Independent Restaurants Regain Sales Momentum with ChowNow

 

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® continues to get deluged with complaints from independent restauranters that they can’t keep up with technology and the competitive advantages that chains have over them when it comes to technology.

ChowNow, the Order Better Network enables regional restaurant operators and or independent restaurants to create listings on more than a dozen online properties simultaneously if they choose. So, ChowNow unveiled a new product designed to help independent restaurants expand their digital reach elevating independent restaurant’s ability to level the technology playing field with chain restaurants.

Get this, the Order Better Network allows restaurants to simultaneously create listings on more than a dozen online properties where consumers might go to order food. The idea is that the more places a restaurant is listed, the more orders it will get, and this system lowers the barrier of entry. It’s Johnson’s experience that most independent restaurant operators don’t understand just how many sites they could be listed on in their own home town.

Consider this, the platforms included on the Order Better Network are Order with Google, OpenTable, Yelp, Seated, Snapchat, TripAdvisor, NextDoor and Rewards Network, and ChowNow said it planned to continue adding more. Menu changes and other updates will be automatically reflected across all of the sites.

Restaurants that use the network have grown digital sales by up to 30%, according to ChowNow.

ChowNow co-founder and CEO Chris, stated “For the first time, restaurants can easily and efficiently expand their online presence across a variety of popular brand channels and access millions of new customers,”.

Note: Los Angeles-based ChowNow works with more than 20,000 restaurants, offering them a range of tools including online ordering, marketing and data analytics as well as a consumer-facing restaurant marketplace.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® 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 us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken Partnership Success

 

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® spent time this summer in Idaho while on vacation eating, drinking, golfing, and simply having one of the best times traveling in years with family.  He personally believes that Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken’s new partnership with Idahoan Mashed Potatoes is a partnership that will garner lots of eye balls, sweepstakes sign-up and great success.

So, when Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken today announced the kickoff of its Hello Idaho Vacation Giveaway Sweepstakes, in partnership with Idahoan Mashed Potatoes our Grocerant Guru® had to write about it.

Get this, the grand prize includes a trip for four complete with airfare and a 4-night stay at a world-class resort nestled in scenic Northern Idaho on Lake Coeur d’Alene. The resort, which is considered a top travel destination in the region, features upscale rooms with in-room service, a spa, pools, a marina, and a world-famous golf course with a floating green. Johnson, enjoyed every meal and strongly recommends the resort golf course as well.

You will find something you like to eat as there are multiple casual eateries, fine-dining cuisine, and nightlife options all within walking distance from the resort.

All you have to do to be an eligible customer is purchase mashed potatoes and gravy at participating locations through the Lee’s Rewards mobile app or online at LeesFamousRecipe.com will automatically be entered to win. Listen the Food at Lee’s is good as well.  There is no down side with this sweepstakes in the minds-eye of our Grocerant Guru®.

Online and can’t visit the Lee’s location near you. Then those interested can also submit a no-purchase necessary entry by visiting LeesFamousRecipe.com/HelloIdaho. Lee’s Hello Idaho Vacation Giveaway began October 4th and ends October 29th, and the grand prize winner will be selected in November. Only one entry per person is allowed.

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 GrocerantGuru.com 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.

Do you Work at a School? McDonald’s is Giving You Free Breakfast

 

Success does leave clues and McDonald’s understands that education and good schools are the undercurrent for future success for all of us and for McDonald’s.  So, if you work either inside and outside the classroom at a school. This week, McDonald’s is making school day mornings a little brighter for educators and staff’s by and showing their appreciation with a free breakfast for all employees at schools with a Thank You Meal.

Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA, stated, “Together with our Owner/Operators, we're proud to serve the people who make our communities a better place, and this is an important time to say thank you to some of our everyday heroes,” … “We were honored to give away 12 million free Thank You Meals to first responders and healthcare workers last year and now, with educators going above and beyond, we're excited to recognize them in a way only McDonald's can.”

Yes, all educators—including teachers, administrators and school staff—can simply head to their local participating McDonald’s during breakfast hours from October 11-15 and show a valid work ID for a free breakfast. It’s just that simple.  Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®  at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® wants to congratulate McDonald’s on a great interactive and participatory promotion.

Get this for fun, the Thank You Meals will be served in a classic Happy Meal box filled with an entrée breakfast sandwich, Hash Browns and a beverage. Sandwich choices include an Egg McMuffin, a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit or a Sausage Biscuit. Beverage options include a medium McCafé hot or iced coffee or a medium soft drink.

Did you know that, McDonald’s franchisees have supported educators in the local neighborhoods they own and operate their restaurants for decades, including initiatives like McTeachers’ Night, coordinating food drops at educators’ homes after school, and free meals during the pandemic. Taking our support of educators national through our Thank You Meal program will allow even more educators to be recognized, and is just a small token of our appreciation.

