Florida is Ground Zero in the Battle for Ready-2-Eat.

Publix and Walmart are swapping ad’s at each other in an attempt to garner market share from one another all the while Wawa, Thornton’s and RaceTrac are expanding into the state at record rates trying to keep up with 7 Eleven which has refocused it eye’s on Northeast Florida. Florida restaurant sales are flat or slipping and grocerant prepared food is one reason.

The United States Census reports that 50% of adults over the age of 18 are single. Can anyone be surprised by the developments in the retail food space? Nielsen reports that in 2013 there are more convenience stores in the United States than the number of drugstores, supermarkets and dollar stores combined.

Convenience stores account for 34.8 percent of all retail outlets in the United States. The average shopper who enters the store is in and out in 3 minutes, 33 seconds. Wawa does not sell beer in any of their northeast locations and less than half of the northeast locations offer gas.  Wawa has built its reputation selling fresh prepared food. 7 Eleven currently is opening about 50% of its new locations within the United States without gas.  Food and fresh “better for you” food is the driving force for 7 Elevens growth.

With Walgreens entering the fresh food market place Floridians will have another outlet to find fresh prepared meal components.  Restaurant industry executives will need to adjust menu and marketing messaging in order to maintain market share.

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