Family Meal Assembly Eating-Out While Eating-In is Hot, Hot, Hot

Foodservice, restaurant, and all prepared food retailer’s business models are evolving faster than many companies can manage successfully. At the intersection of grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food there is a melting pot of new technology, changing demographics, and new authentic bold international full flavored menu / product offerings luring customers from one foodservice sector to another at a pace that is disrupting according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®.

While the economic upheaval that began in 2007 continues to linger, many consumers have now developed new paths to purchase, they have found new avenues of distribution offering comfort food that reflects today and tomorrow’s customer base rather than yesterdays.   

Clint McKinney, group director of for convenience retail for Coca-Cola North America  stated “Food is a lifestyle choice now, not a staple”.  McKinney’s comments echoing those as regular readers of this blog know those of Steven Johnson our very own Grocerant Guru®.

Part of that new comfort food process that consumers of all ages are adopting is Eating-In while Eating-Out according to our Grocerant Guru®.  The ability to mix and match meal components into a customized family meal without cooking from scratch is simply irresistible according to Johnson.  Coca Cola’s McKinney has identified six keys to satisfying the evolving new consumer they are:

1. Value Plus. This pertains to delivering value (such as meal bundling), but with an extra surprise (like offering a new topping or flavor).

2. Evolution of Healthy. Bringing simple ingredients, more fresh food and transparency of where it comes from; what millennials call “clean eating.”

3. Flexibility & Discovery. This is about expanding meal occasions such as taking advantage of the growth in snacking, and creating new choices for customers like a c-store mashup. “How about nacho cheese churros?” he suggested.

4. Hyper Convenience. C-stores own this, but others are trying to compete here. Look for on-demand delivery and greater importance of off-premise occasions, such as takeout and drive-thrus.

5. Digitization. This is about “out-of-outlet” engagement. Retailers will need to leverage the power of social media to build visits and brands. They need to make their outreach “share-worthy.”

6. Brand Authority. Retailers will need to upgrade the experience for tomorrow’s customers. Millennials place greater importance on eating in a cool, hip setting. “Also, you must have a clear identity and brand story, and you must communicate it in a clear way,”

Consumers are dynamic not static and foodservice retailers must evolve or face the fact that they are capitulating customers to other retailers that are more in-tune with the consumer according to Foodservice Solutions® Steven Johnson.

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us