Wow Bao Expands Grocerant Menu Options Too Walmart

 

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive customer migration from among traditional food service retail channels including the restaurant sector, convenience store sector, and grocery store sector.  

According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® consumers are driving branded customer adoption of new products and brands in all food retail channels.  There is not only and elevated awareness or meal replacement options but the quality of the meals and meal components is the underlying motivation to sample.  

Intouch Insight recently reported that the level of overall satisfaction with prepared food from convenience stores rose 7 percent year over year, according to the company's 2023 Convenience Store Trends Report, titled "Food, Fuel and the Future." However, the report also saw an 11 percent drop in those who reported being extremely satisfied with food quality at convenience stores.

Cameron Watt, president and CEO of Intouch Insight, stated, "For many years, convenience stores have made significant investments in their prepared and made-to-order food options, aiming to earn more interaction and loyalty with convenience-minded customers," ... "This shift to the middle in reported satisfaction from extremely satisfied to satisfied indicates to us that expectations are evolving, competition is increasing, and complacency is not an option."

What retail food channels is your brand in? Wow Bao, the largest ‘dumpling house’ in the U.S. announced the expansion of its nationwide presence with the addition of Walmart Inc. to its grocery partners. The partnership with the world’s largest retailer more than doubles the CPG vertical of Wow Bao’s business, from 1,000 grocery stores to over 4,000 in the continental United States.   

Geoff Alexander, president and CEO of Wow Bao, stated, “Wow Bao has realized incredible growth throughout all our channels and this partnership is a testament to how we’ve leveraged our popularity among consumers,” …. “With the addition of Walmart to our CPG channels, we are able to meet the demands of our customer base and provide them with the craveable product they expect from Wow Bao straight from their local Walmart freezer section.”  

So, Walmart stores will launch with five bao flavors including Teriyaki Chicken Bao, Mongolian-Style Spicy Beef Bao, Chinese-Style BBQ Pork Bao, Thai-Style Curry Chicken Bao, and Coconut Custard Bao. Thai-Style Curry Chicken Bao and Coconut Custard Bao are Walmart CPG exclusives. The in-store partnership is an extension of the e-commerce relationship the companies have maintained for nearly a year.  

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