The Grocery Deli Wake-Up Call: Stop Selling Cold Cuts and Start Winning Dinner!

 

Why 2025 and 2026 consumer behavior demands a new approach to fresh food, meal solutions, pricing, and customer engagement according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Foodservice Solutions® based in Tacoma, Washington

The grocery store service deli is sitting on one of the biggest untapped food marketing opportunities in retail. Yet too many operators continue to manage their deli departments as though consumers are simply looking for sliced turkey, potato salad, a pound of ham, or a rotisserie chicken.

That thinking is outdated.

Today's consumers are looking for solutions to a much bigger question: What's for dinner, how much will it cost, and how quickly can I get it on the table?

The grocery service deli should be answering that question every day.

The opportunity is bigger than selling fresh food. It is about capturing meal occasions, increasing transaction value, building repeat visits, and competing directly with restaurants, takeout, delivery, convenience stores, and other retailers.

This is where the Grocerant Niche comes into play. Ready-2-Eat (RTE) and Heat-N-Eat (HnE) fresh-prepared foods are no longer peripheral grocery offerings. They are increasingly important components of how consumers assemble meals across channels.

The challenge for grocers is that consumer expectations have evolved faster than many service deli operating models.

The 2025–2026 Numbers: The Consumer Has Already Changed

Consider several findings that should be influencing every grocery deli executive's merchandising, pricing, and marketing decisions.

1. Grocery-prepared foods are taking restaurant occasions.

FMI's October 2025 Power of Foodservice at Retail research found that the share of consumers choosing deli-prepared foods instead of restaurant meals more than doubled, increasing from 12% in 2017 to 28% in 2025. Furthermore, 53% of Americans reported combining deli-prepared foods with items from their own kitchens to create meals.

That is a significant change. Consumers are not necessarily choosing between cooking and buying a meal. They are combining the two.

2. In 2026, meal solutions are more important than individual products.

FMI's October 2026 research found that 56% of households combine home preparation with food prepared outside the home for dinner at least once a week. Grocery retailers have an opportunity to sell the protein, sides, vegetables, sauces, and accompaniments that complete a meal.

3. Shoppers are under pressure to manage food budgets.

FMI's 2026 shopper research reports that 70% of shoppers say their income has not kept pace with inflation. At the same time, 44% report having more family meals at home than a year earlier, and 35% say they are cooking more often.

This creates an opportunity for deli operators, but it also creates a pricing challenge. A prepared meal must demonstrate why its convenience, quality, and portion size justify its price.

4. Convenience is still a powerful purchase motivator.

Circana's 2026 Eating Patterns in America research found that 86% of food occasions are sourced from home. Consumers are increasingly balancing convenience, nutrition, cost, and connection. The report also identifies protein and convenience as important forces shaping eating behavior.

The takeaway is straightforward: grocery operators should stop thinking exclusively about deli department sales and start thinking about the share of stomach they can capture.

Four Disconnects Holding Grocery Service Delis Back

1. Service Failures Cost More Than a Single Transaction

A deli counter with inadequate staffing, long lines, inconsistent availability, and employees who cannot explain the menu is not delivering convenience.

Consumers may be willing to pay for someone else to prepare dinner, but they are not eager to spend 15 minutes waiting to purchase it.

Imagine a customer entering at 5:30 p.m. looking for a roasted chicken, two sides, and a dessert. If the chicken is sold out, the sides are poorly stocked, and nobody can provide an alternative, the retailer has lost more than a chicken sale. It may have lost the entire dinner occasion.

The answer is to schedule labor around actual purchasing patterns, not simply traditional department hours. FMI's 2026 research found that half of same-day dinner decisions occur between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. That is when the deli needs to be ready.

2. Confusing Pricing Destroys Perceived Value

Pricing is not simply a matter of matching the competition. It is about demonstrating value.

A $9.99 rotisserie chicken may appear attractive, but a family purchasing that chicken, two prepared sides, rolls, and dessert needs to understand the total cost of dinner.

Retailers should display complete meal prices, serving sizes, and individual component prices. Consumers need to see what they receive, not discover the final cost at checkout.

A deli that charges premium prices without communicating premium ingredients, preparation, freshness, portion size, or convenience risks losing the consumer.

Price without context creates resistance. Price accompanied by a clear value proposition creates an opportunity.

3. Poor Merchandising Makes Fresh Food Look Anything But Fresh

Fresh food sells with the eyes before it sells with the appetite.

Empty trays, dried-out sandwiches, unattractive salads, inconsistent labeling, and displays that look neglected undermine consumer confidence.

Consider the difference between displaying a container of pasta salad and merchandising a complete Mediterranean-inspired meal with grilled chicken, pasta salad, roasted vegetables, and a complementary sauce.

The ingredients may be identical. The consumer proposition is entirely different.

Merchandising should communicate freshness, flavor, meal possibilities, and convenience.

4. Generic Packaging Sacrifices Brand Equity

A clear plastic container is functional. It is not necessarily memorable.

Packaging should tell consumers what they are buying, why it tastes good, how much it serves, and how to enjoy it.

Imagine branded packaging for a store's signature Nashville hot chicken, Mediterranean grain bowl, Asian-inspired noodle salad, or smoked barbecue brisket.

Add a product name, preparation story, ingredient information, reheating instructions, and a recognizable visual identity.

A retailer should want customers to return specifically for its food, not merely because they happened to be shopping for milk.

The 2026 reputation challenge: FMI found that only about one-third of shoppers could identify a deli-prepared food item for which their primary grocery store was known. That is a major branding opportunity waiting to be captured.

Eight Strategies to Rebuild the Grocery Service Deli

The following strategies move the department away from a traditional counter-service mentality and toward a consumer-focused fresh-food business.

1. Sell Complete Meal Solutions, Not Isolated Products

Develop meal combinations for different household sizes, budgets, and occasions.

Examples include:

·       Two-person dinner: Rotisserie chicken breast, roasted potatoes, and green beans.

·       Family dinner: Whole roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, salad, and rolls.

·       Game-day gathering: Wings, sliders, potato skins, dips, and desserts.

·       Quick weekday dinner: Heat-and-eat lasagna, garlic bread, and Caesar salad.

·       Global flavors: Korean-style chicken, rice, vegetables, and sauces.

Offer individual components as well as bundled combinations. Consumers want choices, not mandatory packages.

2. Establish Transparent and Consistent Pricing

Display prices prominently. Offer good, better, and best meal combinations.

For example, a retailer might offer an entry-level meal for two, a larger family meal, and a premium specialty meal.

Use actual food costs and local competitive conditions to establish prices. Do not assume every customer wants the cheapest option. Many want the best combination of price, quality, portion size, and convenience.

This is where the Grocerant Guru's Price Value Service Equilibrium becomes important: price, quality, social relevance, and portability all contribute to perceived value.

3. Staff for the Consumer's Clock

The traditional 9-to-5 staffing mentality does not work when dinner demand peaks after work.

Use transaction data to identify lunch, afternoon, and evening demand. Cross-train employees to assist with packaging, replenishment, order fulfillment, and customer service.

Offer online ordering and scheduled pickup for larger orders.

Most importantly, keep popular items available during the hours consumers actually want them.

4. Create Signature Products Consumers Recognize

Every grocery retailer should have food worth talking about.

A signature fried chicken, regional barbecue, premium sandwich, specialty mac and cheese, or distinctive prepared salad can become a destination product.

Develop a product consumers can identify without looking at the store's name.

That is how a deli begins building its own brand equity.

5. Use Data Analytics to Improve Production and Reduce Waste

Track sales by daypart, item, location, weather, promotion, and season.

Measure:

·       Sell-through rates.

·       Out-of-stock frequency.

·       Food waste and markdowns.

·       Gross margin by item.

·       Repeat purchases.

·       Meal bundle attachment rates.

Use those findings to forecast production and adjust batch sizes.

A deli should not be producing 40 sandwiches simply because it produced 40 yesterday. Consumer demand is dynamic, not static.

6. Build Branded Packaging Around Freshness and Portability

Packaging should reinforce the product's identity and make it easy to transport, store, serve, and reheat.

Include clear preparation instructions, ingredient information, portion details, and appealing product descriptions.

Consider packaging that works for office lunches, family dinners, individual consumption, and on-the-go snacking.

The container is part of the product experience, not just an operating expense.

7. Make Freshness, Food Safety, and Quality Visible

Freshness is a promise that must be supported by operating discipline.

The FDA's September 2026 report on retail deli food safety identified improper holding time and temperature and poor personal hygiene as the two most common out-of-compliance risk factors in its 2019–2022 study.

The FDA also found that delis with a Certified Food Protection Manager present had significantly better food safety management system scores.

Invest in trained managers, temperature monitoring, proper sanitation, product rotation, and documented procedures.

Communicate freshness honestly. A marketing message cannot compensate for inconsistent food safety practices.

8. Turn the Deli Into an Interactive Food Marketing Destination

Sampling, seasonal menus, limited-time offerings, digital promotions, and customer feedback can make the deli more engaging.

Create weekly themes such as:

·       Taco Tuesday meal solutions.

·       Friday family pizza night.

·       Saturday barbecue bundles.

·       Sunday comfort-food dinners.

·       Seasonal regional specialties.

Encourage customers to vote on upcoming flavors, suggest new sides, and share their favorite combinations.

Use loyalty programs to measure which promotions generate incremental purchases rather than simply discounting products customers would have purchased anyway.

The objective is participation, engagement, and repeat business.

The Bigger Opportunity: Break Down the Grocery Department Silos

One of the biggest mistakes grocery retailers make is managing the deli, bakery, produce, meat, seafood, and center store as separate businesses.

Consumers do not shop that way when deciding what to eat.

A shopper purchasing deli-prepared chicken may also need fresh vegetables, bakery rolls, refrigerated sauces, beverages, and dessert. The retailer should merchandise those products together around the meal occasion.

Consider these combinations:

Meal occasion	Grocery departments working together
Italian night	Deli lasagna, bakery garlic bread, produce salad
Backyard barbecue	Deli ribs, meat department steaks, produce sides
Healthy lunch	Deli grilled chicken, produce vegetables, refrigerated dressing
Family breakfast	Bakery pastries, deli breakfast sandwiches, dairy beverages
Game-day gathering	Deli wings, bakery sliders, produce vegetables and dips

This is cross-merchandising with a purpose. It increases convenience, exposes consumers to additional products, and creates opportunities to increase basket size.

The future belongs to retailers who understand that consumers have no artificial channel or departmental silos in their minds.

Think About This: The Deli Is Competing for Dinner, Not Just Deli Sales

The service deli has an opportunity to become one of the grocery store's most important customer acquisition and retention tools.

But that requires a different mindset.

Grocery retailers must compete with restaurant takeout, drive-thru, convenience stores, delivery services, and other sources of fresh-prepared foods. Consumers compare all of them based on their own expectations of price, quality, convenience, flavor, and service.

The retailer that makes dinner easier, more affordable, and more enjoyable has an opportunity to win.

The 2025 and 2026 FMI research reinforces an important point: consumers are increasingly comfortable combining food prepared by someone else with food prepared at home. That makes the grocery deli a meal-building resource, not simply another department.

The opportunity is to become the consumer's first stop when deciding what to eat.

Three New Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Stop measuring deli success exclusively by department sales.

Measure meal occasions captured, repeat purchases, basket attachment, and customer retention. A rotisserie chicken sale that generates purchases in produce, bakery, beverages, and prepared sides is worth more than the chicken transaction alone. Market the entire meal.

2. Price transparency is the new customer service.

Consumers under financial pressure do not want surprises at checkout. Build clearly priced meal solutions for one, two, and four or more people. Demonstrate the value of fresh preparation, portion size, quality, and convenience. Remember, the lowest price does not always deliver the best value.

3. Every grocery deli needs a signature food identity.

If consumers cannot identify a distinctive food item associated with your grocery brand, you are missing an opportunity to create destination traffic. Develop signature sandwiches, chicken, regional specialties, salads, and complete meals. Give customers something they cannot easily duplicate elsewhere.

The Grocerant Guru® bottom line: Consumers are dynamic, not static. Grocery retailers that continue operating their service delis as traditional sliced-meat counters will surrender meal occasions to competitors. Those that embrace RTE, HnE, foodservice-quality preparation, transparent pricing, and customer-focused merchandising can turn the deli into a genuine competitive advantage.

Steven Johnson is the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, Washington-based Foodservice Solutions®. Foodservice Solutions® identified and championed the Grocerant Niche beginning in 1991 and coined the term in 1996.

For corporate presentations, regional grocery chain consulting, food marketing strategy, educational forums, and keynote engagements, contact Steven Johnson.

THE GAME IS ON, AND SO IS THE FOOD BUSINESS: Why Winning Game-Day Marketing Is About More Than Wings, Pizza and Nachos

 

Sports viewing has become much more than an opportunity to watch a game. It is a food occasion, a social gathering, a retail opportunity and an increasingly important battleground for restaurants, grocery retailers and convenience stores according to Steven Johnson, The Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Whether consumers are watching professional football, basketball, hockey, college sports or international soccer, one thing remains remarkably consistent: food is part of the entertainment.

But the game-day food business is changing. Consumers are no longer satisfied with the same predictable assortment of wings, chips and pizza. They want flavor choices, portability, convenience, customization and, increasingly, an affordable way to feed a group without sacrificing quality.

The Grocerant Guru® has long recognized that consumers do not think in retail channels. They think about what they want to eat, when they want it, where they want it and how much they want to spend.

That creates an enormous opportunity for restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and other food retailers willing to compete for the same consumer and the same eating occasion.

The 2025 and 2026 food industry data reinforce an important point: Game-day food marketing is no longer just about selling food. It is about owning the occasion.

The Numbers Behind the Game-Day Food Opportunity

Consider several recent industry findings.

·       2026 Chicken Wings: The National Chicken Council projected Americans would consume 1.48 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl LX, approximately 10 million more than the previous year.

·       2025 Restaurant Orders: DoorDash reported more than 639,000 chicken-wing orders and more than 637,000 pizza orders on championship Sunday. Wing orders were nearly 25% higher than on any other day of the year.

·       2026 Grocery Shopping: Instacart reported that Big Game shoppers purchased tortilla chips 106% more often, salsa 96% more often and shelf-stable dips 227% more often than their respective yearly averages.

·       2026 Hosting: Circana reported increased unit sales during the global soccer tournament viewing period, including fresh produce party trays (+1.9%), deli entrees (+1.3%), pretzels (+1.5%) and ready-to-eat popcorn (+1.6%).

·       2025 Grocery Foodservice: FMI reported that consumers choosing grocery deli-prepared foods instead of restaurant meals increased from 12% in 2017 to 28% in 2025. Additionally, 53% of Americans reported taking a hybrid approach to meals, combining deli-prepared foods with items from their own kitchens.

These numbers tell a compelling story. Consumers are assembling their own food experiences across channels. The retailer or restaurant that makes the occasion easier, tastier and more affordable has an opportunity to win the transaction.

Five Game-Day Food Categories That Deserve Attention

1. Sliders: Small Format, Big Opportunity

Sliders deliver something consumers increasingly appreciate: variety without requiring a full-sized meal.

Think beyond traditional beef and cheddar. Consider:

·       Korean barbecue beef sliders with pickled vegetables.

·       Nashville hot chicken sliders with creamy slaw.

·       Pulled pork sliders with sweet barbecue sauce.

·       Crispy fish sliders with spicy tartar sauce.

·       Plant-forward mushroom and cheese sliders.

Sliders allow consumers to sample several flavors without committing to one large sandwich.

For grocery retailers, sliders can be sold in ready-to-heat party packs. Restaurants can offer six-, twelve- or twenty-four-piece assortments. Convenience stores can merchandise smaller individual portions alongside beverages and snacks.

The marketing opportunity is not simply the slider. It is the ability to sell variety, convenience and shareability in one package.

2. Chicken Wings: The Flavor Playground

Chicken wings remain a game-day heavyweight, but consumers increasingly have opportunities to explore different flavor profiles.

Buffalo, honey garlic, Korean gochujang, Nashville hot, lemon pepper, sweet chili and Caribbean jerk provide opportunities to create distinctive assortments.

The 2026 National Chicken Council projection of 1.48 billion wings demonstrates the enormous scale of the occasion.

