The Great Stay-at-Home Shift: How the New HDTV Lifestyle Is Reshaping Retail Foodservice

 

Retail foodservice continues to be transformed by a powerful force I first identified more than a decade ago, by Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®, at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, Tacoma, WA.  Back in 2012, I called it “The 65-Inch HDTV Syndrome.” Today, with the average U.S. household TV now measuring 72 inches and home streaming consumption up 34% year over year, that syndrome has amplified — and it’s rewriting the rules of food marketing, mealtime behavior, and retail competition.

The Home Has Become the New Foodservice Hub

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards reveal that 87.6% of meals served at home now include at least one Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meal component, up from 83.2% just five years ago.
This confirms a simple truth: the grocerant niche is no longer emerging — it is the dominant growth driver in retail foodservice.

Consumers are building meals the same way they build streaming playlists:
mix-and-match, personalized, convenient, and frictionless.

The blurring of the lines between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, and drug stores continues at record speed. Each is now fighting for the same customer, selling the same core product: fresh prepared food that is portioned, portable, and positioned as “better for you.”

The Modern 72-Inch HDTV Syndrome

Today’s consumer isn’t just looking for dinner —
they’re looking for a dinner experience that pairs perfectly with binge watching, sports, gaming, or simply cocooning at home.

New 2025 grocerant research highlights:

·       71% of consumers say they now plan at least three nights per week of “home-centric entertainment” (up from 54% pre-pandemic).

·       62% say they are replacing restaurant occasions with “fresh meal combos” from grocery and C-store delis.

·       48% of Gen Z say they build entire meals from two or more different retail channels (ex: C-store entrée + grocery deli sides).

Where the Battle Is Being Won: The Five P’s of Food Marketing

At the intersection of the consumer, technology, and The Five P’s of Food Marketing —
Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability, and Price —
the competitive landscape is intensifying.

Consumers rank time and convenience above price for the first time in 20 years.

·       Product: “Better for you,” fresh, clean-label is driving adoption.

·       Packaging: Self-heating, recyclable, and tamper-evident formats are the new baseline.

·       Placement: In-app visibility now rivals end-cap visibility.

·       Portability: 63% of meals are now consumed off-premise.

·       Price: Value is judged by time saved, not dollars spent.

The Digital Delivery Effect Is Still Growing

Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats report consistent double-digit growth in scheduled orders, especially tied to entertainment.
During Q3 2024, pre-game football orders spiked 41%, surpassing early 2010s trends.

“When the best seat in the house is at home, the best meal in the house must show up effortlessly,” a recent Grubhub brand memo stated — confirming what the Grocerant ScoreCards have shown all year.

Frozen Foods Continue to Decline as Fresh Wins

Packaged Facts and Circana data show:

·       The $48 billion frozen foods category grew only 0.7% in units in 2024.

·       59% of consumers say they now purchase fewer frozen items due to a preference for fresh meal components.

·       44% of Millennials say frozen meals feel “less real” compared to deli-prepared equivalents.

Fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods in nontraditional outlets pose the largest threat to restaurant traffic since 2008.

 

Three New Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. The “Home Meal Experience Economy” Is Here

People aren’t buying food — they’re buying an experience tailored to a screen, a moment, and a mood. Retailers who package meals by occasion (Movie Night, Rivalry Game Day, Cozy Sunday Bundles) will win.

2. The New Value Equation Is “Time × Personalization”

Consumers want meals that reduce friction, not budgets. A $14 deli meal beats a $9 frozen meal if it saves 20 minutes of prep and cleanup.

3. Meal Components Are the New Currency of Retail Foodservice

Retailers must think like Spotify: offer components, remix options, and customizable bundles. The more modular the menu, the higher the frequency and the greater the basket size.

 

Want to Lead in the 72-Inch HDTV Era?

Fresh prepared food is the battlefield.
Meal components are the ammunition.
Convenience is the currency.

For international corporate presentations, keynotes, or executive strategy sessions, contact:

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®
Foodservice Solutions®, Tacoma, WA
www.GrocerantGuru.com | www.FoodserviceSolutions.us
1-253-759-7869