives are too far away or too expensive”.  Leveraging new ownership with grocerant niche positioning will provide the platform for shallow shopper conversion.

All retail food brand managers will become more and more familiar with the term Shallow Shoppers as they target additional market share.  Growth in top line sales and bottom line profits are realized by making a quality differentiated product with consumer relevance accessible to additional markets and consumers. Do you have Shallow Shoppers?  Why? What are you doing to edify your brand and products with consumers? 

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Burger Chains are Moving Forward with Consumers.

The Hamburger is ready-2-eat, hand held and prepared to eat on the run, convenient, simple and affordable. Contrary to popular belief Americans do not eat hamburgers daily, not most Americans anyway.

Versatile, convenient, made to order burgers have been the mainstay of chains but now sandwiches, wraps fresh coffee with personalization, and portability are driving growth.  

During the past 4 decades hamburgers drove sales and propelled the overall OSR sector of the restaurant industry. Without a doubt the hamburger is now globally recognized as a penultimate American food.  Industry leader McDonalds is evolving from burger chain to restaurant café/chain and is leading the way.

McDonalds with innovative new products, continually reimaging stores and a focus on the consumer is the global leader in restaurant sales. In the United States the undercurrents of a burger sector in upheaval and transition is emerging for every position within the burger QSR sector except the top spot.

McDonalds is and will remain number one for many years to come after recently expanding its coffee and beverages offerings successfully.  They are now testing meaty chicken wings in three different flavors McDonalds is again expanding day-part reach and seasonal opportunity.  Will McDonalds cater your Super Bowl Party? They soon just might.

The upstarts Five Guy’s, Smashburger, Fatburger are garnering market share from largely legacy second tier players burger players.  Each is offering the consumer something new, fresh and “better for you”.   The next company in the burger QSR niche to watch will be In-N-Out Burgers. If In-N-Out Burgers does half as well in Texas as they do in California and Nevada they will accelerate growth and watch out. In-N-Out had a Pop-Up restaurant in Singapore last week.  In-N-Out sold out of product in five minutes.  Will In-N-Out follow Darden’s lead and franchisee internationally? Will remodeling or copy-cat menus be enough to propel legacy players?

Red Robin and Fuddruckers are fast getting on track and gaining back market share. The Hard Rock Café and TGI Fridays are trying to pull away from the burger category.  Will that work for them? We may have seen the tipping point at the mid-priced burger category now that seemingly all celebrities including the likes of, Bobby Flay, Emeril Legasse each have opened and are more and more gourmet burger restaurants.

Burger chains are moving forward with consumers are you? What are you selling and to whom this year?  What will your customers expect from you next year?  Who is interpreting your competitive market intelligence? Out-side eyes can make all the difference in Top line Sale 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.

Restaurateur’s Read Rest Reap Rewards

Food retailers typically come mid-August review sales from the first half of the year and make adjustments.  Consumers have left clues as to the direction of retail sales in 2012.  One clue that highlights all this years is the success of retail fresh prepared food sales in non-traditional avenues of distribution.

Here is our list of books and blogs to read this summer and fall prior to the end of the year. Success does leave clues and this reading list is one of them.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Building Stories by Chris Ware

Fundamentals: 9 Ways to Be Brilliant at the New Basics of Business by Jim Sullivan

Grocerants.blogspot.com

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

By By Grocery Store Hello Grocerant

Dollar stores have cherry picked the “center of the store” (grocery aisle shelf stable goods) for 15 years.  Consumers have responded with frequent trips to Dollar stores buying shelf stable products for less.  Even more important consumers can get in and out of Dollar stores fast. While legacy grocery stores continue focusing on legacy metric’s the ilk of “basket size”.  Consumers have wondered on, looking for fresh prepared ready-2-eat and or fresh prepared heat-N-eat food aka grocerant food.

Food industry analysts have not been surprised by the volume of sales declines over the last two quarters of many “center of the store” items. “Heinz reported a drop of 2.4 percent in its second quarter. Kraft unit sales were down 2.8 percent in its first quarter, and at Kellogg, its North American volumes were down 1.7 percent in its second quarter.” These analysts continually report on the success of the fresh food stations at Whole Foods, the sales per square foot at Trader Joe’s filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food.  Is your company doing what is has always done?  Are you waiting for consumers to come back?  Consumers move forward.

Consumers talk about cooking from scratch but when probed it’s clear a “home cooked” meal for a family of four with the parents under 40 is typically a bagged salad, rotisserie chicken, and vegetable or desert bought from a store.  Bundling meal mix and match components from fresh prepared ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food into a customized family meal is fast replacing cooking from scratch.

Legacy food retailers must evolve with the consumer.  It they do not they risk becoming the next Tower Records, Blockbuster Video or Burger Chef.  Is your company ready to move forward?

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.

Is Popeye’s Cheryl Bachelder 2012 Food Merchant of the Year?

Leveraging consumer focused migration marketing information during its most recent quarter; Popeye’s’ same-store sales increased 8.1%. Shares of Popeye’s parent company AFC Enterprises Inc. increased 52% over the last 12 months.  How is your food retail company doing?  Are you ready for some success clues?

Ms. Bachelder is a seasoned C-level chain executive with a keen focus on the consumer.  Leveraging menu innovation and new points of food distribution (the suburbs) has empowered additional consumer choice and the choice was Popeye’s. The results are in and they are clear.  Sale are up double the industry average, growth for this company founded in 1972 is back and will lead the industry for several years to come.

Popeye’s ability under Ms. Bachelder to bundle distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part, in a mix and match meal component format, leverages the success of the grocerant niche for long term success.

NPD Group reported that there were 12.4 billion drive-thru visits in 2011 that was up 2% from 2010.  There is no doubt that the number will simply continue to grow. Growing Popeye’s in the suburbs is a perfect match of corporate planning meets food consumption trends. Food Portability drives top line sales and bottom line profits Bachelder understand both the industry and consumer.

 Popeye’s menu allows Meal time to become a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.   If you are interested in learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer focused convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact Foodservice Solutions®.

Cheryl Bachelder understands that retail food consumers are dynamic not static. Consumers on the other hand have a plethora of universal commonalities that indicate just where they may be headed next when buying, Bachelder has tapped into those commonalities for success. She understands that Channel blurring is not in the mind’s eye of the consumer.  Channel blurring is only in the mind’s eye of the legacy marketing managers in legacy companies. My vote for Food Merchant of 2012 is tilting at Popeye’s and Cheryl Bachelder.

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant