Grocerant Niche Mix & Match Bundling is Family Meal Customization

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive top line sales and bottom line profits for Restaurants, C-stores, Grocery stores, Drug Stores. There is one universal commonality that contributes to consumer adoption across all foodservice sectors that is Mix & Match meal component bundling according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson.

Both Millennial and Gen Z generations share a desire for customizable food that’s prepared when they order according to a recent study from CSP “Millennials love customizing, and customize everything from apparel to music to news feeds.” Similarly,“Gen Z is do-it-yourself oriented. … They’re interested in opportunities to customize their food,”

Retailers need to evolve if they want garner both GenZ and Millennial consumers.  Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® stated “the ability to elevate customization within your fresh-prepared foodservice program and use equipment that can keep up with generations who demand instant gratification and portability. Here are some suggestions from CSP:

1. Toppings: Build your foodservice program around foods that are inherently customizable. A customer craving pizza, sandwiches, paninis, quesadillas or flatbreads will expect to be in control of their own toppings before they walk in the door. According to a recent Flavor Trend Report, more than 50% of millennials prefer mashups and combinations of different flavors, so expect them to switch up their customization with every visit. Meet their expectations by offering an array of freshly made produce and protein toppings, as well as on-trend sauces such as Sriracha, chimichurri or chipotle mayo.

2. Bowls: Younger generations love bowls because they are customizable and showcase a protein without the carbs of a burrito. “As diners continue to look for personalized plates, the build-your-own-bowl trend offers an attractive alternative,” according to Packaged Facts. Bowls featuring made-to-order proteins and freshly roasted vegetables feed consumers’ desire for food that’s fresh, fast and tailored to their needs. 

3. Combos: Creating the opportunity for customers to mix and match allows them to customize their healthy-to-indulgent ratio. Gen Z “[likes] indulgent foods such as frozen carbonated beverages, doughnuts and pizza, but they also want healthy options such as cereal, fruit and yogurt,” according to CSP. Made-to-order dishes such as nachos give customers the option to control the ratio of healthy and indulgent. They can also opt in for ingredients such as habanero or ghost peppers, both gaining popularity as “spicy” grew on convenience-store menus by 14% last year,

4. Speed: Young generations know what they want and they want it now; speed is an attractive quality to this generation, which seeks instant gratification. But how is it possible to deliver on speed when 57% of Gen Zers, according to CSP, are more inclined to buy from a convenience store if their food is high quality? The key is to invest in cooking equipment, such as a ventless, hoodless Ovention Matchbox Oven, that promises both speed and fresh-made quality. 

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® FIVE P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.