However, operators should not assume that every customer wants the same wing experience.

Offer bone-in and boneless selections, tenders, chicken bites and sauce flights. Include a choice of dipping sauces and cooling accompaniments.

Grocery deli departments can compete with restaurants by offering hot wings, refrigerated prepared wings and heat-and-eat assortments. Restaurants can differentiate themselves through signature sauces and consistent preparation.

The winning strategy is to sell a flavor experience rather than simply selling a dozen wings.

3. Nachos: Build Your Own Food Experience

Nachos are an ideal game-day platform because they allow consumers to customize their food.

Traditional tortilla chips, queso, jalapeños and salsa remain relevant. But the opportunity expands considerably when operators add:

·       Barbecue pulled pork.

·       Birria beef.

·       Buffalo chicken.

·       Street corn.

·       Black beans and roasted vegetables.

·       Fresh pico de gallo.

·       Guacamole and specialty cheeses.

Consider a nacho flight featuring three smaller flavor combinations instead of one enormous platter.

This creates opportunities for incremental purchases and gives consumers something to discuss and share.

For food retailers, ingredient merchandising can make nachos a cross-category opportunity. Chips, deli proteins, cheese, salsa, guacamole and beverages can all become part of one game-day purchase.

4. Pizza: The Reliable Crowd Pleaser Needs Reinvention

Pizza remains a natural choice for sports viewing because it is familiar, portable, shareable and easy to order.

But pizza operators should not confuse familiarity with consumer loyalty.

Consumers have choices ranging from national pizza chains and independent restaurants to supermarket take-and-bake products and refrigerated prepared pizzas.

Consider expanding beyond traditional pepperoni:

·       Hot honey pepperoni.

·       Buffalo chicken and blue cheese.

·       Barbecue brisket.

·       Mediterranean vegetable.

·       Spicy sausage and roasted peppers.

·       Korean barbecue chicken.

Smaller specialty pizzas, half-and-half combinations and pizza bundles provide additional opportunities.

DoorDash's 2025 championship Sunday data, showing more than 637,000 pizza orders, demonstrates how significant the occasion can be for delivery operators.

The lesson is straightforward: consumers want pizza, but operators still need to earn the order through price, quality, convenience and differentiation.

5. Dips, Chips and Snack Boards: The Incremental Sales Engine

Never underestimate the power of the dip.

Instacart's 2026 Big Game research found that shelf-stable dip purchasing was 227% above its yearly average. Tortilla chips were 106% higher, while salsa purchases increased 96%.

These are substantial occasion-driven purchasing differences.

Traditional guacamole, queso, French onion and salsa remain important. However, food retailers should also consider:

·       Buffalo chicken dip.

·       Smoked jalapeño queso.

·       Whipped feta.

·       Roasted red pepper hummus.

·       Street corn dip.

·       Spinach artichoke dip.

·       Specialty dessert dips with pretzels and fruit.

The opportunity extends beyond individual products.

Create complete snack boards combining cheeses, charcuterie, crackers, vegetables, dips, nuts and sweet treats.

Grocery stores can assemble ready-to-serve boards. Convenience stores can offer smaller snack combinations. Restaurants can create appetizer packages designed specifically for delivery and pickup.

The objective is to turn several small purchases into one larger, more satisfying food occasion.

The Next Generation of Game-Day Food Marketing

The traditional game-day menu is evolving. Successful operators need to recognize that consumers want different combinations of food depending on the game, the gathering and the time available.

Here are four strategies worth implementing.

1. Sell the Occasion, Not Just the Individual Menu Item

A dozen wings is a product. A complete game-day package is a solution.

Create packages that combine:

·       Wings and sliders.

·       Pizza and salad.

·       Nachos and specialty dips.

·       Chicken tenders and multiple sauces.

·       Snack boards and desserts.

Offer packages for two, four, six and ten people.

The objective is to simplify purchasing while increasing the overall transaction.

A consumer who might purchase one pizza could be persuaded to purchase a complete food package when the value is clear.

2. Make Price, Value and Convenience Work Together

Affordability matters.

Wells Fargo's 2026 Super Bowl food report estimated that hosting ten people would cost approximately $140, compared with $138 in 2025.

