Hand Held Food Continues to Drive Customers in the Door.

In a recent survey conducted by David Decker of Consumer Edge Insight  of restaurant customers in the United States, when it comes to identifying what drives loyalty for restaurants, the most commonly-cited factors in determining which fast-casual restaurant is visited most often are best-tasting food (51%), good service (46%), cleanliness (45%), and highest-quality food (43%). The survey included 17 of the largest fast-casual restaurant brands in the US.

Look at the companies in the top 5 and the products that they serve.  Regular readers of this blog know that Hand Held Food continues to fuel retail food growth in the United States and around the world.  It is one of the main drivers within the grocerant niche.

Here are some of the findings: “The survey asked consumers to rate restaurant brands on different attributes. The fast-casual brands with the strongest perceptions for providing “great-tasting food” among past visitors were Pei Wei Asian Diner (51%), Culver’s (49%), Panera Bread (47%), and Chipotle Mexican Grill (46%). Pei Wei Asian Diner (44%), Panera Bread (43%), Culver’s (42%), Firehouse Subs (39%), and Five Guys Burgers (38%) were the top scoring brands for having “good service.” The top-scoring fast-casual brands for “high-quality food” were Pei Wei Asian Diner (45%), Panera Bread (43%), Chipotle Mexican Grill (38%), Firehouse Subs (37%), and Culver’s (33%)….

The survey also asked past-three-month-visitors to each brand how satisfied they were with their most recent visit and how likely they were to visit again. The brand whose recent customers are most likely to visit again is Chipotle Mexican Grill (73% said they will “definitely” visit again), followed by Panera Bread (70%), Culver’s and Firehouse Subs (with 67% each), and Five Guys Burgers and Zaxby’s (with 66% each).”

Steven A. Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based foodservice consultancy Foodservice Solutions® and writes a blog at: http://www.grocerants.blogspot.com. He can be found on linkedin at:linkedin.com/in/grocerant,facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Twitter.com/grocerant Email Contact: grocerant@q.com

Restaurants ready set grow.

In a new forecast by researchandmarkets.com they announced that in the United States Out-of-Home Food and Beverage Market is accepted to grow at the CAGR of around 4.5% by 2018.  That tops forecast numbers for the grocery sector and c-store sectors.  Here is a look at the numbers for Out of Home Market Share:

“In US, out-of-home food industry is the dominating segment with around 84.06% of the market in terms of the market value and the demand of food is likely to be majorly driven due to changing life style of the society along with consumption patterns of the population. However, the beverage market of US out-of-home segment is majorly driven due to increasing per capita disposable income, changing lifestyle and spending pattern of the individuals. According to United States Out-of-home Food and Beverage Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018 figures that by 2018, recreational places will also generate and improve on the out-of-home food and beverages sales. By 2018, out-of-home food and beverages industry is accepted to grow at the CAGR of around 4.5% by value.”

The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food market is growing fast in new non-traditional points of distribution and restaurants can garner market share while expanding the brand.  The Grocerant niche continues to boom.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities and or a brand integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Bristol Farm Growing Non-traditional Retail Food Success

Everyone who ever entered a Bristol Farm Store understands that this retailer is non-traditional and extraordinary.  When it comes to understanding the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh food grocerant niche Bristol Farms does and brings it to life.  If you need a meal for dinner, want a meal catered at work or are planning a special meal at home for Valentine’s Day.  Bristol Farms is for you.

A large part of the success of the grocerant niche is contributed to food retailers that do things different in Bristol Farms case outstanding catering, a cooking school or cooking classes and in-store café utilizing the 5 P’s of food marketing are examples of non-traditional food retailing and success. Here is a copy of Friday’s Menu:

Friday Specials

Bristol's Own Traditional Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled, 2 strips of bacon, morning potatoes, 2 slices of wheat toast and a cup of coffee!

$4.99

Bristol's Own Heart Healthy Breakfast

3 egg whites scrambled, 2 turkey sausage patties, melon, slice of rye toast and a cup of coffee!

$5.99

Fire Seared Pulled Pork and Granny Smith Apple Slaw

Amazing pulled pork fire seared to perfection in a light barbecue sauce served on a Seeded Kaiser roll with a layer of granny smith apple slaw....delicious!

$7.99

Fish Fillet Sandwich

Served with your choice of french fries, sweet potato fries, fresh fruit, fried green beans, sweet corn nuggets, potato salad, or Bristol's Own cup of soup. Add onion rings or a green salad for $1.99.

$6.99

Success does leave clues and food retailers today must position the brand / concept to be consumer interactive and participatory while incorporating the 5 P’s of Food Marketing.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Technomic: Differentiate or Lose Market Share

Industry Icon and CEO of Technomic Ron Paul was an early leader studying the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food market place known today as the Grocerant Niche.  Technomic has some new and interesting views on this sector and you will find them below.

What Foodservice Solutions® has found of late is consumers continue to be time-starve, price conscious, seeking new avenues of distribution for  ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat meal components including from restaurants, grocery stores, C-stores, and retail drug stores as regular readers of this blog know. The differentiation driver is product, price, packaging, portability, and placement yes, Foodservice Solutions® 5P’s of food marketing are the leading drivers in successful food service market share growth.

