Morrisons Beef’s up it Grocerant Niche Offerings

Consumers touchpoints are important at Morrisons.  At the intersection of customer relevance and one of key drivers of the grocerant niche is the ‘halo of better for you’. That is intersection Morrisons is using to edify their brand with consumers according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

When, UK retailer Morrisons has announced that it has introduced a lean meat box for health-conscious consumers it was clear they were looking to add brand value with incremental customer relevance.  So, the six-kilogram box, priced at £45, will offer 50 portions of chicken, beef, pork, turkey and bacon - all containing less than 5% fat.  That focus on the ‘halo of better for you’ plays perfectly into Foodservice Solutions® FIVE P’s of Food Marketing and will drive sales now in this time of COVID-19 and after according to Johnson.

Head of food boxes at Morrisons, Tessa Callaghan, stated, ”Many of our customers are thinking about their health and fitness during lockdown. …“So, we wanted to create a great value bulk box which was made from British lean fresh meat and which could be delivered right to their front door.”

The boxes can be ordered online and are delivered the following day or at a chosen date. How are you expanding top line sales and bottom-line profits?  Are you ready to enter the grocerant niche?

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

Chipotle Expands the ‘Halo’ of Better-for-You’

Regular readers of this blog know that the foodservice business is about food.  They know it is not about brain surgery it is about grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food.  Companies that focus on food, fresh food, customer service, with a halo of better for you are winners according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Adding value to customer base focusing on fresh food once again Chipotle Mexican Grill out focused its competitors when they announced an exclusive "Home Grown Chipotle" boxes will be available for purchase online here for a limited time starting Wednesday, March 20, on National Plant a Seed Day.

Get this each ‘Home Grown’ Chipotle box includes seeds, supplies and instructions for six vegetables integral to Chipotle's menu: cilantro, tomato, pinto beans, jalapeño pepper, bell pepper and onion. Are you on board?  Fresh Food Focused! 

Sustainable food marketing programs need to be interactive and participatory according to Johnson and this one is exactly that. The ‘Home Grown’ Chipotle boxes provide an opportunity to interact with the brand in a new and hands-on manner.

Caitlin Leibert, Sustainability Director at Chipotle stated "One of the things that makes Chipotle so unique is the dedication we have to real ingredients that are prepared fresh daily and sourced responsibly," .. "We believe a strong connection to where your food comes from, and how it was raised, helps create a healthier lifestyle and ultimately, cultivates a better world.

The ‘Home Grown’ Chipotle boxes are perfect for Plant a Seed Day and represent what is celebrated in our restaurants daily" according to Leibert. Now my friends that is brand building integrated food marketing.

Extending the halo of better-for-you all proceeds from Home Grown Chipotle sales will be donated to Big Green, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to build a healthier future for kids by connecting them to real food through a nationwide network of Learning Gardens and food literacy programs.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing 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:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Christmas Shopping save time take the Kids to McDonald’s It’s OK

McDonald’s continues to evolve with customer relevance. After listening to customer feedback and evaluating new consumer focused research  they rolled out more healthy changes to its  it kids’ meal according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Parents can be reassured that McDonald’s new platform of choices that include bottled water and low-fat yogurt free of artificial ingredients are better-for-your-kids than previous platforms. McDonalds has removed artificial preservatives from the meal’s low-fat strawberry Yoplait Go-Gurt and has added a 16.9-fluid ounce bottle of Dasani water as a beverage option at no extra cost.

These tweaks come after McDonald’s outlined in February a nutritional overhaul of the Happy Meal that included making cheeseburgers a request-only item, reducing the size of the French fries, cutting sodium in the chicken McNuggets and reformulating the chocolate milk’s sugar content.

They have also removed artificial preservatives from the chicken McNuggets; while pledging that every meal combination offered on its Happy Meal menu boards in the U.S. will have 600 calories or fewer. So if your out shopping and need to save time go ahead and treat the kids to a Happy Meal.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Better for you Hot Dogs at Dog Haus

Today driving growth at chain restaurants, convenience stores, and dollar store, is increasingly dependent on selling plant based food according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

Dog Haus the gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept, will launch custom plant-based sausages and burgers, expanding their offerings to meet every guests’ needs and tastes. With the help of plant-based powerhouses - Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat - four new menu items will be available at all 30+ Dog Haus locations nationwide, enticing vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Partnerships drive sales in foodservice today as your brand is searching for the new electricity to help drive the brand forward according to Johnson.

So, just what is your brands new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

Foodservice retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Dog Haus was conceptualized by founding partner Hagop Giragossian, along with Würstmacher Adam Gertler and chef Ilan Hall, menu items will include the Impossible Burger with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, white American cheese and secret sauce, and Impossible Slider with mayo, white American cheese and caramelized onions, in addition to the Beyond Brat with Beyond Sausage bratwurst, sauerkraut, caramelized onions and spicy brown mustard, and the Sooo Veggie with Beyond Sausage hot Italian, wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions and spicy basil aioli – all served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. 

“We have always offered vegetarian-friendly options to ensure there is something for everyone at Dog Haus, but we knew we could take these offerings to a new level, especially in the context of today’s plant-based market,” says Hagop Giragossian, Dog Haus partner. “With our Impossible burger and slider, and Beyond sausages, even our most loyal meat eaters will think it’s the real deal.”

With these new plant-based menu items, Dog Haus stays true to its roots, using products that offer a juicy taste that looks, cooks and satisfies like meat. The Impossible burger and Beyond sausage act as the base to the vibrant and equally delicious flavor combinations Dog Haus is known for. Incorporating more plant-based dishes also speaks to Dog Haus’ overall mission of sustainably feeding everyone who walks through their doors, sourcing proteins that are of superior quality and ultimately better for the consumer.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Whole Foods Primed for Continued Growth

Success does leave clues and Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® is a suburban customer of Whole Foods and a regular visitor to Amazon GO’s first store in Seattle, WA. Johnson believes that as a Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods will drive incremental change in food shopping for years to come. 

The simple fact is Amazon has become a marketing powerhouse according to Johnson.  Johnson observed that my local suburban Whole Foods went from being a slow or underperforming store, too a busy location albeit not yet a high volume unit, but the progress has been remarkable.  

While Amazon Prime members have already saved “millions” by utilizing the newly established discounts at Whole Foods stores, what is remarkable is that Amazon Prime has become a branded invitation for trial and Prime Members discounts is as one customer described to Johnson “like a unannounced bonus, money in the bank”. 

The halo of ‘better-for-you’ has encompassed Whole Foods since its inception and continues to drive consumer adoption.  Yet the halo of saving money and discounts daily at Whole Foods has created a ground swell of trial that will over time according to Johnson become a platform for incremental same store sales growth, bottom line profit margin expansion, and additional store growth.

Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky stated “Prime members have adopted this [Whole Foods] benefit; it's one of the fastest rates we've ever seen for a Prime benefit “They've already saved millions of dollars on everything from seasonal favorites to … popular daily sales.”

Remember that Amazon just began rolling out Prime benefits to Whole Foods shoppers in May 2018 and had expanded to stores nationwide by late June. It provides paid members of Amazon’s loyalty club with a 10% discount on sales items at Whole Foods stores, along with perks such as delivery through Prime Now where available.

While Whole Foods is the hub of the ‘better-for-you’ fresh food offerings at Amazon; Amazon Go is the wheel that will drive innovation and brand adoption in urban centers.  That will lead to additional growth at Whole Foods via technology and consumer food consumption learnings from Amazon Go.  Fresh food fast is the platform of commonality at both food retailers. It’s at that intersection that Amazon will be able to out preform most legacy food retailers.

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, brand, or menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant

Domino’s Smooth Technology Integration is ‘Better-for-You’

Integrating marketing with the ‘halo’ of better-for-you is hard to do for most food marketing teams.  However at Domino’s Pizza it stated with branded oven loaded delivery cars and today it is  driving saving pizza sales, one pothole at a time garnering attention, elevating differentiation, all while elevating branded messaging according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

We all know that cracks, bumps, potholes, and other road conditions can put good pizzas at risk after they leave the store. Now Domino’s is hoping to help smooth the ride home for our freshly made pizzas. Domino’s is asking customers to nominate their town for pothole repairs at www.pavingforpizza.com

Russell Weiner, president of Domino’s USA. “Domino’s stated “Have you ever hit a pothole and instantly cringed? We know that feeling is heightened when you’re bringing home a carryout order from your local Domino’s store. We don’t want to lose any great-tasting pizza to a pothole, ruining a wonderful meal,” Domino’s cares too much about its customers and pizza to let that happen.”

