Are you Exploring Cashier-less Foodservice

Amazon’s Amazon Go, Alibaba’s BingoBox are disruptors that cannot be discounted, dismissed, or detoured according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Cashier-less retail is driving consumer trial, customer migration, and foodservice sector uncertainty. 

Many legacy Grocery stores, Chain Restaurants, and Convenience Stores tout operational efficiencies however most of those efficiencies are based on industry standards established in the 1960’s and have little if any relevance today. 

If you are a foodservice company today and your business model looks more like the 1990’s, 2005, or 2015 your best days just may be behind you according to Johnson. Here is an example The foodservice retail sector is evolving faster today than ever before driven by consumers that want their orders faster than ever before.  Wendy’s, for example, planned to roll out self-ordering kiosks at about 1,000 of its retail locations by the end of 2017 in an attempt to both lure younger customers and to battle long lines at peak dining hours. That solution looks more like a yesterday than tomorrow’s retail template for success according to Johnson.

Self-service kiosk are simply a inside the box solutions while customers are looking from outside the box for incremental food options according to Johnson. What food companies sell, where they sell it and to whom they sell it too have evolved.  Selling the same thing, in the same way for most food retailers is not a long term prescription for success.  Business models are evolving. Does your business model look more like yesterday than today or tomorrow?

Cashier-less retailers today offer a wider variety of fresh prepared food and beverages enabling consumers to customize, personalize ad family dinner, individual lunch or breakfast for less and faster than most  fast food restaurants offer today.  Don’t let your foodservice brand get trapped looking back and playing catch-up while other are braking away from the pack.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Where is your new electricity coming from?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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.

Innovation Grocerants offer Different Choices and Consumer Like the new Options

What brings customers into you location with the desire to buy more and more?  Innovation; simply put doing whatever you do better, faster, and doing it with Braggability, as Braggability inspires word of mouth advertising, empowers personal endorsements, setting the stage for an ongoing dialogue according to our Grocerant Guru®. 

While Millennials are seeking food discovery, others are simply tired of the same old same old. Foodservice retail customer migration has been most difficult for legacy foodservice chains lacking differentiation.   Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson says “Differentiation does not mean different rather it means familiar with a twist and today that twist must be clearly defined and noticeable.” I ask does your foodservice retail outlet have “Braggability’? Grocerants niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food is different, much has ‘Braggability”.

When you think about it very little has changes since Henry Ford’s 1922 autobiography “My Life and Work” he famously remarked, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” In this statement, Ford the pioneer of the assembly line was stating that mass producing the same product in large numbers was the secret to keeping prices low.

All things being equal, people like to have things that are custom made just for them or allow for customization and personalization. Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® continually reminds us that the consumer is dynamic not static. That helps explain the evolving retail demand for a food platform that includes convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization that platform has become the Grocerant niche.  

Consumers like ‘eating-out while eating-in’ (eating-at-home) according to our Grocerant Guru®., means take-out food has become the food of choice, and meal component bundling is how most foodservice retailers can garner the attention of new customers. Mix and Match meal component bundling is the best way which retailers can differentiate themselves, from other retail outlets while garnering new customers with an increased frequency of purchasing

Back in the day that is to say prior to 2005 no one would have thought that the future of food was not a chain restaurant.  Streets were lined with Look-a-Like Menu-a-Like steakhouses, fern bars and grills, Quick Service Restaurants and food courts in every mall and city in the United States.

Not any longer today the Grocerant Niche fresh prepared food has caught on fire. Once considered uniquely American the grocerant niche is booming in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa of late.  Universal commonalities of time saving, lack of cooking skill-set, meal component bundling have taken root.  Many of us at Foodservice Solutions® have been helping drive success in the Grocerant niche since 1991. 

Grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food is about discovery, simplicity, and transparency fresh food fast without the labels of ingredients that no one wants to pronounce let alone understand. New unique venues and menus are two of the biggest drives companies the ilk of Pinkies Liquor stores, Wawa is much more than a C-store, Hello-Fresh is a global Meal Kit success story driving new trends. Each has ‘braggability, they are different, notable driving non-traditional meals outlets and occasions to social consumption acceptance.

These new non-traditional food retailer’s of which many serve great food in unusual surroundings, each offer a side of ‘braggability’ while creating a social buzz that is becoming a roar.  More and more that ‘braggability’ is in the form of Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. The retail foodservice and restaurant business is famously Look-a-Like Menu-a-Like outlet design alike platform. Simply put that has become boring for consumers.  What do you give your customers to talk about? Boast about?

So think about it. Does your retail foodservice outlet have ‘braggability’? How do you package your food? How do you package a meal?  Is the meal you offer today the same as it was ten years ago? If so them maybe your restaurant is running more like yesterday that today.  Create ‘braggability’ it’s simple it will make you noticed by new customers and notable by your current customers.