Leveraging legacy data as a benchmarking tool Technomic found in a new  Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report (RMS). The Interesting findings include:

Some of the top RMS menu trends include signature fried snacks; more variety for vegetable sides; higher-quality pizzas; a distinct specialty focus for sandwiches and burgers; and a move toward ethnic flavors.

More than two-fifths of consumers who purchase RMS at least once a month (43 percent) say they do so four or more times per month, meaning they purchase RMS at least once a week.

More consumers today than those polled two years ago place a high importance on many attributes, including the value, price, convenience, taste, freshness and quality of prepared foods.

Opportunities exist for retailers to leverage their customization options to compete with restaurants; only 38 percent of consumers agree that retail prepared foods allow for more customization than food purchased from a restaurant.

At least four out of five consumers who visit each retail chain measured for prepared foods purchase RMS items at these locations at least once a month, reiterating the strong role routine and convenience plays in the RMS purchasing decision.

Though half of consumers think the quality of prepared foods has greatly improved since 2010, nearly two-fifths call for more name-brand foods that typically denote a higher quality perception.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

FMI, GenFlux and Food Trends all signs point to the grocerant niche.

There is no better complement paid than when others industry professionals imitate, copy or replicate your work.  This January during FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference when Daymon Worldwide and the Hartman Group made a joint presentation my phone started ringing and it has not stopped.  The grocerant niche is booming and America continues to be a melting pot of multi-ethnic menu’s meal options for families

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® grocerant guru Steven Johnson has extoled the importance of the confluence of retail food industry attributes converging creating opportunity for new fresh food points of distribution and consumer’s willingness to utilize them.  Regular readers of this blog are familiar with the themes, vernacular industry undercurrents of change that the grocerant niche is noted for.

Now that Michael Fordney published his article yesterday my in-box once again is flooded with comments from clients and long time industry followers. I thank you all and now let’s share:

At FMI’s meeting in a “joint presentation with the private-label giant Daymon Worldwide and the Hartman Group. They noted that the conversation was no longer about “cooking” but “how we eat.” A Hartman Group executive — clearly a “50-something” — did a brilliant job of explaining how most meals are decided within two hours of taking place. The weekly pantry shop by moms in the prior generation has been replaced by families that rarely eat together, don't care about brands, and primarily want variety in their daily eating lives. They stop at a store — maybe a grocery store, maybe a convenience store, even a drugstore — on the way home from work. People assemble food, they don’t cook it.”

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Ready-2-eat Healthy Take-Out Food

Restaurants, Grocery Stores, C-stores and Drug Stores are all focused on selling ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat “better for you” food for take-out or delivery that is fresh prepared or for dine in.  Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson has some clues for garnering market share within the grocerant niche with menu items in the three top take-out categories that are currently focusing on focused “better for you” attributes that are important to consumers. 

Chinese

Rather than offer Fried Rice, Fried Vegetables, Fried Dumplings or Lo Mein on the top of the menu.  Consider steamed dumplings, brown rice (a high-fiber whole grain) rather than noodles (made from refined white flour) or simply steamed rice.  Focus on entrée’s with steamed meats and vegetables and fiber-rich bok choy and broccoli; even  baby corn and water chestnuts.  When it comes to sauces today the options for both low-sodium soy other topping are plentiful.

Pizza

Drop the Deep-dish to the bottom of the menu and focus on a thin crust, pizza and offer soups like minestrone and salad up-front.  On the thin crust, list light on the cheese, try grilled chicken and pile on the fresh vegetables.   I’m not saying that these will be the top sellers by any means.  However offering them up front will create a halo of “better for you” for your menu.

Mexican

Place some of the favorites like Tacos, refried beans and rice down on the lower section of the menu.  Then on the top place vegetarian refried beans, guacamole all wrapped in a soft not fried taco shell.  Again in 2013 menus will be filled with fresh vegetables, and don’t for the antioxidant benefits of the salsa. Remind your customers of the “better for you” attributes of your menu.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.  Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant 

Top 5 reasons ready-2-eat and heat-Neat Grocerant food is booming.

Companies that develop a platform that allows meal co-creation; in the car, at the office or at home are winning the hearts and minds of today’s retail food consumer.  The grocerant niche comprised of the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food is driving the success of the retail foodservice today.

Each sector has or had innovators; Restaurants started with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), now have Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, Domino’s Pizza, MCD, BK and a whole lot more.

Grocery stores started with Wegmans Metropolitan Market, Whole Food’s and now fast charging HEB and its Central Market stores.  Convenience Stores have Sheetz, Wawa, with fast charging Rutter’s, Casey’s General stores and 7 & Eleven. Top 5 reasons for ready-2-eat growth are:

1.       Placement: Visceral presentation, Freshness based on how it looks and is presented.

2.       Product: Individualized portions, power to select quality and quantity of items viewed.

3.       Price:  Food Quality and Convenience vs. time and cooking skill set.

4.       Packaging: Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food provides Time Saving vs. cook from scratch.

5.       Portability: empowering choice eat in or take home / office

Success does leave clues and many retail food operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.  Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant