Ready-2-eat, heat-N-eat, and take-A-way food is in high demand at 4PM

The success of the Grocerant niche can be found in every corner of the United States.  From Rotisserie Chicken, prepared ready-2-eat salads, prepared and fresh prepared sandwiches at 4PM food retailers are in high demand.  Below are a few of the companies now finding success within the Grocerant niche.

7-Eleven, www.7-eleven.com

A&P, www.apfreshonline.com
Albertsons, www.albertsons.com
ampm, www.ampm.com
Aztec Market, www.eatatsdsu.com
Bed Bath & Beyond, www.bedbathandbeyond.com
Big Bowl Chinese Express,www.bigbowlchineseexpress.com
BJ’s Wholesale Club, www.bjs.com
Brookshire’s, www.brookshires.com
Byerly’s, www.lundsandbyerlys.com
Caribou Coffee, www.cariboucoffee.com
Casey’s General Store, caseys.com
Central Market, www.centralmarket.com
Cost Plus, www.worldmarket.com
Costco, www.costco.com
Culinaria, www.culinariaschnucks.com
CVS, www.cvs.com
Dominick’s, www.dominicks.com
Dorothy Lane, www.dorothylane.com
Duane Reade, www.duanereade.com
Earth Fare, www.earthfare.com
Easy Meal Prep Association,
www.easymealprep.com
El Pollo Loco, www.elpolloloco.com
Family Express Corp., www.familyexpress.com
Food Basics, www.foodbasicsusa.com
The Food Emporium, www.thefoodemporium.com
Fresh & Easy, www.freshandeasy.com
The Fresh Diet, www.thefreshdiet.com
The Fresh Market, www.thefreshmarket.com
GetGo, www.get-go.com
Giant Eagle, www.gianteagle.com
Glacier Ice Cream, www.glaciericecream.com
Great Atlantic Pacific & Tea Company,www.aptea.com
Greencore, www.greencore.com
GreenWise, www.publix.com/greenwise
Hannaford, www.hannaford.com
Harris Teeter, www.harristeeter.com
HEB, www.heb.com
Home Made Brand Foods,
homemadebrandfoods.com
Hubbell & Hudson, hubbellandhudson.com
Hyatt Hotels, www.hyatt.com
Hy-Vee, www.hy-vee.com
Jewel, www.jewelosco.com
Joe V’s, www.heb.com
Jungle Jim’s, www.junglejims.com
KFC, www.kfc.com
Kings Markets, www.kingswebsite.com
Kowalski’s, kowalskis.com
Kroger, www.kroger.com
Mariano’s Fresh Market
Marketside, www.marketside.com
Market District, www.marketdistrict.com
Market Street, www.marketstreetunited.com
Marks & Spencer, www.marksandspencer.com
McDonald’s, www.mcdonalds.com
Morrisons, www.morrisons.co.uk
Murray’s, www.murrayscheese.com
Northern Foods, www.northernfoods.co.uk
On a Roll Sales, Inc., www.onarollsales.com
Pathmark, www.pathmark.com
Publix, www.publix.com
Price Chopper, www.pricechopper.com
QuickChek, www.quick-chek.com
Quiznos, www.quiznos.com
Raley’s, www.raleys.com
Roundy’s, www.roundys.com
Royal Ahold, www.ahold.com
Rutter’s Farm Stores, www.rutters.com
Sam’s Club, www.samsclub.com
Schnucks, www.schnucks.com
Shaw’s, www.shaws.com
Sheetz, www.sheetz.com
top & Shop, www.stopandshop.com
Sunset Foods, www.sunsetfoods.com
Super Fresh, www.superfreshfood.com
Supervalu, www.supervalu.com
Surdyks, www.surdyks.com
Target, www.target.com
Tesco, www.tesco.com
Treasure Island, www.tifoods.com
Turkey Hill, www.turkeyhillstores.com
Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods,
ukropshomestylefoods.com
United Supermarkets, www.unitedtexas.com
Waldbaums, www.waldbaums.com
Walgreens, www.walgreens.com
Walmart, www.walmart.com
Wegmans, www.wegmans.com
Whole Foods, www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Winn-Dixie, www.winndixie.com

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerant or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Food for the 65 inch TV: Is the food landscape changing?

