Blue Apron Heat-N-Eat Fresh Food is Better than Drive-Thru Food

 

Listening to consumers helps companies evolve.  The customer is dynamic not static and Blue Apron is doing all of the right things as it too continues to evolve its menu options and business model according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA base Foodservice Solutions®.

Did you know that Blue Apron is rolling out ready-to-cook meals in response to consumer demand for more quick and convenient meal options? The meals are available as part of a subscription and come with pre-chopped, pre-portioned ingredients and a recyclable aluminum tray for baking.

Josh Friedman, Blue Apron’s chief product officer, stated, “Our customers’ desire for easier meal options on days when time is limited has led us to introduce Ready to Cook recipes,” ... “After exploring and testing dozens of options, our culinary team created delicious meals, without compromising on quality of ingredients for convenience. We believe these meals meet an important need for our key customer segments, including families, a category we see as one of the biggest opportunities for Blue Apron.”

These new menu options join the meal solution provider’s slate of quick prep options, which include prepared, single-serving meals and a series of recipes designed to be ready in 30 minutes or less. The ready-to-cook options will rotate on a weekly basis beginning July 29 and will include:

·         Oven-Baked Chorizo & Black Bean Tacos with Jalapeño & Monterey Jack.

·         Oven-Baked Sweet Chili Udon & Vegetables with Coconut Chips & Sesame Seeds.

·         Oven-Baked Pesto Chicken & Orzo with Spinach, Tomatoes & Ricotta.

·         Oven-Baked Cheesy Tomato Gnocchi with Calabrian Chile & Spinach.

John Adler, VP of culinary, for Blue Apron, stated, “Our Ready to Cook recipes were developed by testing a combination of grains, starches and sauces from our pantry to offer a variety of options and cuisines, including Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican, with a cooking vessel that delivered the most consistent results,” … “For example, our oven-baked gnocchi feature a mixture of juicy tomatoes, spinach, spicy Calabrian chile paste topped with mozzarella, and our hearty tacos feature a mixture of chorizo and black beans served in a soft tortilla.”

So, now that Blue Apron has been busy as it continues to execute on its turnaround strategies through a partnership with retail giant Walmart. The company has launched a new offering on Walmart.com that allows consumers to purchase a selection of meal kits without a subscription. With this move, Blue Apron has now become the first and only meal kit provider on the Walmart Marketplace platform.

Are you listening to your customers?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

McDonald's Canada Quietly Doing Good

 

There is a reason that industry leading companies are industry leading according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA base Foodservice Solutions®.  Here is something many of you may not know. As part of McDonald's Canada's ambitions to help feed and foster communities, the company is making important changes behind the scenes across the country with the planet in mind.

Yes, McDonald's Canada is part of a global journey to source 100% of McDonald's primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled or certified sources by the end of 2025 and is part of the McDonald's global pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Currently, McDonald’s Canada is helping create an impact in the communities where it operates with the planet in mind by committing to the company’s global goal to source 100% of primary guest packaging from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by the end of 2025. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada)

Michèle Boudria, President and CEO, McDonald's Canada, stated, "We recognize we have an important opportunity to help serve up a better tomorrow, and the actions we're working on today are an investment in our future,". "When you live and operate in almost every Canadian community, serving more than a million guests every day, every single change – big and small - can have a noticeable impact."

McDonald's Canada continues to make important changes behind the scenes and in restaurants across the country, so Canadians can feel good about enjoying the McDonald's they love.

Here are some of the steps McDonald's has taken so far:

In 2019, McDonald's Canada eliminated more than 1,300 tonnes of paper from the Canadian system annually by introducing new McWrap packaging, and 20% smaller, 100% recycled fibre napkins. 

Also in 2019, the brand stopped using extruded polystyrene foam from gravy bowls and breakfast platters, removing more than 120 tonnes from the Canadian system annually.

In late 2021, McDonald's Canada removed certain single-use plastics in its restaurants across the country, namely plastic cutlery, stir sticks and straws, eliminating approximately 700 tonnes of plastics from the Canadian system annually, with almost 370 tonnes of this attributed to plastic straws alone.

Following the transition from plastic to paper straws, the brand gave a "second life" to a portion of its remaining single-use plastic straws through a partnership with The Rogerie, turning the straws into limited edition trays, which serve as a canvas for artwork. 

