Showing posts with label Beer Sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer Sales. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Importance of Grocerant Meals at Casey’s General Stores

 


Casey’s General Stores has long been a staple in the hearts of communities across its 16-state footprint. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Caseys operates at the intersection of a convenience store retailer and pizza chain.  Casey’s plays a vital role in providing essential goods and services to its customers. However, in recent years, the concept of grocerant meals has gained prominence, and Casey’s has recognized their significance in meeting the evolving needs of its patrons according to Johnson.

What Are Grocerant Meals?

Grocerant meals refer to the fusion of grocery and restaurant offerings within a single establishment. These meals are freshly prepared, convenient, and ready-to-eat options that customers can purchase directly from the store. They bridge the gap between traditional grocery shopping and dining out, providing a convenient solution for busy individuals and families.

Why Are Grocerant Meals Important?



1.       Convenience for Customers:

o    In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is key. Grocerant meals allow customers to grab a satisfying meal without the hassle of cooking or waiting at a restaurant.

o    Casey’s General Stores strategically position themselves as a one-stop-shop, and grocerant meals enhance this convenience factor.

2.       Variety and Freshness:

o    Grocerant meals offer a diverse menu, catering to different tastes and dietary preferences.

o    Casey’s commitment to freshness ensures that these meals are prepared with quality ingredients, appealing to health-conscious consumers.

3.       Community Engagement:

o    Casey’s is deeply ingrained in the communities it serves. By offering grocerant meals, they create a gathering space where neighbors can connect over food.

o    Local favorites and regional specialties become part of the Casey’s experience, fostering a sense of belonging.

4.       Adaptation to Changing Lifestyles:

o    As work schedules shift and families juggle multiple responsibilities, the demand for convenient meal options grows.

o    Grocerant meals align with modern lifestyles, providing an alternative to traditional home-cooked meals.

5.       Revenue Diversification:

o    Grocerant meals contribute to Casey’s revenue diversification strategy.

o    They attract new customers who may not have visited the store solely for fuel or snacks, expanding the customer base.


Casey’s #HereforGood Hunger Campaign

Beyond grocerant meals, Casey’s has demonstrated its commitment to community well-being through initiatives like the #HereforGood Hunger campaignBy partnering with the Feeding America network, Casey’s raised over $1.5 million for local food banks, providing more than 15 million meals to children and families in need1. This campaign exemplifies Casey’s dedication to making a positive impact beyond its store walls.

There can be no doubt that, grocerant meals play a crucial role in Casey’s General Stores’ mission to serve its communities. So much so that, the convenience store chain announced that Joe Cruz will serve as its first-ever chief pizza & beer officer, beating out more than 500 qualified candidates for the prestigious and mouth-watering role. As they continue to evolve and innovate, Casey’s remains a beacon of convenience, quality, and community support.

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




Saturday, December 10, 2022

Yes, Gen Z and Millennials Want Grocery Store and Restaurant Gift Cards

 


Eating out or eating in makes little difference for Gen Z and Millennials that are off living on their own according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA, based Foodservice Solutions®.  Inflation is driving the cost of food eaten out or eaten in up, up, up.  This year a large number of consumers are going to request gift cards for necessities this holiday season for meals or meal components.

That’s right, don’t hide grocery gift cards behind the counter this holiday season. Some recipients, especially young adults, are very much hoping Santa brings them one this year, according to new research from fintech firm Givex.

If you run a restaurant, C-store, bodega, or grocery store, consider this, 43% of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 said they would prefer to receive a gift card for necessities, such as groceries and gas, rather than an indulgence.

This is the first year Givex has conducted the gift card survey, so it’s impossible to make comparisons from prior years. But it’s a clear indication that there’s opportunity there for retailers, according to Givex Chief Commercial Officer Mo Chaar.


Chaar stated, “Gift cards need to be seen,” “Especially down the checkout lanes. That’s where a lot of consumers will buy them, from an impulse perspective.”

Now just over half of U.S. consumers surveyed (51%) said they plan to spend at least $100 on gift cards of all types this year, Givex found. And 87% of consumers said they plan on spending some amount of money on gift cards this year.

This is very important, 66% of those surveyed said inflation would impact their gift-buying plans this season. Regular reader of this blog know that inflation is top of mind, shoppers are out scouting for deals—including ones on gift cards.

Start selling your gift cards, as 57% of consumers polled said they’d be more likely to purchase a gift card this holiday season if it included a special promotion. That might include a discounted card (take 20% off $100), which was a draw for 67% of respondents; or a free gift card with purchase, which was a compelling offer for 64% of those surveyed, Givex found.

“That gives the consumer incentive to purchase or gives them a bonus gift card for themselves to use,” Chaar said.

Gift Cards Can Help Drive

New Customers and Repeat Customers

In a Competitive Retail Food World 


Retail gift cards tied with restaurant ones in terms of what recipients would like to get, with 44% saying those top their list. But open-ended credit card gift cards topped all the wish lists, with 71% of respondents saying that’s what they’d most like to receive.

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



Monday, January 31, 2022

Evolving Technology Continues to Help Restaurants Drive Sales


Remember cyberslice, cybermeals, and Food.com? Back in the day Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® does, as he signed-up the first 7 national restaurant accounts for online food sales. Today, restaurant and most all food online ordering has migrated from the computer to mobile devices. Lots of different devices.

 To that end, the industry continues to evolve this time there is a new company dedicated to help ease the ‘pain points, cost, and speed of service for incoming orders.  That company is Deliverect, a software company that helps restaurants streamline delivery orders, better yet they have raised $150 million, so will be around to keep evolving food retail digital ordering.

Currently there are more than 20,000 restaurants that use Deliverect to route incoming orders from third-party platforms directly to the kitchen. It allows restaurants to ditch individual tablets for each aggregator and eliminates the need for workers to manually enter those orders.


Global growth company, Pret A Manger is one of those restaurants. Sarah Venning, chief digital and information officer for Pret A Manger, stated, "We’ve enabled significant growth for our delivery partner business and introduced a system that our shop teams love and find easy-to-use,".

Deliverect processed an average of 1.5 million orders a week in 2021, an increase of 300% year over year as more restaurant traffic goes digital. It's currently in use in 40 markets worldwide. Deliverect will use the funding to improve its technology as well as get into new industries including grocery and convenience stores as they quickly adopt delivery. It's also launching its own app store.

The last round of funding was led by Coatue and Alkeon Capital. Coatue noted the multiple forces driving the restaurant tech market, including changing consumer habits, the growth of delivery networks and the rise of all-digital ghost kitchens and virtual brands.

"We believe Deliverect is capitalizing on these trends with its goal to become a category leader with a mission to empower restaurants globally," said Sebastian Duesterhoeft, general partner at Coatue, in a statement.


In an omni-channel retail world you need more than one way for customers to reach you.  If you’re going to play within the grocerant niche you will be selling in many non-traditional retail food channels and you will need an application that can help you do that with ease.  Don’t stop now keep looking a customer ahead.

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  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



Friday, September 3, 2021

Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin’ Fall Lineup of Beers Are Out

 


You do not have to be in Massachusetts, or visit Salem, Massachusetts to get a Midnight American Porter beer this fall. However, Boston, based Dunkin’ is rolling out four new beers again this year all in time for Halloween according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Get this, to mark the occasion, Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin’ aren’t just stocking shelves with the new beers, but in Boston they’re creating the first-ever Dunkin’ Walk-Thru at Harpoon Brewery. Now that’s an urban experience we all might like to walk through.

That’s right, for the fourth year in a row, Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin’ are giving fans a fresh way to celebrate fall. Joining fan-favorite Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale, three new beers are hitting stores this September all made with coffee, donuts or matcha tea from Dunkin’: Harpoon Dunkin’ Blueberry Matcha IPA, Harpoon Dunkin’ Maple Crème Blonde Ale and Harpoon Dunkin’ Midnight American Porter.


To mark the occasion, the brands aren’t just stocking shelves with the new beers, but in Boston they’re creating the first-ever Dunkin’ Walk-Thru at Harpoon Brewery. Open for one day only – on August 30, 2021 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET – the local pop-up experience will give fans a first taste of the new beers by ordering a pack to go.

Yet there more, as an added treat, at the Boston event, anyone who orders the new beers at the walk-thru will also receive a free Dunkin’ Harpoon IPA Donut filled with a Harpoon IPA jelly and topped with a candied malt crumble — made just for the occasion and the first Dunkin’ donut to be made with beer as an ingredient*. Attendees can also enjoy a cup of Dunkin’ coffee while waiting for their orders.

Dan Kenary, Harpoon CEO and co-founder, stated, “Our collaborations with Dunkin’ are highly anticipated by our fans each fall, so this year we wanted to help them crack a cold one open just a little earlier. Our Dunkin’ Walk-Thru experience takes everything we love about ordering Dunkin’ at a traditional Drive-Thru with the addition of a first taste of our new beers,”. The four beers available this season include:

1.       Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale | Our new fall favorite returns! Inspired by Dunkin’s Pumpkin Spiced Latte, this “Spiced Latte Ale” is brewed with Dunkin’ coffee, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and lactose for a delightfully autumnal beer that’s equal parts creamy, roasty, pumpkin-y, and spiced. ABV: 5.2%.

2.       NEW Harpoon Dunkin’ Blueberry Matcha IPA | This hazy IPA is inspired by Dunkin’s Blueberry Matcha Latte. Brewed with blueberries, matcha, and a blend of traditional and modern hops, it’s both tea-like and tropical with bright, juicy notes of mixed berry. ABV: 6.6%.


