Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Foodservice Hot Topics for 2016

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® has five ‘hot topics’ for 2016.  The first one and maybe the most important and it is “Less is More”.  Retail foodservice operators in search of operational efficiencies will reduce the number of items on the, while increasing the ability for customer interaction via customization.  Empowering consumers to personalize an entrée or side item garners buy-in and increased frequency.

Secondly, “Drink-Up” restaurants, c-stores, and coffee shops that have been experimenting with expanded alcohol sales will begin to uncover the secrets of sales and profits success and will continue to expand test cautiously.  I and talking Taco Bell, Starbucks, Burger King, and growlers expanding everywhere from grocery stores to C-store.

Third, “Amazon Prime Now” New avenues of fresh food and liquor distribution are evolving creating disruption in a once sleepy category retail foodservice.  NPD teamed up with CivicScience to conduct a series of polls that showed one in four American household’s has access to an Amazon Prime account.  Amazon Prime Now is consumer interactive and participatory. However what is most important to grocery stores, c-stores and restaurants Amazon Prime Now has established new industry leading standards in service, quality, pricing, and communication.

Forth, “After Organic” Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® found that Millennials and Gen Z both gravitate to fresh prepared food over local, local over organic.  Millennials  and Gen Z quest for discovery and experimentation with new avenues of food distribution including companies the ilk of Hello Fresh, Plated, Munchery, and Freshly over traditional grocery stores may well prove a disruptive force.  More interesting it is not just Millennials and Gen Z that are migrating to non-traditional fresh food retailers, boomers are too which we believe is creating new pantry busters for grocery stores and restaurant breakers. 

Fifth, “Eating-Out while Eating-In” Consumers are increasing becoming more and more comfortable with ‘internet connected smart screens / televisions’.  They have become the hub of attention and interaction and communication around home.   Our Grocerant Guru® has found that consumers prefer Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food over cooking from scratch.

The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome is expanding not contracting; thus consumer’s propensity for ‘Eating-Out while Eating-In’ will continue to grow.  Technomic reported recently that “More consumers purchase prepared dinner options (83%) from retailers than breakfast or lunch and that 64% of consumers’ prepared-foods purchases are planned.  

Success does leave clues and regular readers of this blog know that we have identified, qualified and quantified each of these five industry attributes events in the past our team firmly believes that in 2016 each will once again drive incremental change within the industry as they evolve to the next level. 

Do you understand how to drive top line growth and bottom line profits within the Grocerant Niche?  Looking for Outside Eye’s for help?  Call Foodservice Solutions® at 253-759-7869 or visit our website at: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us or Email our Global Grocerant Expert at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us