Can Grocery Shopping become Not So Irritable?

 

Most consumers buy 100 items from a grocery store per year.  Consumers buy the same 100 items as they need them over and over again many times only needing 8 to 14 items on a particular visit and do not want to walk through the entire store looking for them and spending 35 minutes to do so according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

There is a new company that wants to be less irritable for consumers empowering those looking to save time that company is JackBe who has reimagined e-commerce grocery shopping adding a drive-thru solution to the mix.

JackBe recently completed a December funding round.  The goal is to become a curbside drive-thru grocer. Sounds simple enough we will soon find out if it is in fact as easy as it sounds.  JackBe officially opened its first location at 178th and North May Avenue in Edmond, Okla., on Jan. 10, the first of three locations slated to open in 2023.

In case you did not know, JackBe was funded by CEO Alex Ruhter and three others, the company said it has been working together over the past three years to create a company that makes buying groceries “fun throughout the whole experience.”

Here is the current template for the JackBe concept which will operate exclusively as a location where customers come to pick up their groceries ordered via the custom and proprietary JackBe app. In just minutes, customers can place an order and, when it’s ready, pull into one of the drive-thru bays, where a JackBe team member will deliver the groceries right to their car. With the ability to serve up to 200 orders per hour, the 17,000-square-feet location carries the most frequently purchased products from categories such as produce, meat, bakery, deli, and health and beauty care, as well as baby, pet and consumables.

The launch of the JackBe concept comes at an ideal time, as recent research shows that the convenience and independence that come with curbside pickup has made it a habit for many consumers, especially for those under 50 years of age. Consumers are dynamic not static and the team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that the grocery industry needs to evolve faster than they have over the past 20 years or risks simply fading away.

JackBe CEO Alex Ruhter, stated, “By opening JackBe, we're introducing a new way for customers to shop that provides convenience, value and great quality with no substitutions,” … “We have studied customers’ needs and created a shopping experience that’s designed specifically for busy people. We’re committed to our promise to make grocery shopping a better experience. That’s why we’re excited to share JackBe with the Oklahoma City community, where we are founded and headquartered.”

Every item at JackBe is handpicked, and there are no membership or delivery fees.

Understanding the importance and consumer demand for grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food; Ruhter added that the JackBe stores will soon feature prepared meals as well as local brands in many departments, staying true to the company’s commitment to supporting local businesses. For example, JackBe is planning to carry many items that are a part of the Made in Oklahoma Coalition.

Ruhter continued, “Our commitment to our shoppers is to do everything in our power to offer the best shopping experience delivering both speed and quality — and we look forward to supporting more communities as we grow.”

Jack be is not alone in understand the change consumers are looking for and the role that a drive-thru will play in the evolving grocery business model cording to public records, Amazon is intending to open a 35,000-square-foot Amazon Fresh grocery store in Boca Raton, Fla., the company’s first such store in that state and its first store in the Southeast.

Amazon Fresh Food now Via Drive Thru

Building a Larger Share of Stomach

So, what makes the Uptown Boca Amazon Fresh different from the other 18 Amazon Fresh stores now open nationwide is what appears to be a drive-thru.

Now, according to workers at the site, the Boca Amazon Fresh store will have a drive-thru, possibly for online pickup orders. The drive-thru has one lane, covered by a canopy, that is adjacent to the east side of the building, where double-glass doors lead to the interior of the store. Parking spots, possibly for pickup orders, are also available on the far east side of the building.

Amazon Fresh - Food Faster

Technology, drive-thru’s and a dynamic consumer are driving change and customer migration within the grocery sector, convenience sector, and the restaurant sector.  Does your brand look more like 1999, 2000, 2010 than a consumer relevant brand of today?

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Our Grocerant Guru® can help your company edify your brand with relevance.  Call 253-759-7869 for more information. 

Meals that are Handheld are a Grocerant Success Story

 

Yes, we have just a couple of day before we ring in 2023. While many consumers are just starting to think about going a diet at the start of the year.  I want to take a look back at 2021, within the grocerant niche and let you know that bread is back. 