3.      NEW Harpoon Dunkin’ Maple Crème Blonde Ale | Nothing says “fall in New England” quite like maple! Brewed with actual Dunkin’ donuts and maple syrup, this easy-drinking Blonde Ale combines everything we love about Dunkin’ Maple Crème donuts with a subtle, malty, not-too-sweet base. ABV: 5.5%.

4.       NEW Harpoon Dunkin’ Midnight American Porter | The beer that started it all just got even better. This riff on our classic Dunkin’ Coffee Porter is brewed with Dunkin’s new Midnight Roast coffee for some extra roasty aromatics, dark chocolate notes, and an espresso-like finish. ABV: 6%.

Brian Gilbert, Vice President of Retail Business Development at Dunkin, stated, “We have elevated our collaboration with Harpoon this fall with three new beers, all made with Dunkin’s iconic coffee, donuts and matcha tea,” ... “Beer, matcha, coffee and donuts, we can’t think of a better combination.”

Time to stock up, as Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin will be available on draft and in bottled 6-packs as well as in the new Harpoon Dunkin’ Dozen mix pack, which features three cans of each seasonal beer flavor. These limited releases will be available everywhere Harpoon is sold beginning in September. How many of you will keep some around for Halloween?

Partnership+, Buffalo Wild Wings in the Boston area will also exclusively serve all four Harpoon x Dunkin’ beers on draft starting in October. You simply have to love how good food retailers have embraced the undercurrents of the grocerant niche to drive relevance, top-line sales, and bottom-line profits.

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 participationdifferentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter



Friday, March 12, 2021

7-Eleven Value in Numbers Pizza Pie for Pi Day

 


When you are the largest convenience store retailer in the world, with over 70, 775 stores worldwide, selling over 1.1 Million cups of coffee a day in the U.S. alone, you can even pay your U.S. taxes at 7-Eleven so you can see numbers matter at 7-Eleven. 

This year, 7-Eleven is highlighting the value of numbers by serving up large pizzas for $3.14 each on National Pi Day (March 14) and according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® that’s a good number and a great price for a large pizza.

So, this deal is available at participating stores through the 7Rewards loyalty program in the 7-Eleven mobile app. Customers can also get the Pi Day deal by ordering with the 7NOW delivery app for on-demand delivery or order-ahead pickup.

This is maybe the best part, for every whole pizza purchase at participating locations on Pi Day, 7-Eleven will help provide a meal to Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States.


7-Eleven Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Jarratt, stated, "A year into the pandemic, we reflect on the essential role 7-Eleven plays in its local communities. This year we wanted to do something more while celebrating Pi Day by helping provide one meal for every pizza purchased," ... "Many families and individuals are facing hunger for the first time in their lives. As a food destination, we can be part of the solution."

The initiative is part of 7-Eleven's goal to help provide 20 million meals to hungry families in partnership with Feeding America. (Please click on the link to help directly feed those who need help now.)

So, 7-Eleven pizzas feature the retailer's signature sauce made from vine-ripened California tomatoes and 100 percent Real Mozzarella made from whole milk and our Grocerant Guru® believes you will be surprised how good they are if you have not had one. Yes, they are available Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat simply bake, the discounted pizzas are limited to two per person, in-store or delivered.

7-Eleven Senior Vice President of Digital Raghu Mahadevan, stated, "This is the third year 7-Eleven has offered $3.14 pizzas on Pi Day, and thousands of pizza-lovers enthusiastically celebrate the math holiday with us each year," ..  "Today, millions of households across the country can have their favorite products brought right to their doorstep via 7NOW with the iconic 24/7, 7-Eleven-style convenience on Pi Day and, really, every other day of the year." Once again, you can help by those in need by clicking this link. We thank you.

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  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





Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Wawa Much More than a Fast-Casual C-Store

With close to $4.621 Billion in annual sales there is no doubt that Wawa continues to drive customer interaction with a leave of branded service, fresh food, and fresh beverages that few can mimic according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Wawa intends to offer drive-thru service for the first time at a new store.  So just what does that mean.  Well according to Johnson it is the next level of service that Wawa is exploring extending to its customer based in an effort to expand fresh food and beverage sales while garnering new customers.

The new drive-thru location  have three parking spaces reserved for curbside pickup as well. While the drive-thru hours would run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a limited menu of food and beverage items, including hoagies, Sizzli breakfast sandwiches, soup, coffee and smoothies to start.

Wawa said the new unit should be open by the end of this year. Its reported that the current planned model for the drive-thru will allow up to 19 vehicles to line up at an 88-square-foot drive-thru window.

Terri Micklin, Wawa's head of construction stated "We are hoping to learn from the layout, workflow and traffic flow at this location, as we continue to explore alternatives for longer term application to our stores post-COVID-19,".  Note to accommodate the drive-thru, the site will have a smaller number of standard parking spaces and fuel islands.

Wawa predicts that 30 to 50 percent of the store's customers will utilize the drive-thru. Who are you selling what and how?  What can you learn from Wawa?  What is your AUV’s? Can you compete with Wawa?

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 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869