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 and braggability?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Grocerant Fresh Food Fuels Dinner Debate and Disruption

Success does leave clues and how and where consumers obtain dinner is a key driver of grocerant niche growth and foodservice channel migration according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

The Debate

Cook dinner, eat at a restaurant, pick-up a prepared meal and take it home, or order a meal or meal components delivered. At noon there are 80.3% of consumers that do not know what’s for dinner.  The simple fact according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards is in 2018 at 4 PM 64.9% of consumers do not know what they are going to have for dinner. 

The undercurrents of demographic change continue to drive the uncertainty according to Johnson fully 47.0% of Americans over the age of 18 are single and the need to cooking from scratch and planning for them is simply not top-of-mind.  In fact fast our 2018 ScoreCards indicate that for singles fully 76.2% top choice is ‘where to pick up dinner’.

The Choice Cook or Up-Pick-Up Meal Components

Consumers today have a plethora of choices for when it comes to dinner.  Traditionally consumers would buy food at a grocery store and cook from scratch but that was 1950-1970 and then the undercurrents of change began with an abundance of great restaurant choice and increasing fresh prepared food options at grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores. All driven by increasing time constraints on consumers combined with an increased lack of cooking skill set for new international flavor profiles consumers have become accustom.

Recent internal research by Albertsons revealed that 80% of its customers say they want meal kits in stores, according to Pat Brown, the chain’s vice president of strategic business initiatives, in an interview with CNBC. He also said that 85% of online meal subscribers want an in-store option. Albertsons bought meal kit pioneer Plated last fall and is currently rolling the line out to stores nationwide.

Hello fresh has followed suit and is now offering its meal kits at 581 Giant Food Stop & Shop grocery stores.  Johnson reminds us that those meal kits are for customers that want to cook at home and do dishes.  It’s important to note that those meal kits in grocery stores are competing with the service deli where rotisserie chicken and many other fresh prepared meal components are being sold and many are being sold for less than the cost of the meal kit.   

Bain & Co. estimates meal kit sales are “$1.5 billion annually” our Grocerant Guru® reminds us that number is like a cup of water in the Pacific Ocean. Nielsen states that meal kit spending is growing ‘more than three times as fast as other channels’ which might be more important number.

Restaurants & C-stores

Remember that 47.0% of all Americans over the age of 18 are single and restaurants and fast food drive thru restaurants specifically offer fast fresh food fast that is portable and priced very competitively has become a compelling option for what’s for dinner. Fast casual restaurants along with full service restaurants are increasingly offing delivery, pick-up or third party food delivery to compete with the drive-thru.  

The National Association of Convenience stores as regular readers of this blog know has tested their own meal kits in stores. C-stores have a decided advantage to restaurants and grocery stores according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards.  That advantage identified by 81.9% of respondents was the ability to mix & match meal components. Speed of service was second with 73.5% of consumers saying it was faster than either a restaurant or a grocery store.

Food Manufacturing Conundrum

Manufactures the ilk of Kraft-Hines, Campbell’s Soup, Tyson, Smucker’s, General Mills, and Unilever all must rethink how they are selling food.  Rethink where food is being bought? Most important food manufactures must reinvest in who is today’s consumers. Food manufactures must ask themselves do our products look more like yesterday than tomorrow.

So just what is your New Electricity? Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

McDonald’s Breakfast is Big and getting Bigger

Few retailers have the insights or brand strength to take on companies the ilk of Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast sales or catering but McDonald’s is one company that is doing just that with well-established branded products the ilk of Egg McMuffin, McGriddle, Fruit ’N Yogurt Parfait.

So McDonald’s is now testing breakfast catering in 195 restaurants in the Orlando area. The bundled morning meals include more than a dozen pre-selected catering trays serving everything from Egg McMuffins to pancakes to parfaits.

Offices can now order catered breakfast meal bundles for early morning meetings instead of ordering Donuts or Expensive Coffee.  Like ti should be breakfast catering is only available during breakfast hours. The packages, available for delivery through UberEats or for pickup, target groups of 6, 12 or 18 and larger.

A McDonald’s spokesperson via press release said “Prices are determined at the individual restaurant level and may vary,” According to a restaurant along Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando,. A catering tray for a party of 12 dubbed “Early Fiesta” cost $38.85. It includes 12 sausage burritos, 6 parfaits, 6 Fruit & Maple Oatmeals, and 6 Baked Apples Pies.

The McDonald’s Florida experiment comes as fast-food chains are focusing more on off-premise sales fighting to regain breakfast sales losses to Convenience Stores and Grocery Store service Deli’s according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

Regular readers of this blog know that in  March, Dunkin’ Donuts began offering catering in 16 locations in Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The bundled Dunkin’ Donuts packages, geared for parties of 10 or 20, range in price from $30 to $96. Plates, silverware and an exclusive “DD” branded tablecloth come with each catering order.