So, according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® the number one product for handheld food for immediate consumption is bread around world.  On top of that in a poll conducted by The Harris Poll confirmed it.  Let’s look at some recent numbers:

Then, according to that nationwide survey commissioned by General Mills Foodservice and conducted by The Harris Poll, Bread isn't just a key part of at-home meals. Americans' consumption of bread when dining out or getting takeout is on the rise.

Here is why it is a success; during the past year, two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) report eating bread more than they normally would when dining out or ordering takeout and three in five Americans (60 percent) say they would rather indulge in a good bread item than dessert when dining out.

Chef Curt Wagner, part of the Chefs of the Mills team, stated "Bread and the associated carbs used to get a bad rap, but we are really seeing consumers come back to bread," … "From home bakers attempting to make sourdough and banana bread to diners seeking out the bread items they love but don't have the time or skills to make on their own, it appears we are all craving and eating more bread. I expect to see a resurgence of indulgent and creative bread menu items in the year ahead."

Consumers who are eating more bread when dining out or ordering takeout during the past year are doing so because it is offered as a complimentary "starter" (52 percent); because it is comforting (45 percent); to fulfill a craving (36 percent); to indulge (29 percent); or to reward themselves (25 percent).

Favorite bread items include garlic bread (61 percent), rolls (47 percent), French bread (35 percent), biscuits (34 percent) and croissants (31 percent).

Other key survey findings include:

·         Nearly three-quarters of Americans say that when dining out, their meal includes some type of bread item as a starter or part of the main course and that bread is something they look forward to when they are dining out or ordering takeout (both 73 percent).

·         87 percent of Americans say they enjoy being offered a free starter of fresh bread items, such as a bread basket or garlic bread when dining out.

·         63 percent of Americans are more likely to order a sandwich if it is made with a unique bread/sandwich carrier, such as biscuits, waffles or croissants, than if it is made from regular bread.

Wagner continued, "Bread is more than an everyday staple, it's one of the greatest comfort foods that diners really look forward to and enjoy when eating out or ordering takeout, which gives restaurants and foodservice operations an opportunity to shine," ... "There are so many ways operators can move beyond basic bread to elevate their menus and use bread in new and interesting ways."

Want to make your customer happy?  Here is how to do so using bread according to the team  General Mills Foodservice:

·         Surprise and delight diners by using bread items in unexpected ways, such as making a croissant the base for a decadent dessert;

·         Reduce waste by repurposing day-old bread items, such as making croutons out of unused bread;

·         Maximize the breads made across the menu from morning till night; and

·         Take the burden off staff and minimize waste with easy-prep, freezer-to-oven bread items that can be baked as needed.

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 leader within the Grocerant Niche for both Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food menu ideations.

Casey’s General Stores Continuing Consistent Prepared Food Combinations Driving Success

 

Success does leave clues. Since introducing pizza and other incremental Grocerant Niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food Casey's General Stores success has stemmed from customer focused clear branded messaging, consistent operational support, and consumer adoption; according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

Regular readers of this blog know that inside sales continue to be a bright spot for Casey's in large part because of the great job of branded messaging and unit level execution against that messaging.  That in turn has driven customer adoption.  

When Casey’s reported on Dec. 6, 2022, they stated that inside same-store sales for the second quarter of FY23 increased 7.9 percent compared to the prior year, and 14.4 percent on a two-year stack basis, with an inside margin of 39.8 percent. In addition, total inside gross profit increased 8.9 percent year over year to reach $504.5 million.

Casey's also reported $272 million in EBITDA for the quarter, a 25 percent increase over the prior year.

Casey's General Stores, Inc. President and CEO Darren Rebelez, stated, "Our differentiated business model is resilient in these challenging economic conditions as we have strong execution of our strategic plan across grocery and general merchandise, prepared food and dispensed beverage, and fueled with excellent execution by store operations,"

Garnering instore customer adoption, Rebelez said the Casey’s team "did a tremendous job with our vendor partners managing the product mix, in-stock levels, and retail price-point adjustments."