Americans love affair with restaurants is not dying.  However increased competition with innovative food with a twist broadens consumer choice of dinning with quality and ease at home. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is expanding consumer choice of Mix & Match Meal component options.

Restaurants, Convenience stores and Grocery stores are all selling Take-Away food.  Meal Mix & Match grocerant meal components have been the leading sector in retail foodservice of late. It’s menu magic.

Mix & Match grocerant food allows the consumer too spend more time in front of the 65 inch TV.  Grocery store brand loyalty and frequency increases with each advancement in quality Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food.  Here are examples of Mix and Match Meal components from Grocery stores only: 

Goat Cheese Strawberry Salad: spring mix topped with thinly sliced
strawberries, blueberries, walnuts and crumbled goat cheese

Cajun Seasoned Potatoes: roasted potatoes topped with Cajun

blackening seasoning

Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi and Chicken Tenders: coated in

toasted panko bread crumbs and cream of coconut (ready-to cook)

Mexican Lasagna

Mushroom Risotto

Crabcakes

Aegean Salad: shell pasta with Feta, onion, artichoke hearts, cherry

tomatoes and kalamata olives

Caprese Panini

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

Matzo Ball Soupeared Chicken Breast with Peach & Chive Sauce

Parmesan Chicken Fingers

Turkey Roulade with Cranberry Stuffing

Side orders

Cauliflower Spinach Gratin

Artichoke & Asiago Croquette

Spaghetti with Seasoned Tomato Sauce

Escarole & Beans

Apple Almond Yam Cakes

Florida’s Farm Stores offer Online meal components:

Cajun Chicken

Chicken Saute with Artichokes

Mushroom & Asparagus Israeli Couscous

Sage Roasted Turkey Breast

Vegetable Fried Rice

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Flan

Key Lime Pie

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerant or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us 

Food fight and the Convenience store sector is gaining customers.

It all started with the $ 5.00 foot long and the Subway restaurant chain has be the individual retail food winner.  Subway is growing units and top line sales like no other food retailer in the United Sates and testing a café format. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is driving top line growth and bottom line profits in food retail today.

The Dollar menu has pushed the QSR sector along and now with inflation on the horizon; a global food price war in the food sector and grocery sector particularly has broken out.  It is painfully clear whomever is the last to raise prices in the QSR sector will be the clear winner, garnering market share.

In the grocery sector; Wegmans is freezing prices on “basic” items, Tesco’s ala Fresh & Easy parent has targeted its largest European rival in a price war.  Tesco has found it’s footing in the US and is now expanding again with a focus on Price and Product differentiation. Don’t count on large price increases in grocery any time soon, at least in urban centers. Kroger and Safeway must try and keep competitive.

The only over all sector of food retail that has gained both top line revenue and more units during the past two years is the C-store sector.  Both the Grocery store and Restaurant sector have lost units. Companies that utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; will understand success can be found within the grocerant niche.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

When you’re ready-2-eat your next meal.

Families, couples, singles all start wondering what’s for dinner about 4 PM every day. Food manufactures have teams of people working to get you to buy their product at 4 PM.  However, restaurants have a clear advantage in the minds eye of the consumer.  Restaurant branded Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food that is perceived as fresh and bundled in a meal, saves time and is top of mind for consumers.

A Grocery Manufacturers Association study found, “62% of shoppers look for deals online prior to at least half of their shopping trips.” Restaurants have a solid web presents and are leveraging that too garner consumers back from grocery stores. Food manufactures have websites but little voice in the minds eye of the consumer for they are only one component of the meal.

There is a stumbling block for restaurants consumer need other items at dinner time as well. Drug stores chains and grocery stores can leverage that need set to there advantage.  There is one simple problem.  Legacy grocery stores the ilk of A&P and Supervalu have a legacy departmental internal bonus issues that prevent them from cross promoting Mix and Match meal components from other departments. Milk and bread different departments, bread and meat, different departments, green salad and frozen pizza; OK your catching on.  A&P and Supervalu are dependent and focused of slotting fees instead of the consumer. Big problem, look at the results.

Food manufactures have little leverage in or desire to cross-promote. Lets face it business is about the consumer. Foodservice Solutions® has developed a shopper marketing cross-promotional team to assist food manufactures of branded and private label products bundle Mix and Match meal promo’s utilizing the 5P’s of food marketing.  

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

                                                                                                

Food: new points of distribution and menu innovation empowers consumer choice.