Domino’s has already worked alongside four municipalities to help repair roads that directly affect their customers, including Bartonville, Texas; Milford, Delaware; Athens, Georgia and Burbank, California. Customers interested in nominating their town for a paving grant from Domino’s can enter the zip code at pavingforpizza.com. If their town is selected, the customer will be notified and the city will receive funds to help repair roads so pizzas make it home safely.

Customers can celebrate smooth roads with Domino’s carryout special, featuring large three-topping pizzas for $7.99 each. Customers can order the carryout deal over the phone, in-store, at dominos.com, via Domino's mobile ordering apps or any one of Domino’s AnyWare platforms, including text, tweet, Google Home or Apple Watch.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Where is your new electricity coming from?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Locali's Quinoa Bowls Extend the Brands Reach

Grocerant niche ‘better-for-you’ Locali’s is continues to drive the halo of better-for-you- foods beyond the current  health-conscious convenience store and neighborhood deli according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Locali, is now extending it quality food offerings with four pre-packaged vegan and gluten-free quinoa salad bowls in Whole Foods Market stores throughout Southern California.  Regular readers of this blog know that  Locali, has locations in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Venice and Downtown Los Angeles, is changing the way consumers view healthy eating.

While the line continue to blur for food retailers Locali’s diverse menu of award-winning, “last meal-worthy” salads, sandwiches, smoothies has captured the attention of influential companies across the nation, and was asked to cater an event at the United State of Women Summit in May 2018, in partnership with Postmates. Johnson says think consumer food relevance not C-store, deli, or restaurant the ‘halo’ around Locali’s is fresh quality better-for-you’ food.

Now Whole Foods offers four of Locali’s “Killer Quinoa Bowls,” including: The Big Daddy with quinoa, arugula, vegan and gluten-free chicken marinated in spicy vegan buffalo sauce, celery, black beans and creamy dill dressing; The Krazy Kale with quinoa, shredded kale, black beans, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, sunflower seeds and chipotle lime dressing; The Odyssey with quinoa, spinach, hummus, chickpeas, artichoke tapenade, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives and creamy dill dressing; and The Deconstructed BLT with quinoa, chopped romaine, tempeh bacon, tomato, avocado and maple mustard dressing.

Has your menu evolved with consumers? Is your menu incremental to your brand? Or is you menu your brand?  How do you plan to evolve your best brand attributes?  Where are you selling your fresh prepared food?  Success does leave clues and growing your brand where your consumers shop for food is a very good clue.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success

Superfoods Smoothies Fuel Success at Nekter Juice Bar

The halo of ‘better-for-you’ in the form of superfoods is the foundation for the new electricity fueling sales at Nekter Juice Bar according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Nékter Juice Bar, recently introduced two new energizing and skin-boosting smoothies featuring plant-based collagen and turmeric, two of nature’s most powerful Superfoods according to the companies press release. The new drinks are Dragon Berry Bliss and Turmeric Sunrise smoothies are part of Nékter’s new seasonal menu, which includes the return of fan favorite, Charcoal Vanilla Skoop, and Nékter’s annual Spring 1-Day Cleanse sale.

Steve Schulze, co-founder and CEO, Nékter Juice Bar stated “At Nékter Juice Bar, constant innovation allows us to offer increasingly healthier options for our guests,”… “Our new smoothies incorporate some of the latest and most powerful Superfoods that fuel overall wellness from the inside out.” 

For example Nékter’s new Dragon Berry Bliss smoothie features 100 percent plant-based collagen in a creamy and nourishing blend of blueberries, dragon fruit, banana, orange juice, coconut water, and a touch of agave nectar. Nutritional benefits are also plentiful and include:

·         Collagen—Exclusive plant-based blend with anti-aging benefits that enhances skin, hair and nails and promotes a glow from within.

·         Blueberries—With more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries are packed with Vitamins A, C and E, and also help promote more youthful-looking skin.

·         Dragon Fruit—Improves digestion, and amps metabolism, immunity and energy.

·         Orange—One of the planet’s best sources of Vitamin C and a powerful antioxidant.

·         Banana—Chock full of potassium and an instant source of energy.

The new Turmeric Sunrise smoothie is a refreshingly light and flavorful blend of pineapple, mango, coconut butter and coconut water with a bright touch of lime and zesty turmeric. This smoothie is exceptionally hydrating, and helps fight inflammation and boost immunity. Among the functional nutritional benefits are:

·         Turmeric—One of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, turmeric also adds a tangy flavorful kick.

