Consumers are looking for Fine Food Fast but Not at Restaurants

Fine Food Fast is quality Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food found in Grocery stores Deli’s, C-stores, Liquor stores and retail drug stores all offering mix and match meal component offerings. Restaurant quality food or better can be found at Eatzi’s, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Walgreens.

Yes, I know each of the companies we just listed are ‘Up-scale’ niche players.  However Kroger, Safeway each offer Mix and Match Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food meal bundling.  At Safeway consumers can get a Whole Rotisserie Chicken and two one pound side orders for less than $10.00.  That is cooked Ready-2-Eat and no clean up.  Restaurants chains the ilk of Boston Market are taking notice.

The undercurrents of the farm-to-table movement have gone main stream and freshness is seen as ‘better for you’ and customers perceive produce and prepared food from grocery stores restaurant quality or better according to Foodservice Solution® Grocerant Guru™.

Two companies sold a million meals last quarter that are threating both the restaurant sector and grocery sector are Hello Fresh, and Plated each is selling fine food fast.  At one time the healthy food movement was dominated by restaurants selling fresh and health food stores.  Today, retailers the ilk of Hello Fresh and Plated are being discovered by a new generation of consumers Millennials and they are driving change.

Is your company selling food the same way it did 30 years ago? Is your brand looking more like yesterday than tomorrow? Fresh prepared food no longer is a point of differentiation is required even demanded by consumers.  Is your brand evolving with consumers or practicing brand protectionism of the 1980’s and 1990’s?

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits.  Invite www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Have you completed a Grocerant Scorecard? Contact: 253-759-7869 or Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us