Millennials Are Pantry Busters and Grocerants Customers

Millennials are the first generation to migrate too grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food and are bringing Gen Z along according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson. That is not only a concern for legacy grocery store retailers like Walmart that are in the process of closing stores, but it is an increasing problem for full-service and casual dining restaurants.

The Food Marketing Institute’s 2015 Grocery Shopper Trend Study found that “34% of survey respondents find retail grab-and-go even easier than going to a restaurant.” So we ask when Nielsen projected that U.S. consumer spending will hit $5.7 billion by 2020, in both retail and on-premise eating and drinking establishments is your brand positioned to win with grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food? Are your year over year customer counts growing? If not why, it is most likely Millennial customer migration. 

In 2015 for the first time ever, restaurant spending has surpassed grocery sales.   The undercurrents of change is be driven by a generational shift in consumer mindset that is at the core of legacy food retail unrest, and disruption. Today, quick service restaurants (QSR) venues were the strongest performing restaurant segment this past year representing 79% of all foodservice visits according to The NPD Groups Bonnie Riggs. 

Food retailers today are driving change range from Plated, UberEats, Door-to-Door Organics to mention just a few, each is a meal solutions based company garnering new customers stifling growth at many legacy retailers. By the way Meal-Kit sales reached $1 Billion in US sales in 2015.  

Grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food offers a bundled mix and match selection of meal building options that the consumer has deemed with the halo of “better for you” according to the team at Foodservice Solution®.

 

In 2016 consumer’s mind-set has shifted from the pantry to MEALS either Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat according to our own Grocerant Guru®.  The idea of cooking from scratch is still alive as witness by the success of the Food Network and its TV ratings. But the fact is from Millennials to Baby Boomers consumers do not want too cook or have the time it takes to cook from scratch or do dishes afterwards. 

Remember that 79% of restaurant visits come from the QSR sector alone and they generate more than $100 billion in dinner sales each year. The battle for share of stomach is taking place and dinner is the target in 2016.  Who will win legacy grocery stores, restaurants, C-stores, Drug stores, Online-food delivery, or Meal-kit companies?  

One thing is clear that dinner decision-makers used to hitting the drive thru want quick and easy meals, and full-service restaurants, casual dining restaurants, C-stores, grocery stores cannot afford to capitulate additional market share all must focus on selling grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared. 

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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 attracting Grocerant niche consumers?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.