Will Albertsons Focus on Grocerant Meals

Optimism returns to the foodservice industry as COVID-19 vaccinations pick-up steam all around the U.S. according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Hotel and restaurant workers can’t wait for the full reopening of locations.  There are 29 restaurants for every grocery store in the U.S. and grocery store,. Grocery employees are eager for their workload to return to post pandemic levels so they can catch a break.

Back in the day my friend Ron Paul founder and President of Technomic coined the term, home meal replacement (HMR) to describe why the outstanding success of Boston Chicken / Boston Market and why they had driving sales and customer migration success.  At that time Technomic had industry leading insights, did the work, that laid the laid the foundation for what is now termed the Grocerant niche.

Back in the day (1993- 1999) food Industry research focused on HMR.  While industry leading conferences and seminars all touted the newest, hottest, HMR research insights to garner participants. Ron Paul’s team insights would receive high marks from Titians of the Grocery store sector, leaders in the convenience store sector, and accolades from chain restaurant C-suites.

There was one common undercurrent of discontent from every sector at the time.  That was it was too expensive to adapt too the recommendations. Given the CEO’s moto, do no harm, they did little, but talk loudly, and talk it up. However, few back in the day moved forward with any seriousness while slowly testing the 'HMR' sector. 

Today, grocery store rotisserie chicken has taken center stage in most grocery stores service deli’s as a grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat staple.  Our own Grocerant Guru® continues to be disappointed with the quality of the product, and price at most grocery stores but believes it is the foundation for continued growth within that sector for the grocery store sector. 

Johnson credits both Ron Paul (Technomic) and Scott Beck (CEO 1991 of Boston Chicken / Market) for encouraging him to focus on Grocerant niche meal solutions.  Johnson did, and now Foodservice Solutions® and Johnson are both recognized as the global leaders.  Beck understood the consumer touchpoints driving customer migration better than anyone back in the day or today according to Johnson.

Battle for Share of Stomach

Albertson’s like all grocery stores at the time entered home meal replacement niche halfheartedly and failed, the slipped back doing what they always did, accepting slotting fees, and placed items on the shelf. 

Then came the next wave of HMR as grocery stores learned some were succeeding, then they all rushed to reentered once again. This time the research industry evolved as well creating a new name for the niche convenient meal solutions  (CMS)  It was simply updated HRM data repacked to garner increased food industry excitement and incremental attendance at industry conferences and seminars according to Johnson.

2021 will be challenging for all grocery stores including Albertsons Cos. Now after 28 years Albertsons President and CEO Vivek Sankaran agrees that meals are an increasingly important driver of growth in grocery.   Sankaran stated, “We are going to get into the meals business. [And] I think you’ll see more of the restaurant business and the supermarket business converging,” Yes, once again they realize customer touchpoints matter. 

Outnumbered by 29 restaurants for every grocery store, full of with consumer tired of being forced to cook at home during the pandemic Albertsons own consumer insights must point to the grocerant niche.  That said, when the HMR info was replaced with CMS, convenient meal solutions, that was because rather than offering fresh prepared food, grocers wanted to sell CPG food.  They wanted to do what they always did.  So they made fresh prepared food into a packaged product. 

That did not work.  Researchers tailored studies to give grocers the what they wanted.  That’s how some research companies stay in business at the time.  They tailored the info too focus on CMS, simultaneously down playing the fresh prepared food focus. Guess what that did not help anyone consumer continued to migrate to fresh food fast driving growth in the restaurant sector. 

The team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® did not do that.  The question everyone has to ask today is will Albertson’s talk fresh but deliver a CPG product?  If you look at companies the ilk of Kroger or Hy-Vee the odds are the messaging will be there but the grocerant niche fresh prepared food in large part won’t be according to Johnson.

Regular readers of this blog know that Sally the Robot is a compact salad-making machine. About the size of a vending machine, Sally dispenses a full menu of salads, along with customizable options. Spurred by a need for safer self-serve experiences in vertical markets like grocery, Hayward, Calif.-based Chowbotics has also developed a mobile app for fast, contactless ordering through Sally edifying relevant consumer touchpoints. 

The team at Foodservice Solutions® wonders out loud if Sally the Robot will do a better job with delivering grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food than Albertson’s.  Will slotting fee’s once again derail the grocery sectors success selling meals? 

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. 

Saladworks Expands with Robotics

Technology has driven down cost for grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants regular readers of this blog know that virtual restaurants are fast becoming the growth vehicle of choice for chain restaurants and entrepreneurs. Robotics are a platform for new electricity with a brand.

Robotics are helping drive down the cost of operating a restaurant, opening new restaurants and maintaining restaurants profitability according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. So, back to Foodservice Solutions® time tested marketing template Build, Measure, Learn, Repeat clearly that is complete as both Chowbotics and Saladworks are moving forward.

Here we go, Saladworks is set to expand its reach into hospitals, universities, grocery stores, and more with the world’s first fresh food robot, Sally.  Regular readers of this blog know that as part of a recent partnership with the robot’s creator, Silicon Valley-based Chowbotics.

The two companies have joined forces to offer a version of Sally the Robot that will exclusively serve Saladworks’ rotating, seasonal menus. Purchasers of the fresh food robot can now take advantage of Saladworks’ culinary expertise and established brand to offer their patrons healthy, delicious meals at any hour.   

Here is how it works, in just a 3’x3’ space, the fresh food robot utilizes precision robotics to assemble customizable salads made from up to 22 ingredients that are sealed for safety and freshness in an airtight refrigerated container. Users can select from SaladWorks’ chef-crafted menu or build their own bowl with their favorite ingredients. Each selection is accompanied by instant nutritional information, making it possible to compose a meal for unique dietary goals or needs. 

The opportunities offered by this technology amplify Saladworks’ mission to provide a healthy alternative to other fast food fare. With over 30 years of experience in crafting appetizing, imaginative salad offerings, Saladworks sees the fresh food robot as an opportunity to further elevate the experience for its health-minded customers and reach them at new times and places.

Kelly Roddy, CEO of Saladworks  stated, “It is our mission at Saladworks to be original in everything we do, and this partnership with Chowbotics to offer a unique version of Sally the Robot certainly takes our brand to the next level,"… "We are excited to bring our healthy and delicious salads to all kinds of new guests across hospitals, universities and beyond. The possibilities are endless."

Beyond brand recognition and menu expertise, food service operators who purchase the Saladworks branded robot will also benefit from SaladWorks’ operational and training support, loyalty program integration, and the Saladworks’ website where consumer-facing menu information and nutritional data is displayed.

This partnership comes at a time when the demand for safe, fresh meal solutions has been heightened by food safety concerns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Chowbotics has already deployed more than 100 robots that have served over 185,000 meals to date, and the company is thrilled about the possibilities that will now be opened for potential fresh food robot customers.

CEO Rick Wilmer says, “We’re excited to partner with a brand that has been so successful at leading the way in health-forward menu development. Together, we’re opening up new revenue streams for foodservice providers looking to expand their footprint, at a fraction of the cost needed to open a new restaurant location.” How are you driving new electricity into you brand?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, cereal, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

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.

In a Battle for Share of Stomach 

Technology & Robotics 

Drive New Electricity  

Fresh Food Fast Times they Are A Changin’ See Sally the Robot

Times they are a changin’ are both words and lyrics Bob Dylan written back in 1964.  The truth of the matter is the undercurrents of change driving retail foodservice today are just as disruptive as the 60’s were for the world back in the day.

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson, based in Tacoma, WA ask just how is your company maintaining customer relevance, reducing labor, or add new points of distribution?  Doe’s you stredgic path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow?   

Sally the Robot, was created by food robotics company Chowbotics, that offers thousands of custom meal and snack options from any combination of up to 22 ingredients, in addition to chef-crafted, pre-programmed bowls edifying customization and personalization in new non-traditional locations.

By utilizing robotics, Deli Time is able to capitalize on the nationwide trend of providing healthier food options at new non-traditional locations saving customer time. In addition to locals seeking nutritious food on demand, Sally’s unlimited accessibility will especially benefit those in the office building working outside normal business hours, such as employees at the CVS customer service call center, which is open all day and night.

Regular readers of this blog know but if you don’t, Sally, created by food robotics company Chowbotics, offers thousands of custom meal and snack options from any combination of up to 22 ingredients, in addition to chef-crafted, pre-programmed bowls. At this location, Sally serves Chowbotics’ Coastal Menu of salads and grain bowls in entree and side portions. Users can fine-tune the calorie total by adding or subtracting ingredients, as well as view full nutritional details for each selection. Sally is equipped with a credit card reader to facilitate transactions when Deli Time is closed from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Megan Burns, Vice President of Sales for Deli Time stated “We are excited to offer an innovative way to experience the same quality of ingredients our customers have come to expect all day and night through this groundbreaking technology,”. Johnson has but one question are you being disrupted or are you driving disruptive growth?

Chowbotics has been recognized by The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bloomberg Pursuits, CNN, CNBC, WIRED, TechCrunch, and many more influential national publications for its creation of Sally and the robot’s impact on the foodservice industry. Fast Company named Sally one of The World’s Most Innovative Companies in Robotics in 2019, “10 Restaurant Innovations Changing the Way We Eat”,.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Does your growth path 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.

A Robot Restaurant Touting Freshness & Food Safety

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared continue to drive change in every sector of retail foodservice today according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

Once again technology is driving change in real time with patented technology ‘Sally’ for a robot restaurant. The Salad Station in partnership with a Silicon Valley-based food robotics company, Chowbotics, have created a new point of distribution that is closer to customers, cost less, and elevates both freshness and food safety. Creating new electricity for both brands while driving top line sales and bottom line profits.

Earlier this month Louisiana’s first and only salad robot debuted at North Oaks Medical Center. “By utilizing Sally the Robot’s patented technology, The Salad Station is able to expand its footprint by offering local, seasonal salads beyond its brick-and-mortar locations, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chowbotics recently announced a similar partnership with French multinational plant-based food company, Bonduelle.

Located just outside the cafeteria and available after-hours, Sally benefits patients, visitors, and more than 2,600 North Oaks Medical Center employees, especially those who work through the night.

Extending the ‘halo’ of better-for-you customers who enjoy building their own creations at The Salad Station can recreate the experience with Sally by crafting custom salads from any combination of up to 22 ingredients. Users can fine-tune the calorie total by adding or subtracting ingredients, as well as view full nutritional details for each recipe.

The robot also features several pre-programmed recipes from The Salad Station including the Strawberry Spinach Salad and the Louisiana Farmer’s Salad. The Salad Station plans to regularly sub-in seasonal ingredients, spicing up staples like spinach and roasted chicken with fruits and vegetables from local farms.

“The Salad Station is built on fresh produce and fast service,” says Scott Henderson, founder and president. “We’re excited to introduce Sally the Robot, a new and innovative way to order Louisiana’s favorite salads.”

This is important; Sally reduces the risk of foodborne illness, as ingredients are kept sanitary and separate. Each of Sally’s ingredients is replenished on a regular basis and contained within the robot, greatly reducing the potential for contamination.

“We’re thrilled to help Scott and the team at The Salad Station expand the availability of their salads beyond the store level,” says Dr. Deepak Sekar, founder and CEO of Chowbotics. “Sally brings nourishment day and night to those visiting or working at North Oaks Medical Center as well as the Hammond community at large.”  How is your brand creating new electricity?  

What partnerships have you formed to drive sales? Where is your brands new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related 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, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, 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. 

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.

Are You Winning The Battle for Share of Stomach