In May 2022, we completed a paper fibre-reduction initiative for our McCafé hot cups. This reduction will eliminate nearly 700 tonnes of paper fibre from the Canadian system annually.

In mid-July 2022, McDonald's Canada re-introduced its Reusable Travel Mug policy, encouraging guests in Canada to bring their own clean, reusable travel mugs for use with their hot McCafé Premium Roast Coffee and Tea orders made at the Front Counter.

In May of 2022, McDonald's Canada, together with other brands, joined a six-month pilot program called 'Return-It to Reuse It and Recycle It', managed by Encorp Pacific, better known as Return-It. This pilot is dual-focused, aiming to keep more single-use cups out of landfills by giving consumers a convenient place to recycle them as well as introducing a reusable cup program, with consumers signing-up to use reusable cups that will be washed and returned to retail locations. McDonald's Canada is actively participating in the single-use cups reduction part of the pilot and is excited to explore the reusable cup part of their partnership with Return-It in the future. Both the single-use cups and the reusable cup program will be facilitated via the use of specialized collection bins, which are made from recycled plastics and have been made available in commercial as well as on-street locations.

McDonald's Canada will continue to make choices and take action to invest in our future. This includes:

Working towards its global ambition to drastically reduce the virgin fossil fuel-based plastics used in Happy Meal toys and offer Happy Meal toys made from more renewable, recycled, or certified materials by the end of 2025.

With its supply chain distribution partner, Martin Brower, McDonald's Canada added the first-ever electric vehicle (EV) to its distribution fleet in April 2022, a zero-tail pipe-emission tractor from Volvo. The new Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 tractor is being trailed to help with distribution to restaurants in the Montreal area. Are you making a difference? Are you leading?

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook

7-Eleven Brightens Up Walking

 

Summer time is outdoor time for most of us.  Getting away from the gym, getting outdoors and walking, hiking, or running being outdoors brightens our days.  7-Eleven has given everyone many reasons to get out and stop by their stores this summer including free Slurpee’s, Big Bites for a buck, and a chance now to win some bright outdoor apparel.

Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® thinks that 7-Eleven has the best summer branded food marking program in the United States.

At the intersection for branded food marketing and apparel we find 7-Eleven this summer helping fans feel hot and look cool this summer through the release of exclusive collaborations with popular snack and beverage brands. Customers who purchase participating products at 7-Eleven, Speedway or Stripes convenience stores will have the chance to win bespoke apparel and accessories that will take their wardrobes to an eleven.

Get this a few lucky sneakerheads in search of a "sole mate" can win a custom pair of unique shoes, including:

·         Slurpee x What the Fanta: Designed by Jake Danklefs of Dank & Co., these sneakers feature Slurpee drink branding and colorful shapes that mimic splashes of water.

·         7-Eleven x Dunkaroos: Customers who are nostalgic for the 90s will appreciate these sneakers, designed by creative agency partner Select and hand-painted by Tyler Wallach.They feature Fred, mascot for the brand's iconic frozen beverage, surrounded by confetti-style patterns.

·         Shoe Surgeon x Reese's: These sneakers are designed to be as irresistible as the candy itself. They feature orange-colored mesh panels, chocolate-hued sides and a peanut butter-toned ankle panel with a buttoned pocket.

Yes, there is more. customers visiting 7-Eleven will also have the chance to win a break dancing-inspired Red Bull BC One capsule featuring Fred. It comes complete with a hoodie, drawstring backpack and hat to encourage fans to dance their way through the summer. They can also add some spice to their lives with the Flamin' Hot x Braille collection, which features a crewneck sweatshirt, hat, skateboard and shoes with flame-printed shoelaces.

So, the collaborations are part of 7-Eleven's celebrations during "Brainfreeze Season," a time to hang loose, try new things, make unforgettable memories and take summer from a "10 to an Eleven," as Convenience Store News reported. All summer long, 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes c-stores are helping customers enjoy Brainfreeze Season by rewarding them with new prizes every Friday, among other festive initiatives.