Once again, Casey's saw strong performances in pizza slices and whole pies, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. According to Rebelez, the chain was able to "partially offset some inside margin pressure in prepared food and dispensed beverages through select pricing adjustments and finding the right product mix within the grocery and general merchandise category."

Here is more from the call: 

·         Same-store prepared food and dispensed beverage sales were up 10.5 percent year over year, and 15 percent on a two-year stack basis, with an average margin of 56.7 percent compared to 50.6 percent a year ago.

·        Same-store grocery and general merchandise sales were up 6.9 percent year over year, and 14.2 percent on a two-year stack basis, with an average margin of 33.3 percent, which is the same as it was a year ago.

"The second quarter showed excellent results in both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages as we continue to see great results by leveraging our approximately 1,500 stores with a liquor license and growing our private label sales," Rebelez added.

On the forecourt, same-store gallons sold increased 0.3 percent year over year, with a fuel margin of 40.5 cents per gallon. Casey's diesel business saw low double-digit volume growth.

"We saw cost volatility throughout the quarter and the fuel team navigated through well and continues to appropriately balance profitability and volume as we optimize gross profit dollars," Rebelez reported.

Then according to Chief Financial Officer Steve Bramlage, Casey's recorded $4 billion in total revenue for the quarter, an increase of $716 million or 22 percent from the prior year; and $1.3 billion in total inside sales for the quarter, an increase of $129 million or 11 percent from the prior year.

Additionally, during the second quarter: 

·         Grocery and general merchandise sales increased by $88 million to $917 million, an increase of 10.6 percent;

·         Prepared food and dispensed beverage sales rose by $42 million to $351 million, an increase of 13.5 percent; and

·         Gross profit was $811 million in the quarter, an increase of $93 million or 13 percent from the prior year.

"The company showed great resiliency throughout the quarter in all three legs of our business, led by store operations [which] performed exceptionally well," Bramlage said.

In case you did not know, Casey's General Stores operates more than 2,400 convenience stores in 16 states. It is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Our Grocerant Guru® can help your company edify your brand with relevance.  Call 253-759-7869 for more information. 

At Wingstop The Trend is Their Friend

 

Regular readers of this blog have all heard the old adage, The Trend is Your Friend. When Wingstop entered the chicken sandwich scene last week, offering their sandwich in the brand’s 12 bold and distinct flavors. The team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® including Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson knew it would be a big hit, saying “it is, a perfect example of consumer-focused interactive participatory food marketing.”

So, as Wingstop quickly revealed that consumers have been constrained to a category of bland, where their only options are plain or spicy breaded sandwiches. The flavor craving is real, with Wingstop selling out its entire supply at 1,600+ U.S. locations in a matter of days, beating out Super Bowl Sunday transaction levels. Here are some key stats from the company:

·         Sold over 1 million chicken sandwiches in just 6 days

·         Sold out of 4 weeks of supply in just 6 days, with some restaurants wiped of supply in as little as 2 days

·         The first Friday after Chicken Sandwich launch, Wingstop achieved one of its highest single transaction days on record, with average daily restaurant transactions beating Super Bowl Sunday

·         Exceeded chicken sandwich sales expectations by 300%, based on market test results

·         Viral marketing campaign was #3 trending on Twitter, with all 100K free sandwich codes in giveaway called Chicken Sandwich Split claimed in under one day

·         Wingstop.com traffic ran over double the typical rate

 

Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth, stated, “The launch of our Wingstop Chicken Sandwich in 12 flavors exceeded our expectations on all fronts,"… "Our craveable product and viral campaign drove unprecedented, extraordinary demand from both our core guests as well as brought a lot of new Wingstop fans into the brand. Thanks to strong, trusted relationships with supplier partners, we anticipate having chicken sandwich supply back in restaurants soon, so fans and new guests alike can get their hands on their new favorite chicken sandwich.” 

Don’t worry, Chicken Sandwich seekers, you can be alerted of restocks by signing up for Wingstop’s digital database, where once back, it can be purchased at a compelling value of $5.49 for an a la carte sandwich with a dip, or $7.99 for the combo with fries and a drink. The sold-out message will be shared across Wingstop social channels today and expect to see consumer reactions in live time.

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

Churches Texas Chicken Grocerant Mix & Match Meals

 

Grocerant niche mix and match meal bundling is success clue and hallmark driver of grocerant niche growth across every sector of retail foodservice today according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Interactive and participatory Church’s Texas Chicken recently announced two new meal options available for a limited time – the Feed the Family Feast and the Texas Two-Piece Feast – providing a great deal for individuals and families alike. Garnering attention of the team at Foodservice Solutions® who quickly pointed out the probability that this limited time offer will prove quite successful.

Doug Reifschneider, Executive Lead, Marketing stated, “Church’s Texas Chicken values family and delicious meals at a great price, so we are very excited to be bringing these two meal options to our menus for the next couple of months,” … “As we are always looking for ways to better serve our guests, we sincerely hope the Feed the Family Feast and Texas Two-Piece Feast offers can bring comfort and happiness to everyone during an economically stressful time.”

Priced for awareness starting at $20, the Feed the Family Feast offer encourages guests to share Church’s Texas heritage with the entire family with the 10-piece leg and thigh assortment, two large sides, five Honey-Butter Biscuits, and five Jalapeño peppers.

Empowering choice the Texas Two-Piece Feast is a great choice for any individual looking to indulge in the deliciously bold flavors Church’s Texas Chicken offers. The meal includes a two-piece leg and thigh assortment, one Honey-Butter Biscuit, and one Jalapeño pepper starting at just $2.99. How are you building top of mind awareness during these times of high inflation?

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

Popeyes Poppable Popular Chicken Nuggets

 

Say What?  Poppable chicken nuggets at Popeyes?  That’s right, Popeyes have been about sharing chicken ever since they began in 1972.  According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated “hand held food for immediate consumption that can be shared is the perfect addition to the Popeyes menu to edify its new customers to the brand”.

Popeyes announced it will add Chicken Nuggets to its menu in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico starting July 27. Popeyes’ Nuggets took the quality and flavors of the brand's famed Chicken Sandwich and made it in poppable pieces.

That’s right, Popeyes said it's looking to reset guests’ standards with these Chicken Nuggets, as they are freshly prepared beginning to end in restaurant every day—seasoned to perfection, hand-battered, and breaded in buttermilk, and fried up to deliver a classically flavorful crispy and juicy bite with every piece.

Sami Siddiqui, president, Popeyes Americas, stated, “Just like our game changing Chicken Sandwich, our new Chicken Nuggets are unlike anything you may have experienced before. We aim to show the world once again the magic of Popeyes chicken with our new Nuggets. We believe that these piece(s) of crunchy, juicy delicious chicken will have guests question how they ever enjoyed chicken nuggets before this,”.

Edifying flavor and choice, the Popeyes chicken sandwich recipe, is rich in Louisiana tradition, is the same recipe of the new Popeyes Nuggets. Popeyes uses a special flour and batter system to provide the perfect crispy texture which guests have come to love and expect from its flagship fried chicken. The white meat chicken breast Nuggets will be available in a classic flavor and can meet a wide range of taste preferences by being paired with signature sauces like Bayou Buffalo, BoldBQ, Blackened Ranch, Buttermilk Ranch, Mardi Gras Mustard, and Sweet Heat.

The new poppable Nuggets will be available for purchase in-store, on Popeyes' website or through the Popeyes App, with options ranging from 4 piece to 36 piece orders starting on July 27. Customers can also purchase the 48-piece option, available exclusively online at Popeyes.com and on the Popeyes App. Popeyes Rewards members can look forward to a little something extra too.

Amy Alarcon, VP of culinary innovation, Popeyes, stated, “We have invested the time to perfect a product that leverages our classic techniques and Louisiana flavors that will change how people think about and experience Chicken Nuggets. We think we did it again with Chicken Nuggets.” … “Now we can offer this famous recipe in pieces with the launch of Popeyes Nuggets.”

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? 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.