That is approximately $14 per person.

This demonstrates the importance of giving consumers an affordable way to entertain without making the food experience feel inexpensive.

Restaurants should communicate what a package feeds, what is included and how much consumers save compared with ordering individually.

Grocery retailers should compare ready-to-eat, heat-and-eat and assemble-at-home options.

Convenience stores should emphasize smaller packages and immediate consumption.

Remember the Grocerant Guru's Price Value Service Equilibrium: consumers evaluate price, quality, convenience and the overall experience together.

The lowest price does not automatically win.

3. Embrace Flavor Exploration and Customization

Consumers want familiar foods with interesting twists.

A traditional chicken wing can become a Korean barbecue experience. A pizza can become a hot honey specialty. A nacho platter can become a birria-inspired meal.

This is where limited-time offers become valuable.

Create seasonal and regional flavor combinations that give consumers a reason to purchase now rather than later.

For example, a football rivalry could inspire two competing wing flavors. A hockey promotion could feature a hat-trick sampler with three sauces. An international soccer tournament could introduce regional food combinations reflecting participating countries.

The key is to connect food innovation to consumer participation rather than relying exclusively on team logos and advertising.

4. Connect Grocery, Restaurants and Convenience Retail

One of the most important opportunities is the elimination of traditional food retail silos.

The 2025 FMI research showing that 28% of consumers had replaced restaurant meals with grocery deli-prepared foods illustrates the competitive shift.

A grocery retailer can compete with a restaurant through freshly prepared wings, pizza, sliders and party trays.

A convenience store can compete through hot sandwiches, chicken, pizza, snack combinations and prepared beverages.

A restaurant can compete through family packs, delivery bundles and pickup promotions.

Consumers are not necessarily loyal to a channel. They are loyal to the solution that best meets their needs.

The Grocerant Niche is particularly relevant here. Fresh-prepared, ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat foods allow retailers and restaurants to compete for the same consumer occasions.

Beverages and Desserts: Don't Leave Money on the Table

Game-day food marketing should not stop with the main course.

Beverages and desserts provide important opportunities to increase the average transaction.

Consider pairing:

·       Buffalo wings with lemonade, iced tea or flavored sparkling water.

·       Spicy sliders with citrus beverages.

·       Pizza with specialty sodas.

·       Nachos with fresh fruit beverages.

·       Snack boards with cookies, brownies and bite-sized desserts.

Nonalcoholic beverage choices deserve particular attention. Flavored lemonades, sparkling waters, mocktails and specialty iced teas can broaden the appeal of a game-day package.

Desserts should also be designed for sharing. Mini cheesecakes, cookie assortments, brownie bites and chocolate-dipped treats can complete a party package.

The point is simple: consumers purchasing food for a gathering are often purchasing more than one eating occasion.

Three New Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Own the Occasion, Not the Channel.

The consumer does not care whether the wings come from a restaurant, the grocery deli or a convenience store. They care about flavor, quality, price and convenience. Retailers that compete across channels for the same eating occasion will discover new customer acquisition opportunities.

2. Customization Creates Incremental Revenue.

One flavor of wings is a transaction. Four flavors, three dipping sauces and a shareable side create an experience. Consumers appreciate choices, and operators can use customization to differentiate their offerings, increase average checks and encourage repeat purchases.

3. Convenience Without Value Is a Losing Proposition.

Consumers will pay for convenience, but they expect something in return. Quality, portion size, flavor, portability and price must work together. The brands that understand the intersection of price, time and flavor will be better positioned to attract and retain customers.

The Bottom Line

Sports viewing is not simply a television audience opportunity. It is a recurring food marketing opportunity that crosses restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail formats.

Consumers are dynamic, not static. Their expectations, eating habits and purchasing decisions continue to evolve.

Brands that continue selling yesterday's game-day menu without understanding today's consumer risk losing tomorrow's transaction.

The game may be decided on the field, but the food business is decided by the consumer.

Steven Johnson, The Grocerant Guru®, is the founder of Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, Washington, recognized for identifying the Grocerant Niche in 1996. Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development, identifying, quantifying and qualifying additional food retail segment opportunities, new menu product segments, and brand and menu integration strategies.