Marissa Jarratt, 7-Eleven executive vice president and chief marketing officer, stated, "Brainfreeze Season is a time for us to help our customers quench their thirst for Slurpee drinks…music…and, of course, fashion," …. "We know our customers are always on the cutting edge of culture and style, and are looking for ways to get even closer to the brands they love — so what better way to reward our loyal fans than with these one-of-a-kind designs?"

Here is how it works, to get a chance to win, 7-Eleven, Speedway or Stripes customers must purchase select items through the 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards loyalty programs or via 7NOW delivery.

Participating beverage and snack products include Big Gulp fountain beverages, Slurpee drinks, Red Bull, Fanta, Reese's, Dunkaroos, all Doritos, Ruffles and Cheetos varieties, and more. Additionally, when customers purchase the product featured on their 7-Eleven and Speedway app each week, they will earn double entries for double the chance to win.

So, for more details on how fashionistas can land the hottest looks of the summer are available at 7-Eleven.com/Catch-The-Collab, by downloading the 7-Eleven and Speedway apps from the App Store or Google Play, or by visiting 7Rewards.com or SpeedyRewards.com.

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert, and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call 1-253-759-7869

Eating-In while Dinning-Out Is an Insight we Can’t Forget

 

Do you remember the old adage; getting ‘butts in seats’ used to be the only worry for restaurant managers trying to drive top line sales and bottom-line profits at their restaurant. Steven Johnson the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated recently “The consumer is dynamic not static. If the consumer likes your restaurant, they will want to eat your meals at their house.  Restaurateurs must oblige.”

Here again, from time to time you need to step back take a look in order to see just where you are today and where you may want to go. In a previous report Technomic found: “The boom in takeout, delivery and catering hasn’t cut into on-premise restaurant dining, validating operators’ contentions the newfound business is largely incremental, according to a new study of dining-out patterns.  While Foodservice Solutions® team identified and quantified this back in 2014 and again in 2015 we love the validation.

Technomic found “Eating inside restaurants remains the top choice of restaurant patrons, with the portion of customers opting for dine-in service holding steady at 82% for the last three months”. Technomic noted “the gap between in-restaurant and off-premise consumption of meals prepared outside the home is closing. Seven of 10 customers bought takeout meals or snacks in the last three months, and two of three used a drive-thru, according to the report. Delivery was the least used off-premise option, but half of patrons used that channel in the most recently concluded quarter”

So why should you begin to focus on new non-traditional meals as incremental revenue because Millennials and Gen Xers are particularly avid buyers of food and beverages for off-premise consumption. The Technomic report found that 56% of the total restaurant dollars spent by those age groups went toward takeout or delivery.

Marianne Quinlan-Sacksteder, director of insights at Acosta’s Center of Shared Business Intelligence: “While our research found that dining in at restaurants has remained flat year-over-year, U.S. diners instead indicated spreading their dollars across a variety of out-of-home channels," .. "Diners reported out-of-home food spending has increased significantly over the past two years, with increasing levels of diners indicating they are leveraging foodservice solutions beyond dine-in establishments.”

Let’s fast forward to today and see what clues are relevant today. We just might be evolving. 

 

1. Recent Grocerant ScoreCards found 81.1% of consumers don’t know what’s for dinner at Noon, and 61.1 don’t know what’ s for dinner at 4PM %.
2. Roughly 63.7% of consumers purchase prepared food items from a retail location at least three times a month.
3. 79.6% all dinners have at least 1 grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal component and 66.6% have two meal components.
4. When asked if they wanted to cook dinner from scratch or assemble dinner from fresh meal components 91.3 % of Gen Z chose assemble from Fresh Prepared Meal Components and Millennials 83.4% chose meal components.
5. Seventy-three percent of retail prepared food purchases are taken to go
6. Prepared food purchases are frequently a planned purchase among 61.2% of shoppers, while 40.9% of shoppers said they buy prepared foods on impulse. Dinner has the highest amount of prepared food buys with 81.7% of respondents making purchases for that meal, while lunch comes in at 76.9% and breakfast at 61.4%.
7. 57.8% of consumers would like to add Alcohol to a dinner order

 

Well, what do you think?

Success does leave clues 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, Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Foodservice Solutions Food Transparency equals Authenticity

 

Once again Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson reminds regular viewers of this blog that ‘less is more’ in the minds-eye of the consumer and transparency in labeling, packaging, and menus equals authenticity in the minds-eye of the consumers and that builds loyalty.