Foodservice Solutions® grocerant guru Steven Johnson recently conducted an immersion tour and found high quality innovative food and new points of distribution, menu personalization and cultural inclusion. The grocerant niche is filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food that is generally described as better for you.

Convenience store volume sector leader and director of foodservice Michael Sherlock, said that "Our business is all about speed and convenience,…"Seconds count when it comes to helping our customers on their way and turning over parking lots, much in the same way that a restaurant focuses on speed of service to turning over table availability during peak times." He is not alone many other convenience store chains including 7 Eleven and Casey’s General Stores have had noted success after entering the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat grocerant fresh and prepared food niche.

Walgreens, Rite Aid, Amazon Fresh and Sears are all entering the fresh and prepared food niche. When you combine that with food trucks and pop-up stores you find growing consumer momentum and new bundled meal options. Here are three of the interesting meal component options discovered on the immersion tour.

1. Oatmeal and coffee (grocery store) $0.99

2. Sauerkraut Pizza and Beer (full service restaurant) slice + beer ($3.50)

3. Pouched Salmon with dirty rice and sweet plantain (food truck) ($5.95)

The primary driver of the grocerant niche is quality food bundled as components allowing and promoting consumer choice. Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. When a family can mix and match

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Better for you Ready-2-Eat food is popular with younger consumers.



Grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food has been driving top line sales and bottom line profits across all sectors of retail foodservice. “Young U.S. adults are finding increasing appeal in packaged salads and other “convenience” fresh food items bought at grocery stores, a trend that promises to boost produce demand over the long-term, according to a recent survey conducted by the Perishables Group.”

In addition the study found “About 63% of consumers age 24 or younger said they buy packaged salads at least once a month, the highest rate of any age group”. …By comparison, 55% of people between ages 45 and 54 said they buy packaged salads at least once a month. For 65 and older, the rate was 49%.

The figures reflect broader consumption patterns and lifestyles among younger adults, who appear to be more accepting of convenience foods and less inclined to buy “whole” products, such as a head of lettuce, said Steve Lutz, Perishables Group executive vice president.”

Regular readers of this blog understand that “better for you” is a key element in positioning new products with the retail food space. Grab-N-Go, Take-Away, Take-Out food continues to garner new customers of all age groups. Better for you convenience food bundled as a meal component is clearly a industry success clue.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Foodservice Solutions® 5P’s of food marketing building top line sales.



The old adage “birds of a feather flock together” continues to ring true within the restaurant sector. Boston Market, Au Bon Pain, TGI Fridays, Panera Bread, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Chili’s all have success catering, take away or delivery options. This is all part of the grocerant sector within retail foodservice, the fastest growing sector of retail food.

Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru at Foodservice Solutions® identified, qualified and perfected the 5P’s of food marketing while working on projects for Fortune 100 food companies and internet client’s cyberslice, cybermeals, EZ2get and Food.com.

Panera Bread is the latest company to implement a vertical integrated brand marketing program with a focus on all 5P’s. The 5 P’s of food marketing are: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

Utilizing consumer research, integrating internal loyalty data into a consumer focused vertical integrated catering program expands the depth and reach of meaning branding consumer focused touch points. Success does leave clues sales and profits are direct results from picking up the right clues. Panera Bread is picking up all the right clues.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email:Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us 1-253-759-7869

The primary driver of the grocerant niche is Mix and Match quality food bundled as components.



Regular readers of this blog know customization is a key element within meal planning. Bundled meal components allowing and promoting consumer choice are critical elements for a successful meal. . Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family.

In a recent study conducted by Technomic for American Express, they found that “four out of five consumers (82%) report that it is somewhat or extremely important that they be able customize their meals at sandwich-specific LSRs (limited service restaurants). Chains such as Subway have built their reputation on allowing customers to more or less create their won sandwiches, so it’s logical that customization would be deemed most important in such restaurants.

Roughly three fifths of consumers indicate that customization is important to them at burger (61%), Mexican (59%) and bakery-café (57%) LSRs, and about half note the same for chicken (53%) and Asian/noodle (48%) LSRs. In all cases, women are much more likely that men to consider the opportunity for customization an important attribute.

