Grocerant Guru’s Talking Turkey

 

I know, I know, I know Thanksgiving is less than three months away.  That does not mean that families are note beginning to plan where, when, and what they are going to eat on Thanksgiving according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® “now is the time for you to begin messaging your customers and inviting them to buy your meal, side items, and entrees for the holidays.”

This week Butterball released data from its 2022 Thanksgiving Outlook Report. “According to the findings, people are excited for Thanksgiving with nearly 90% of Americans planning to celebrate in 2022 as concerns around COVID-19 shrink. However, concerns around inflation – particularly at the grocery store – are driving the need to get creative with cutting costs all without sacrificing holiday celebrations.” Restaurants, C-stores, Grocery store service Deli’s take note.

When this year’s data was compared to respondent recollection of 2021, the report reveals a 4% increase in those hosting for the first time and a 4% decrease in those not planning to celebrate; the size of gatherings will remain the same as last year. While hosts are planning to manage cost savings on sides and desserts, turkey will still be at the center of their table and guest lists won't be scaled back.

Here are more of the key takeaways and trends from the report are revealed below.

Enthusiasm for Thanksgiving: Despite inflation concerns, celebrations to continue
Though most Thanksgiving celebrators say inflation will have an impact on the holiday, they are not anticipating these worries will keep them from celebrating. Here is where hosts will not compromise to save money this Thanksgiving:

·         The Celebration: Nearly 90% of people plan to celebrate this year – an increase from 2021.

·         The Turkey: Among those celebrating, 85% of hosts are going to have turkey at the center of the table and 90% plan to buy the same size turkey or larger than last year.

·         The Guest List: Only 8% of hosts concerned with inflation say they plan to shrink their guest list to control costs.

Managing Costs: Turkey to be at the center of tables but hosts look to cut costs in other ways
While hosts may not be willing to compromise their gathering size or turkey, they do have concerns about inflation. Notably, 44% of Thanksgiving hosts are concerned about rising prices, specifically at the grocery store (87%) and gas pump (75%). The findings reveal multiple ways hosts may mitigate the costs of this year’s Thanksgiving meal:

·         55% of hosts concerned about inflation said they would shop for deals for parts of the entire meal. This marks a departure from early in the pandemic when hosts were concerned about minimizing the time in store and number of stores shopped.

·         To manage costs, hosts might economize with the sides they prepare (32%), cook more from scratch (24%), look for ways to make the meal less formal (20%) or ask guests to bring a side (15%).

Rebecca Welch, director of retail brand marketing at Butterball stated, “While people are eager to gather with friends and loved ones this Thanksgiving, we are seeing external factors like inflation that will influence the way people celebrate,” ... “But we also see celebrators planning to get creative with ways to cut costs that won’t compromise a memorable Thanksgiving. We know people want to celebrate with a turkey at the center of the table, and as always, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is here to share its 41 years of Thanksgiving expertise.”

If you do not want to buy a catered restaurant holiday meal, note: the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line officially opens for the season Tuesday, November 1 and experts can be reached a variety of ways including phone, text, online chat or Alexa, and will be ready to support consumers through all their Thanksgiving needs. To learn more, visit Butterball.com and stay tuned for more Thanksgiving-related announcements in the coming months.  Dinning-In or Dinning-Out this holiday the planning season is here.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Does your messaging look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

7-Eleven’s Branded Partnership Thanksgiving Turkey Sub Will Drive Sales

 

There is nothing more iconic this time of year than a Butterball Turkey stacked sandwich and 7-Eleven is leveraging that knowledge too drive new electricity into its grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat food product line according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

That’s right this year 7-Eleven is getting into the turkey day spirit with the rollout of a new branded Thanksgiving Turkey Sub. Targeting everyone, for a lunch meal, midday snack, or as a main dish on friendsgiving, the Thanksgiving Turkey Sub is now available for a limited time only at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

No foodservice company understand food branding as well as 7-Eleven according to Johnson, from the Slurpee, big Bite and now Butterball Turkey stacked Sub, 7-Eleven is elevating its game once again. The sub is packed with shaved Butterball turkey, sharp white cheddar cheese and cranberry mayo, this festive sub marks the debut of 7-Eleven's signature stuffing-flavored roll.

You have to love the fact that, the roll is stuffing flavored. The World’s largest convenience retailer knows that stuffing is everyone's favorite side dish and so this roll—incorporating flavors from a vegetable blend and stuffing-flavored base—was created to satisfy that homemade stuffing craving you've had since last November. In case you are ready to give it a try, this bold seasonal offering can be found in the cold case for just $4.99.

Varsha Shariff, 7-Eleven fresh food product director, stated, "There's a lot to be thankful for this year,"  "We know how much our customers look forward to our seasonal offerings, and we're delighted to contribute to the fun and spirit of Thanksgiving with satisfying food that reminds our customers of those comforting holiday moments. Plus, with the cost of Thanksgiving dinner predicted to be higher than ever this year, we're thrilled to provide a delicious meal at a great value."

7-Eleven understand grocerant niche mix & match meal bundling better than most food retailers according to Johnson. So, what would a (Thanksgiving) Turkey Sub be without a side of chips? Customers can add some crunch to their meal with 7-Eleven's 7-Select Kettle Chips. With flavors like original, salt and pepper or jalapeno to add an extra kick, these chips paired with the LTO Thanksgiving Turkey Sub are sure to take the meal to Eleven.

Technology adds relevance, so those who are looking to get the most out of 7-Eleven's seasonal treats—because let's be real, there's always room for seconds (and thirds)—are encouraged to join 7Rewards for awesome exclusive offers and discounts. With 50 million members and counting, 7Rewards is the popular proprietary loyalty program found in the 7-Eleven app, where customers can earn and redeem points on most purchases.

Thinking of Gen Z or Millennials? Are you busy figuring out how to answer unwanted questions from family members at Thanksgiving dinner or how exactly you're going to cook that turkey? 7-Eleven Delivery via the 7NOW app can bring the Thanksgiving Turkey Sub, wine and beer for partygoers, delicious freshly baked goods, a wide variety of 7-Select snacks and more to customers' doorsteps. 7NOW delivery is available throughout the U.S. and offers real-time tracking that lets customers know when to expect their orders, typically in about 30 minutes. How are you driving new electricity into you customer base?

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.”  That said, what are you waiting for?

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.

All 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. 

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