How is your brand expanding its reach?  Can you leverage dayparts to drive sales?  Can Delivery or Catering become your new electricity that drives top line sales and bottom line profits?  The team at Foodservice Solutions® can help you identify, quantify, and qualify new points of distribution, new products, and new daypart opportunities. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us  Are you looking a customer ahead? 

Locali's Quinoa Bowls Extend the Brands Reach

Grocerant niche ‘better-for-you’ Locali’s is continues to drive the halo of better-for-you- foods beyond the current  health-conscious convenience store and neighborhood deli according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Locali, is now extending it quality food offerings with four pre-packaged vegan and gluten-free quinoa salad bowls in Whole Foods Market stores throughout Southern California.  Regular readers of this blog know that  Locali, has locations in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Venice and Downtown Los Angeles, is changing the way consumers view healthy eating.

While the line continue to blur for food retailers Locali’s diverse menu of award-winning, “last meal-worthy” salads, sandwiches, smoothies has captured the attention of influential companies across the nation, and was asked to cater an event at the United State of Women Summit in May 2018, in partnership with Postmates. Johnson says think consumer food relevance not C-store, deli, or restaurant the ‘halo’ around Locali’s is fresh quality better-for-you’ food.

Now Whole Foods offers four of Locali’s “Killer Quinoa Bowls,” including: The Big Daddy with quinoa, arugula, vegan and gluten-free chicken marinated in spicy vegan buffalo sauce, celery, black beans and creamy dill dressing; The Krazy Kale with quinoa, shredded kale, black beans, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, sunflower seeds and chipotle lime dressing; The Odyssey with quinoa, spinach, hummus, chickpeas, artichoke tapenade, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives and creamy dill dressing; and The Deconstructed BLT with quinoa, chopped romaine, tempeh bacon, tomato, avocado and maple mustard dressing.

Has your menu evolved with consumers? Is your menu incremental to your brand? Or is you menu your brand?  How do you plan to evolve your best brand attributes?  Where are you selling your fresh prepared food?  Success does leave clues and growing your brand where your consumers shop for food is a very good clue.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success

JAB Holdings Focusing on Hand Held Food for Immediate Consumption

The undercurrents of consumer migration from traditional avenues of fresh food distribution to new non-traditional avenues of fresh food distribution have been well documented by Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

One company JAB Holding Co continued its food-industry buying spree this week this time targeting a leader in the grocerant niche chain restaurant Pret A Manger that excels with hand held food for immediate consumption and has outstanding growth prospects according to Johnson.

Jab Holding Co is the same company that bought Panera Bread to JAB in 2017 another company that excels with hand held food for immediate consumption, catering, and delivery.  The food category similarities place Jab Holding Co within the top tier of the growing grocerant niche retailers.

Pret-A-Manger was, founded in London in 1986, it currently has 530 locations worldwide, including 381 in the United Kingdom.  It has 92 restaurants scattered within the northeastern United States including Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The company had fiscal 2017 sales of $1.17 billion and according to Johnson is positioned for growth.

JAB grocerant niche has become clear to all retail players as they also have controlling interest in global coffee manufacturer Jacobs Douwe Egberts; Peet’s Coffee & Tea; Caribou Coffee Co.; Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc., and Espresso House, the largest branded coffee shop chain in Scandinavia.

The Grocerant niche is filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food for immediate consumption most of with is hand held and Jab Holding Co team has a record of innovation, consolidation, and marketing skill set to not only drive growth but incremental top line sales and bottom line profits.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Domino’s Success Branded Invitations

Success does leave clues and Domino’s ability to extend the brand via an consumer focused interactive participatory invitation is a success clue everyone should make note of according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

When Domino’s reached out to customers inviting them to submit their own recommendations for Domino’s Hotspot delivery locations across the U.S. food marketers around the country took notice. 

While more than 150,000 Domino’s Hotspots were launched in April, giving customers the option to receive deliveries at locations without traditional addresses.  New-nontraditional points of fresh food distribution the ilk of dog parks, beaches, and sports fields. That was a nod to Millennials seeking food discovery.  With this new invitation Domino’s will add even more local delivery spots based on customers’ feedback at dominos.com/suggestahotspot.

Dennis Maloney, Domino’s chief digital officer stated “We heard from customers about places in their communities that would make perfect Domino’s Hotspot locations,”.. “We’re excited to now have a system for customers to share those locations with us, making our easy-to-use Domino’s Hotspots even more relevant to our local neighborhoods.”

Here is how it works customers visit dominos.com/suggestahotspot, they can identify a new location on the delivery map for their nearest store and then mark it as a potential Domino’s Hotspot for the local franchisee to review. Once approved, customers will receive an email letting them know the location is ready to accept deliveries and the Domino’s Hotspot will appear on the map for customers to select.

So just what is your New Electricity?  How are you engaging consumers? Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us