In an previous study by the Food Marketing Institute titled: U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends found that “when it comes to how retail channels meet consumers’ need for transparency, natural and organic, online-only, club, fresh-focused, and midmarket traditional grocery stores make the top of the list. Conversely, retail channels trailing in transparency include: convenience, discount, supercenter, limited, dollar, drug and value-focused.”

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin at the time stated “In the competitive food retail landscape and in an age in which information moves faster and faster, the consumer demand for clear and honest answers offer a zip-line to confidence in the complex food system,” “[Consumers] can handle the truth, and the information they do want to know, they want delivered in a clear, forthright, trustworthy and easy-to-find way that conveys some sense of vulnerability and openness. This is a crucial area because I think honest clarity is the currency of trust in the digital age.”

According to Trends, while less traditional retailers enjoy more grocery traffic and shopper loyalty, 8 percent of shoppers still claim to have “no primary store.” Limited assortment (25 percent), natural (17 percent), convenience (11 percent), ethnic (11 percent) and online-only (11 percent) food stores are increasingly frequented by shoppers; however, 45 percent of consumers who do have a primary store view it as an ally in their wellness pursuits.

Is direct to consumer the next big wave of disruption targeting traditional grocery stores? FMI data also suggests that millennials have become more comfortable with using online shopping for their grocery needs, although they still order only a limited amount of food products online.  Without doubt this is a trend picking up in urban centers and spreading across the country. From time to time you need to step back take a look in order to see just where you are today and where you may want to go.

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

Grocerant Niche Success Clue Sell Them Another Meal

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive customer migration in every sector of retail foodservice. Regular readers of this blog know that mix & match meal bundling is a hallmark of the grocerant niche.  Here are some recent grocerant Scorecard results that help you see why:

 

1. Recent Grocerant ScoreCards found 81.1% of consumers don’t know what’s for dinner at Noon, and 61.1 don’t know what’ s for dinner at 4PM %.
2. Roughly 63.7% of consumers purchase prepared food items from a retail location at least three times a month.
3. 79.6% all dinners have at least 1 grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal component and 66.6% have two meal components.
4. When asked if they wanted to cook dinner from scratch or assemble dinner from fresh meal components 91.3 % of Gen Z chose assemble from Fresh Prepared Meal Components and Millennials 83.4% chose meal components.
5. Seventy-three percent of retail prepared food purchases are taken to go
6. Prepared food purchases are frequently a planned purchase among 61.2% of shoppers, while 40.9% of shoppers said they buy prepared foods on impulse. Dinner has the highest amount of prepared food buys with 81.7% of respondents making purchases for that meal, while lunch comes in at 76.9% and breakfast at 61.4%.
7. 57.8% of consumers would like to add Alcohol to a dinner order

 

Sam Oches, clearly understand the important role grocerant niche mix and match bundling is playing in the restaurant sector and recently spoke with; Goodcents The Kansas based chain rolled out Goodcents To Go.

In case you did not know Goodcents, is a 64-unit sandwich franchise based outside Kansas City, adapted its business around off-premises service during the COVID-19 pandemic just like every other restaurant chain. But where many focused on delivery, takeout and drive thru, Goodcents discovered another valuable off-premises tool: grab-and-go. (Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food)

Regular readers of this blog know that, Goodcents To Go, the brand’s grab-and-go cooler stationed inside the restaurants, offers menu options beyond Goodcents’ standard sandwich lineup; along with cold sandwiches, there’s also pasta, salmon and roast beef.

Farrellynn Wolf, Goodcents’ CEO, joined Oches on the latest episode of Take-Away to discuss that grab-and-go platform, how Goodcents is leaning into its customers’ wants and needs as it further adapts the brand, and why the existing guest is far more valuable than the potential one.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

·         Grab-and-go can serve as another off-premises frontier

·         New guests are great, but there’s real potential in getting your existing fans to come more often

·         Landlords need a tenant as much you need some real estate — negotiate as such

·         You won’t grow if your franchisees aren’t engaged in your programs

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food can help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits.  Are you ready to drive sell more meals with less labor?

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