·         Pineapple—Nicknamed the “natural weight loss food,” pineapple is low-calorie with no fat. Its high Vitamin B content also helps boost energy.

·         Coconut—Naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, coconut is also extremely hydrating.

·         Lime—Bursting with Vitamin C and antioxidants, lime helps boost immunity, burn fat, and brighten and rejuvenate skin.

What is your new electricity? How do you plan to drive incremental top line sales and bottom line profits according to Johnson; partnerships specifically strategic partnerships will be driving retail success in 2018. Are you looking for a partnership to drive sales?  

Johnson stated “in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as digital hand held marketing, local fresh food,  grocerant consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, better-for-you, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, delivery, and voice ordering.

So just what is your New Electricity? 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 a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Grocerant Meal Solutions 9 Winning Clues for Success

Success does leave clues Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® has continually pointed out over the past several years that empowering consumer choice around grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food would garner incremental customer transactions, larger share of food dollars, and larger share of stomach.

If legacy restaurant brands are going to survive or thrive they will new a new electricity to drive incremental top line sales and bottom line profits with new strategic partnerships. According to Johnson; partnerships specifically strategic partnerships will be  driving retail success in 2018. 

Johnson stated “in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as digital hand held marketing, local fresh food,  grocerant consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, delivery, and voice ordering.

Grocery store Service Deli’s and Chain Restaurants to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar but with a twist.  Johnson had identified 9 foodservice undercurrents driving both retail food consumers migration and adoption.  Here they are:  

1. Evolve or Fade Away: Increased completion had elevated the blurring of retail channels expanding foodservice fragmentation.  According to a study by Deloitte, consumers on average shop at four to five different types of stores to fulfill their grocery needs. Foodservice Solutions® team has found increased SKU’s of grocerant fresh food at restaurants, online Meal Kits, drug stores, dollar stores, supercenters, discount, specialty, convenience, club stores and Mobile e-commerce ‘home’ stores. 

2. Ethnic Melting Pot:  The US Census reports the undercurrents of our evolving demographics will continue broaden, expanding the population of “multicultural consumers.” In fact in a new Nielsen study found that the “buying power from the Hispanic, Asian and African-American populations will be 17% of a $4.2 trillion market. The Melting Pot of opportunity is overflowing with grocerant niche success points according to the team Looking A Customer Ahead at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

3. Halo of ‘Better-for-You’: Consumer tell us that grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food is ‘better-for-them’ as the halo includes not doing dishes or cooking from scratch. Acosta found that “nearly one-third of shoppers surveyed considered leaving a store if fresh and healthy options were not available.”

5. Customization and Personalization:  Retailers the ilk of Green Zebra Grocery, EveryTable, and Wegmans continue to attract loyal customers with convenience, quality, value, and customer service. Customization and personalization via mix and match meal component bundling are hallmarks of success found within the grocerant niche according to the Grocerant Guru®.  Restaurants continue capitulating customers as consumers seek fresh food in non-traditional fresh food retail outlets that are becoming more of a priority.

6. Price and Private label: Trader Joe’s private label products have the ‘halo of better-for-you’ according to non-client information aggraded from over 8,116 Grocerant ScoreCards. A recent Nielsen/PLMA study, sales of private label products generated a record $120 billion last year, and continued to outpace national brands. Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Lidl will continue to increase market share leveraging price and quality private label foods.

7. Hand Held Marketing:  Mobile smart phones continue to garner adopting in fact according Nielsen 85% of Millennials have a smart phone. Consumers of all ages continue to embrace digital technology and social media as a means to connect and communicate about food or when looking for food. A recent study showed that 37% of shoppers use their mobile devices in store for comparing prices, searching for product information, or checking product availability.

8. Mini Meals at Mini Locations:  Rent is expensive and more and more retailers have no locations or smaller locations virtual dining from a home or local kitchen is a growing trend. According to a Package Facts study, even the average square footage of supermarkets has fallen since 2006 and is now approximately 46,000 sq. ft. Even smaller size formats of 25,000 sq. ft. or less, modeled by chains like Trader Joe’s, Aldi’s and Lidl, have proven to be successful.

9. The Price Value Service Equilibrium is Resetting:   Foodservice Solutions® team identified, quantified and qualified a new formula for the foodservice Price, Value, Service, Equilibrium. That formula can be found with this link. Consumers are dynamic not static and food retailers must evolve their brands to both maintain and garner consumers frequency levels.

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