Albertsons, Safeway, Publix and Tesco are Perplexed while Take-Out finds Success.

Legacy grocery retailers around the world are finding it harder and harder to compete with new non-traditional fresh food retailers the ilk of Eataly, Eatzi’s,  Pret à Manger, Greggs, Eat, McDonalds, Popeye’s each selling Ready-2-Eat and or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food fast.

Mothers today still want to enjoy a family meal.  The problem according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru “They do not have the time to cook nor do they have the required skill-set to prepare the multi-cultural highly specific flavor profiles meals that their families have grown accustom. Meal assembly is the standard today not cooking from scratch.” Grocery stores long term cannot compete with that.   

If you can’t Beat’em Join’em.  Publix developed a restaurant concept call Crispers (salad focus).  They have since sold it but is continues to grow and do well.  Now Great Britain’s Tesco is so concerned that is losing business to “takeaway trade in London” that it is about to launch a new concept to compete.

Restaurant, Deli, or Grocerant the new Tesco concept is reported to be a format that will position Tesco to directly compete with the likes of Pret à Manger, Eat and Greggs. The Grocerant format called "Tesco Express food to go" will focus on the urban London market. With a heavy focus on Ready-2-Eat during the mid-day-part, and Heat-N-Eat for the PM day-part Tesco is targeting time starved consumers.

Tesco has been refurbishing its grocery stores introducing "food to go" areas selling takeaway fare such as salads, artisan sandwiches and roast chicken much like Publix has done but Tesco is striving for much stronger consistency in quality, service, and freshness in it’s in-store fresh prepared food offerings.

Food consumers are migrating to new non-traditional outlets seeking Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food.  Do you know where your current customers are getting their next meal or meal component? How are you selling food today? Are you selling food like you did 5 years ago or 5 years from now? Are your courting yesterday’s customers or tomorrows customers. 

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a Grocerant Niche leveraging integration strategy.