Stefanie Cabrera Bentancourt, McDonald’s Owner/Operator based in Miami, stated, “As a former teacher, this Thank You Meal means the world to me, and I know it will touch my customers and my employees,” says, Florida. “Educators are the backbone of our communities. They’ve done so much for us, and it’s an honor to join my fellow Owner/Operators across the country to celebrate them.”

You can help, to make sure educators feel recognized and appreciated, McDonald’s is inviting everyone to honor a special educator in their life. Whether it’s your kid's favorite teacher, or an educator making a difference in your community or who has impacted your life, share how they inspire you by using #ThankYouMeal on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram, now through October 15. If personal messages are more your style, you can also download a free Thank You e-card here and send it directly to a special educator in your life.

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Dunkin's New Halloween Costumes are a Hit

Dunkin Donuts will be top of mind with customers from coast to coast this year on the streets, at the office, at schools, and at home Halloween gathering according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Once again, Dunkin’ has partnered with Spirit Halloween this month with a sweet lineup of Dunkin’-inspired Halloween costumes guaranteed to brew up attention this season that are sure to drive incremental value and new electricity into the brand.

As most of you know, Spirit Halloween, the largest Halloween specialty retailer in North America, and Dunkin’ are resurrecting last year’s sold-out duo of Dunkin’ Halloween costumes and introducing two additional licensed costumes including Adult Dunkin’ Cold Brew Costume and Child MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Treats Box Costume to help Dunkin’ diehards serve up style during any celebration.

Regular readers of this blog know that last year, Dunkin’ and Spirit Halloween debuted the brand’s first-ever official Halloween costumes inspired by Dunkin’s iconic pairing – an Adult Dunkin’ Hot Coffee and Adult Strawberry Frosted Donut costume, which sold out in just 24 hours on SpiritHalloween.com, resulting in the expansion of the menu to include beloved fan favorites.

The Adult Dunkin’ Cold Brew Costume: Serve as a stylish sip with this three-dimensional plush iced coffee cup costume filled with inspiration of Dunkin’s fan-favorite Cold Brew, proudly featuring Dunkin’s signature branded iced coffee cup design and orange straw. This larger-than-life Cold Brew costume is sure to get caffeine lovers buzzing this Halloween.

Yes, Child MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Treat Box Costume: For the sweetest costume of the year, the MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Treat Box costume features Dunkin’s signature MUNCHKINS® Donut Hole Treat Box, bursting with delicious donut hole treats, and is complete with a Dunkin’ hat. Available in multiple sizes to fit the little munchkin in your life.

Dunkin’ costumes at Spirit Halloween are sold individually and available in various sizes for $39.99 each at SpiritHalloween.com and Spirit Halloween stores nationwide, while supplies last. 

Kym Sarkos, Executive Vice President, Spirit Halloween, stated, “After a successful collaboration last Halloween, we wanted to go big and bold with our Dunkin’ costume lineup this year and are excited to unveil two new ways for Dunkin’ fans and families to get their fix,”… “Whether you’re planning to brew up some laughs at the party solo this year, or runnin’ with your Dunkin’ crew, there’s a costume for everyone.”

Kemma Kefalas, Brand Engagement Manager at Dunkin’, stated, “We love our fans’ commitment to showing their Dunkin’ pride every day, but it’s especially fun to see their passion come to life on Halloween. The official Dunkin’ costumes at Spirit Halloween allow our fans to take their dedication to the next level and with four costume options this year, we can’t wait to see all the ways our fans show off that they’re runnin’ on Dunkin’ this Halloween.”

The team at Foodservice Solutions® agrees that, the Dunkin’ collaboration with Spirit Halloween’s lineup of must-have costumes that will satisfy the cravings of any food fanatic this season alongside the Halloween retailer’s endless options for costumes, accessories and decorations to bring the flavor to any Halloween celebration. How are you driving new electricity into your brand?

Think brand relevance in an evolving world, that will edify your brand value with relevance and new electricity. According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”  That said, what are you waiting for?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat with mix and matched bundled solutions.

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

Wawa a Good Company Doing Good Things

 

Building a brand is fun according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  There is no doubt that the team at Wawa are having fun as they continue to expand the ‘halo’ of better for you around the brand while driving customer relevance.

In the latest case of continues success, Wawa gave away 1,000 reusable shopping bags at its Philadelphia stores ahead of the city's ban on single-use plastic bags. The "Skip the Bag for Good" initiative is meant to ease the transition for customers while edifying Wawa with its customers.

The plastic bag ban went into full effect on Oct. 1 after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on small businesses, The city will issue warnings until April 1, 2022, before moving to issue fines to noncompliant businesses. But everyone has heard the old adage “you can’t fight city hall’ even if you want to.  So, Wawa simply helped ease the pain of the new law.

