Ikea is not stuck on the Couch

Regular readers of this blog know that Ikea sell over $ 2 Billion dollars in grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food at its ‘Scandinavian furniture’ store.  However, more and more Ikea is mentioned as consumers favorite ‘restaurant’ according to recent Grocerant ScoreCards according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Today, Ikea shoppers seek out the furniture store for its inexpensive Chairs, Couches and Candles, but the chain has become a cult-favorite dining destination thanks largely to its Swedish meatballs. Unfortunately for vegetarians, the meatballs contain, well, meat. But veggie eaters are in luck; Ikea has announced it’s working on a plant-basedversion of their signature menu item.  Now, if Ikea can evolve why can’t you?

“I am looking forward to serving a delicious plant-based meatball made from alternative protein at IKEA,”, said in a press release. “I hope that the many meatball lovers out there will like it as well.”

Michael LaCour, managing director at Ikea Food Services  stated Ikea’s Swedish meatballs, served in the store’s cafeteria-style restaurants, have been a favorite for 35 years. But the meatball family has expanded over the years. The plant-based menu item will be the fifth variety. Ikea currently offers veggie balls, chicken meatballs and salmon meatballs alongside the original recipe. Think about it and all are offered instore Ready-2-Eat or packaged for take-home and are Heat-N-Eat.

LaCour continued pointing out that “While veggie balls are already available, the new alternative-protein meatball should be notably different. The company notes that the new item will look and taste like real meat. Ikea hopes to serve the new meatball globally in all its restaurants, and plans to test it with customers early in 2020.”

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 Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant

JAB Holdings Focusing on Hand Held Food for Immediate Consumption

The undercurrents of consumer migration from traditional avenues of fresh food distribution to new non-traditional avenues of fresh food distribution have been well documented by Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

One company JAB Holding Co continued its food-industry buying spree this week this time targeting a leader in the grocerant niche chain restaurant Pret A Manger that excels with hand held food for immediate consumption and has outstanding growth prospects according to Johnson.

Jab Holding Co is the same company that bought Panera Bread to JAB in 2017 another company that excels with hand held food for immediate consumption, catering, and delivery.  The food category similarities place Jab Holding Co within the top tier of the growing grocerant niche retailers.

Pret-A-Manger was, founded in London in 1986, it currently has 530 locations worldwide, including 381 in the United Kingdom.  It has 92 restaurants scattered within the northeastern United States including Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The company had fiscal 2017 sales of $1.17 billion and according to Johnson is positioned for growth.

JAB grocerant niche has become clear to all retail players as they also have controlling interest in global coffee manufacturer Jacobs Douwe Egberts; Peet’s Coffee & Tea; Caribou Coffee Co.; Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc., and Espresso House, the largest branded coffee shop chain in Scandinavia.

The Grocerant niche is filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food for immediate consumption most of with is hand held and Jab Holding Co team has a record of innovation, consolidation, and marketing skill set to not only drive growth but incremental top line sales and bottom line profits.

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