Companies that utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; will understand success can be found within the grocerant niche. Building top line sales and bottom line profits when they roll out an integrated grocerant niche food program with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Food Stamps for Restaurants

Foodservice Solutions®   Food Advocacy: Legislative Action for Food Availability is needed and Good News for consumers

NATION WIDE FOCUS REQUIRES QUICK ADVOCACY ACTION

Sometimes there are important issues that need to be worked, quickly, for the betterment of both consumers (really) and corporations

At the intersection of contemporary consumer meal consumption trends and the confluence of the time starved consumer is the grocerant niche filled with fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  Driven by consumer demand these items can be found in Grocery Stores, Chain & Independent Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Chain Drug Stores and increasing at food trucks and online food portals.

It’s time to allow Americans receiving food assistance to purchase fresh and prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food from Grocery Stores, Chain & Independent Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Chain Drug Stores and the like.

One such issue is expanding governmental food assistance eligibility

Recession, stagnation or double dip, 45 million plus Americans are currently receiving assistance from the Food and Nutrition Service division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program.  Like most legacy government programs its time to up date this program ensuring participant parity and a contemporized relevance.

While the US unemployment rate is roughly 9.2% it is estimated that combined with the underemployed and those not even looking any longer the rate is 14.7% it’s clear a large portion of America is going without. Unemployment numbers are disproportionately high for those under 24 and over 55 increasing anxiety while creating a climate of disorder in the workforce. 

Why is this good thing for all of us?

• For consumers:

Over the past 20 years there has been a transition in home cooking where the vast majority of meals are not cooked from scratch but assembled meal components.  Components like rotisserie chicken, fresh vegetables, ribs, soups, take-N-bake pizza, casseroles, Chinese entrees, build your own salad. This trend in large part was driven by the ever increasing growth of multi-cultural multi- generational households where meal time consisted of more divergent flavors than ever before.  The skill set to cook multi-cultural meals has not been handed down as in the past. The anxiety of being cash strapped, frustration and desire for comfort food is heightened. Allowing consumer to buy fresh prepared meal components edifies the family unit of today while easing the frustration and pain of economic turmoil.

• For small business:

Small business nestled in each community across the country, understand the flavor profiles and competitive business environment and are best equipped meet the consumers needs while building community cohesiveness.  Independent restaurants will benefit creating more Jobs.

• For big business:

Large corporations particularly grocery stores have witnessed the migration of there consumer from the “center of the store” to the perimeter where grocerant niche ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food can be found.  National retailers understand the consumer is dynamic not static and want to maintain consumer relevance.  These changes will do just that more jobs.

Who are we?

Foodservice Solutions® has offices in California and Washington and is a foodservice consultancy specializing in outsourced vertical retail food sector strategy - marketing strategy and business development, identifying, quantifying and qualifying niche opportunity for global foodservice related activity since 1991.

Steven Johnson has been a restaurant franchisee and concept developer, is globally recognized for his blog “The Grocerant.” An industry expert in alternative channels of food distribution, he is Grocerant Guru at Foodservice Solutions® specializing in the “grocerant” niche in both fresh and prepared foods. The “grocerant” concept includes grocery stores offering Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods too convenience stores, restaurants and now even the drug store sector. The foundation of Johnson’s work in the channel are the 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. He holds a Master of Science in Food Marketing with distinction from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business School Honor Society. Johnson has received numerous awards including 3 EMMEY, awarded by 3M for “Outside the box” thinking and team leadership.

John A. Gordon is a chain restaurant analyst and management consultant who specializes in niche restaurant sector research, analysis and special business intelligence projects. With a professional lifetime in restaurant operations, financial management and management consulting roles, he provides independent perspective and actionable analysis for investors and others regarding difficult and complex restaurant earnings and economics topics via his niche analysis and advisory firm. . He has a 40 year passion for and association in local, state and national politics and government and has hands on knowledge of the legislative process and how the advocacy game should be played.

What we propose to do:

• Issue development  the food availability issue is fast becoming a signature interlocking solution needed for both consumers, and economic development as a whole. We will coordinate and enhance this issue with logical, fact rich support for next legislative cycle introduction.  
• Legislative advocacy: via our contacts and connections, we can work this issue in select, gateway states that will insure fair hearing and progress. This includes briefing and communications to allies, direct legislative access planning and support.
• Ongoing support:  successful issue implementation via the legislative process requires ongoing care and feeding. We can be the gateway to providing logical support and backup to answer questions and sustain the action over time.

How are we different than the other lobbyist/advisory firms?

• Laser like focus and attention: this is our issue and we’ll work it exclusively to others.

• Unlike the other empty suits, we know this business and these issues: we have unique viewpoint and immersion throughout the food “space” and do not sit in ivory towers. If market facing conditions change, we’ll know it before others who sit at the end of the “feed chain”.

• We don’t have the same baggage as they do: we have no other client conflicts or hidden agendas and have no goal other than client satisfaction.
• We don’t have the same overhead as they do: let’s face it: cycle time and cost matters.  Why pay the big firms to get up to speed?

Contact us for topical research and reference and suggested action steps

Steven  Johnson, Principal, Foodservice Solutions Food Advocacy  Email:grocerant@q.com Voice: (253)-759-7869

John A. Gordon, Senior Advisor Email: jgordon@pacificmanagementconsultinggroup.com

Voice: (619) 379-5561

Mix and Match components and portability are required options for food retailers today.



As long as multi- generational family’s gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors will continue to permeate. Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance. Food retailers that incorporate flavors of the past and present are winning.

Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places the grocerant niche in the middle of consumer attention. The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist.

In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar. That is where the Grocerant niche falls, it is consumer inspired, component driven and flavor familiar.

Understanding, creating bundling distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in a mix and match meal component format. Will set the stage for continue sales building success. Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of concept growth, redevelopment and deployment of new products. Grocerant specialist can work with you to identify distinctive differentiated food consumables.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Burger King’s new menu will be: Fine Food Fast.



Foodservice Solutions® president Steven Johnson has documented followed and even named the grocerant niche. It is no wonder the success his grocerant blog has garnered and the niche is booming. It is followed by thousands on LinkedIn daily and thousands more via Facebook.

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food that is better for you continues to spread from restaurants, into grocery stores, convenience stores and now into the drug store sector. Grocerant food is entering the convenience store niche at such a fast pace that the C-stores sector of the foodservice industry has lead all other retail food sectors in year over year growth for the past two years.

The primary driver of the grocerant niche is quality food bundled as components allowing and promoting consumer choice. Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. When a family can mix and match components everyone wins. Burger King’s new menu will expand its consumer base while increasing customer frequency. Look for additional differentiated product trials in the coming months.

Companies that utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; will understand success can be found within the grocerant niche. Building strong sales if they roll out an integrated grocerant niche food program with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com

Legacy food retailers are re-branding with Ready-2-Eat food



Ready-2-eat re-branding is not back to the basic’s it’s a step into the future of food marketing, positioning and essential for legacy retail food brands continued consumer relevance. Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores are all scurrying to reposition their product / menu mix of “better for you” prepared food to garner an increase in share of stomach.

Competitive may not be a strong enough word for the battle between sectors and companies for the consumer. The Grocerant niche is where all the action is consisting of better for you prepared portable ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. The Convenience store sector has led with Ready-2-Eat food innovation and over the past three years captured a larger share of stomach while sectors had flat or down sales.

McDonalds, Wegmans, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Sheetz, Boston Market and Wawa have done great things with fresh prepared ready-2-eat food. Each is capturing market share. The equilibrium between financial success and breakthrough top of mind recognition is but one key in the success. Ready-2-eat and Heat-N-eat grocerant niche fresh prepared better for you food is the main driver. Watch for Starbucks and McDonalds too add additional fresh food products for all age groups in 2012.

Safeway’s “lifestyle” is another example for grocerant re-branding and a turn away from the middle of the store and focus on consumer relevant fresh, prepared food. These “lifestyle” units have proven a focus on the grocerant niche prepared food sector provides a halo for even the burdened center of the store. This is about winning the heart and minds of the consumer. Safeway’s miss-step is they expanded each of the new remodeled units. They did not need to do that. They should have simply shrunk the middle of the store. All new Whole Foods stores will have a maximum of 30,000 SQFT. Once again proving fresh ready-2-eat food trumps legacy big stores.

The challenged for each company is the ability to see and understand the customers focus at its core, not your brands core. Success does leave clues and companies leading the charge in 2011 will be leaders within each niche for years to come. Those that do not will be reading headlines that C-level change is coming or came. Without bold new leaders those brands may simply become non relevant. In the event that they are more about their brand than the consumer they will simply fall to the way side.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant Email: grocerant@q.com