Note: in previous years, Philadelphia residents used up to 1 billion bags annually, many of which ended up in streets and waterways. Think about that.

Now, Wawa customers will be able to get a free reusable bag with a purchase at any of the convenience store chain's 42 Philadelphia locations. The bags were available starting at 7 a.m. on Oct. 1 while supplies last, so the free bags are long gone now, but fear not.

Get this, following the giveaway, Wawa customers will be able to purchase a reusable bag for 25 cents. Wawa also encourages customers to bring their own bag or do away with bags altogether.

Becky Altemus, Wawa's director of operations for its Philadelphia stores, stated, “We thank our customers for joining Wawa and the City of Philadelphia in our journey to 'skip the bag for good' as we work together to keep our community safe, scenic and sustainable," ... "Shopping with a reusable bag is a change of habit for many people that can reduce our long-term impact on the environment, and we are excited to do our part to support our community."

So, as part of the "Skip the Bag for Good" initiative, Wawa will work to educate both customers and store associates on the city's new legislation, as well as the impact that single-use plastic bags have on the environment and the benefits of reusable bags. As part of its long-term commitment to protecting the environment, Wawa stated it will continue to take steps to reduce consumption of single-use plastic bags in all stores. The ‘halo’ of better for you shins a bit brighter around each and every Wawa store.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Selling Fresh Food Fresher and Faster

 

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive top-line sales and bottom-line profits in every sector of retail that it is offered according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

Regular readers of this of this blog understand the success many chain restaurants have found in the ‘Frozen Food Court’.  While well documented fresh food still remains top of mind more almost all consumers. 

In a new report by Deloitte in it’s third annual report on the future of fresh food, frozen is gaining an advantage in the food fight to capture growth in at-home consumption. So, the report, titled "Fresh vs. Frozen: The Future of Fresh in a Changing Competitive Landscape," describes how consumer behaviors and preferences have shifted amid the larger health, social and economic context, and how food suppliers and retailers can lean into these changes to create new opportunities. Below are some excerpts with some comments from our Grocerant Guru® along the way.

The report found, “While consumers feel less anxiety about in-store shopping (40% say shopping is more stressful, compared to 54% in 2020), pandemic-influenced shopping habits continue to endure and impact food purchases. And, while fresh food sales are up, frozen is gaining a greater share of the growth. Three factors are driving changes across both categories – perishability, price and preference.

Barb Renner, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. consumer products leader, stated, “Fresh food sales are holding up much better than was expected at the beginning of the year,". "But even in times of great success, companies should look out for where competition may come next. The industry needs to work out its supply chain issues and reenergize the fresh experience. Suppliers and retailers should also consider leaning into the opportunity in frozen by expanding their product offerings and reimagining the frozen aisle to create excitement and even more growth. Nailing e-commerce and the overall omni-channel approach will be critical as well for future success."

This is important to all grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food retailers, “whether due to supply chain issues or simply negative impressions, 60% of consumers think the shelf life of fresh food has decreased. Since they still aren't shopping quite as frequently for fresh food as they did pre-pandemic (the frequent shopper group is down eight percentage points relative to 2019), it is hard for consumers to depend on their fresh purchases not spoiling before the next shopping trip.”

Note the size of this number; Ninety percent of consumers say price is the most important purchase driver for fresh food. With inflation driving prices up, cheaper frozen food is looking better by comparison. In addition, 82% of consumers believe fresh food prices have increased more than justified.

So, in head-to-head comparisons, 40-50% of consumers say that frozen food is just as good or better than fresh. This preference is even greater among younger consumers. For example, 57% of 18- to 34-year-olds believe frozen vegetables are just as good or better than fresh, compared to 39% of those 55 and older. More than half (51%) of 18- to 34-year-olds feel the same about frozen meat, compared to only 29% of those 55 and older.

Get this, Consumers are thinking about fresh food perishability at the store and at home. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers think about how much food they throw away when making a purchase decision, and nearly half of consumers (45%) indicate that more of the fresh food in their home goes to waste than it did in the past. Do you see why meal kits are a solution?

Undercurrents of change as worries about food waste may be taking precedence over packaging waste. Six in 10 consumers prefer their fresh food be in packaging, and the same amount believe fresh food in packaging stays fresh longer.

Ok, only 8% of respondents believe consumers as a group bear the most responsibility for the environmental sustainability of food; they believe farmers, ranchers and fisherman are most responsible (26%). Sustainability as a fresh food purchase driver dropped 10 percentage points in the survey from 2019 levels.

In 2020, Deloitte identified two new consumer profiles that showed up prominently in the analysis of pandemic period survey data: the "Contemporary Consumer" and the "Conventional Consumer." Renewed analysis on 2021 data confirmed these two profiles still exist. The Contemporary Consumer group, which values fresh food the most, grew by eight percentage points to now constitute 48% of the survey group.

