Mini Meals Millennial's Continue to Drive Growth

Consumer migration too grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to grow as Millennials and Gen Z consumers believe ‘fresh is best’ and fresh is better-for-you’ according to information gleaned once again the Foodservice Solutions®, Grocerant ScoreCards according to Steven Johnson head researcher and Grocerant Guru®

Regular readers of this blog know that mini meals, small meals, and snacking are menu magic.

Recent research revealed that  94 percent of adults are snacking daily, and fresh food  snacking is driving the growth in grocery stores’ snacking categories. That data reported by SPINS indicate that the $40 billion conventional snacking market declined 2 percent annually over the past three years, while health-and-wellness snacking grew 6 percent annually, driven by outsize growth from fresh snacking, which grew 8 percent annually. According to Johnson fresh mini meals are the on-the-go solution for many millennials.

Mintel foodservice research found that fresh food is No. 1 purchase driver for Millennials (age 23-40) and the iGeneration or Gen Z (age 11-22), when shopping for food. So just what do they like Mintel found the shopping in the grocery store the top items are:

1.  refrigerated protein bars,
2. protein snack packs,
3. drinkable soups,
4. bottled smoothies,
5. yogurts,
6. hummus
7. guacamole.

From mini-meals to the perimeter fresh food is growing at 2.1 times the rate of total food and beverage, it’s clear that legacy shelf stable CPG-products will continue to yield space to fresh. All foodservice retailers must be mindful of Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® FIVE P’s of food marketing and pay specific attention to portability according to Johnson.

Millennials and Gen Z consumers have grown up during a period when ‘time’ was at a premium and when meal time was not spent at a table with the family but was consumed on the run.  Mini meals, small meals, and snacking on fresh prepared food has become a mainstay in the lives of those younger than most of the regular readers of this blog.  

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869