Grocery Stores & C-stores Continue Taking a Bite out of Restaurant Sales

One fundamental of consumer food marketing is follow the customer.  When the consumer evolves all retailers including grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, clothing retailers and furniture retailers need to do the same according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

General managers at Whole Foods Market stores have called thier stores ‘grocerants’ for over ten years according to Johnson.  Whole Foods has been keenly aware of the undercurrents driving the consumers within the grocerant sector and has successfully repositioned to garner incremental customer transactions within the grocerant niche according to Johnson.

Whole Foods has consistently received high marks on Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards for food quality, price, service and while elevating internal food quality standards while simultaneously elevating communication to consumers about their fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat ‘better-for-you’ offering. 

Grocerants generated 2.7 billion visits and $12 billion in sales in 2017 by promoting restaurant-quality freshly prepared foods. Building momentum grocerant visits have increased close to 30% over the past 10 years and show no sign of slowing down according to Johnson.

Driven by Millennial customers today more than 40% of Americans buy freshly prepared foods from grocery stores. Besides being fast, fresh food, it can be cheaper than traditional takeout. According to NPD Group study grocerant meal costs $4.22 on average, compared to $7.96 at a fast-casual restaurant, a 53% difference.

Consumers like to save while eating restaurant quality food and most consumers now believe that Takeout meals or meal components comprised of fresh food from c-store the ilk of Sheetz, Wawa, and Rutter’s is restaurant quality according to recent Grocerant ScoreCards according to Johnson.

Fast-food restaurants with drive-thru’s have had the Ready-2-Eat sector to themselves for years.  However, after years of capitulating market share sales away from grocery stores and c-stores the tide has turned.  Consumers are driven by an increase in menu choice, food quality, and price to sample, savor, and save on What’s for Dinner.

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