Let’s look at most companies target customers, sixty percent of ‘Contemporary Consumers’, which tend to be younger families, more well-off and urban dwellers, say they recently increased their purchases of fresh food, up 10 percentage points from 2020. 

Two-thirds (68%) of Contemporary Consumers bought at least some fresh food online versus only 10% of Conventional Consumers. Contemporary Consumers are the most likely to be interested in subscription services (64%), and low- and no-prep fresh meal solutions (78%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, safety – a purchase driver added in 2020 – was again top driver for purchases this year. Further, 71% of Contemporary Consumers value the fresh brand, and more than three-quarters (78%) are willing to pay a premium for fresh food.

This is another undercurrent, plant-based alternatives (PBA), sold in both the fresh and frozen aisles, represent a new challenge to traditional offerings in both categories.

50% of the consumers surveyed have purchased a PBA, and overall consumer interest in PBAs has increased six percentage points since 2020. Among those who have tried PBAs, nearly three in four (72%) say that taste has dramatically improved in recent years. These consumers feel that PBA milk and meat are just as good or better at 65% and 59% respectively, followed by cheese (54%) and seafood (51%). Overall, 32% of consumers would pay a premium for PBAs, but this number grows to 55% for the half of consumers who have actually tried it. However, this is still significantly lower than the 70% of all consumers who would pay a premium for fresh food.

While taste appears to be the most important purchase driver for PBAs (72%), consumers also value the perceived environmental (70%), health (68%) and animal welfare benefits (65%). Deloitte's report is based on a survey conducted in July 2021 of 2,000 U.S. adults (aged 18 to 70) who influenced fresh food purchases in their households.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Dollar Tree Gaining Customer Relevance

 

Consumers are dynamic not static and companies must be as well.  In a world where consumers pay keen attention too price, value, service at retail there can be no mistake that Dollar Tree has garnered the respect from its customers. 

Consumers are evolving all the time within each brand according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. In the case of “Dollar Tree” the company has been moving forward but not fast enough for consumers according to Johnson, who noted that Dollar Tree’s rate of growth had slowed down.  Johnson also noted that Dollar Tree continues to grow at a rate faster than most grocery store, c-stores, or chain restaurants.

So, last week Dollar Tree stated that it would accelerate ongoing efforts to expand price points through its Dollar Tree Plus! initiative. Separately, the company will begin testing higher price points on merchandise at legacy Dollar Tree stores, thus allowing them to offer an incremental mix that will drive discovery according to Johnson. 

More about ‘The Plus’! departments are helping to bring Dollar Tree additional product sizes and category variety, with expanded availability of selections in areas such as crafts, home décor, kitchen goods, toys and cleaning supplies at price points of $3 or $5.

So, Dollar Tree Plus! could well reach 500 of its Dollar Tree stores this year. The announcement this week said that 1,500 more stores are planned for fiscal 2022, and at least 5,000 are expected to open by the end of fiscal 2024.

Company officials framed the separate move to test additional price points at legacy stores—$1.25 and $1.50 were mentioned—as a means to expand assortments over time while maintaining a promise to bring shoppers a value-focused, treasure-hunt experience. There could be aisles with product for $1, $2, $3, $4, or more. Consumer understand ‘stuff’ cost more today than it did three years ago, they want discovery.  Changing the price points will drive innovation in product mix, which will drive discovery and consumer relevance.

In a battle for Share of Retail

are you Evolving Share of Stomach

Dollar Tree CEO Michael Witynski, stated, “our customers have enjoyed the ‘thrill-of-the-hunt’ for value at $1—and we remain committed to that core proposition—but many are telling us that they also want a broader product assortment when they come to shop. We believe testing additional price points above $1 for Dollar Tree product will enable us over time to expand our assortments, introduce new products and meet more of our customers’ everyday needs,”.

These recently announced moves accompany a separate initiative launched last year to open “combination” stores that leverage sister brand Family Dollar in a dual-branded store format that brings the $1 price point to rural markets previously thought too small to support a single-price point merchant, along with Family Dollar’s legacy EDLP variety. The team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that the combination stores will become a valued platform.

Let’s talk about growth. Family Dollar-Dollar Tree “Combo Stores”—primarily renovated and re-bannered Family Dollar locations—currently number 105, but officials said 400 are on the way in 2022, with the potential of as many as 3,000 over the next several years.

Did you know that Dollar Tree, operates nearly 16,000 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces? How fast is your company growing?

Witynski, continued, “We are a ‘test-and-learn’ organization which is what we are doing with this new initiative,” … “We listen to our customers and believe it will make shopping with us an even better experience. Our merchants have proven that they are among the best in the industry in working with suppliers to create extreme value, and we will continue to deliver the ‘thrill-of-the-hunt’ to our customers.”

Consumers are dynamic not static.  Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter