Eataly, Partnership with the Italian Trade Commission is a Plus

 

One of the undercurrents of success we will see more and more of in 2021 will be non-traditional foodservice partnerships that drive new electricity into your customer base, employees, while edifying your brands authentic value according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

 In the world post pandemic and ‘a Trump Presidency’; brands need too edify their brand messaging in a way that there can be no doubt that what they say and do is true.  Consumers want to trust brands, but during the pandemic and the ear of ‘Trump’ consumers don’t know who to believe.

In a move to drive truth and edify their brands, Eataly entered a worldwide joint project between the Italian Trade Commission (ITA), under the umbrella of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will go into effect in January 2021, with the goal of bringing Italian food and wine to the next level. Johnson agrees this is a great way to edify new electricity into the Eataly brand.

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as; corporate partnerships, 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?

The Eataly campaign will focus on the unique characteristics of Italian products -- above all, their authenticity and singular traits that make them stand out. Eataly will highlight products already available in its stores, as well as new entries. Not everything has to be new but the messaging can highlight facts to help a brand win.

Consumers will learn about Italian products through seminars and tastings held at Eataly locations, enjoy the country’s cuisines in Eataly’s restaurants, and ultimately purchase and bring home the foods and wines that they’ve discovered through the promotion.

All activities will be organized with the public-health crisis in mind, and in accordance the strict official guidelines. The promotion is slated to run throughout 2021. Additional information on the campaign, products and activities will be forthcoming on Eataly's website, as well as in Eataly Magazine, which comes out during the holidays.

Earlier this year, the retailer entered into a partnership with the Florence, Italy-based Chianti Classico Consortium to promote Italian food and wine in the autumn at Eataly’s U.S. stores. Just in case you did not know, Eataly operates more than 35 locations globally, five of them in the United States.

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 GrocerantGuru.com 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.

Food Branded retail space food sales Urban vs Suburban

Consumers that work in urban centers are inclined to make more money, eat out more often, and pay a higher price for both food and beverages according to the US. Census Bureau. Today, new grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food retailers are targeting those centers in a ‘land grab’ according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Johnson continued “legacy brands may end up being valued brands in the suburbs and in rural location fighting for survival while ‘new’ retailers deliver a new value add urban relevant set of fresh food offerings.

Recently, urban convenience-store retailer Foxtrot received a $17 million growth funding round co-led by Imaginary and Wittington Ventures and has two new locations slated to open soon, the company has announced.

So, Foxtrot’s stores represent “a digitally native evolution of the corner store/cafe that marries the best of neighborhood retail and e-commerce technology to offer a thoughtfully curated collection of daily essentials, coffee and prepared foods available in-store or delivered in under an hour,” the Chicago-based chain said..

Nick Brown, co-founder and managing partner of Imaginary  stated “Foxtrot has built a brand that redefines the perception of what convenience stores can and should be for today’s consumers by marrying its digital roots with brick-and-mortar, focusing on community and bringing people into the stories around their product,”  “Seeing the loyalty of their customers over the past few years and how they’ve grown with Foxtrot, it’s clear to us that Mike and his team have created a unique omnichannel experience that we’re eager to partner with and take to the next level.”

Note: Foxtrot has seen 150% year-over-year growth of its e-commerce customer base, 250% year-over-year growth of its corporate team head count and two-times year-over-year revenue growth, the company said. Loyalty program customers shop at Foxtrot 10 times per month on average across both retail and e-commerce channels, it said.

Each Foxtrot retail location features hand-selected local and heritage products such as craft beer, wine, spirits, food, gifts and everyday essentials, as well as Foxtrot-branded and private-label items including coffee and prepared food, which account for 50% of sales. Consumers can also order in-store products through the Foxtrot app and e-commerce site and select on-demand delivery.

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food retailers edified with technology, fresh fast local food, and beverage the ilk of Eatzie's and Foxtrot will continue to garner urban locations displacing legacy branded food and beverage retailers that continue to do what they have all ways done and keep doing it the same way according to Johnson.

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.

Grocery Store Share of Stomach Set to Shrink Again in 2020

Year after year we read about traditional grocery stores closing stores, all closing a spun with justifications that seem endlessly the same according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

While our Grocerant Guru’s personal favorite Dallas based Eatzis Market & Bakery announced plans to continue to open new units in 2020, it is Eataly, that most grocery retailers need to worry about according to Johnson. There is a battle for share of stomach and the undercurrents of consumer discontent with legacy grocery stores is driving dramatic customer migration to new non-traditional channels of fresh food retail.

Eataly is the Italian grocery chain that offers groceries, restaurants, cafés, bars and a variety of educational food experiences all under one roof, creating a platform for consumer interaction and personalization according to Johnson elevating meal choice or meal component mix and match bunding too new heights.  

Eataly’s second California location will be in San José, CA and will mark the ninth North American location of the Italian company, which has 40 stores worldwide. The new Silicon Valley location is part of Eataly’s aggressive growth strategy of two openings per year with a focus on North America and Europe.

Since 2007, the company has gone from one location in Italy to 40 locations across 11 countries in 2019, and has plans to go public in the future. 2020 will mark 10 years since its U.S. entry, in New York City.

Companies the ilk of Ikea, Eatzis, and Eataly all elevate the fresh food meal options for consumers and shoppers today.  The interactive participatory aspects of each concept empower consumers choice. While legacy grocery stores continue to accept slotting fees, equating change with pain, other are moving forward with new non-traditional formats with increasing relevance for today's consumers. In the battle for Share of Stomach is your brand looking a customer ahead?

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

Battle for Share of Stomach

Eataly Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Brand Building Success

Eataly is a cash cow that just keeps giving according to Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson. When Eataly Executive Chairman Andrea Guerra told Financial Times that The Italian food hall chain is considering a public offering and wants to fuel further expansion regular readers of this blog were not surprised.

Guerra told the Financial Times that Eataly is eager to expand the presence of its massive Italian food emporiums in the U.S. The company has five locations in the US, including two in New York and one in Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. It was reported that Eataly's U.S. sales have doubled following the expansion.

Eataly is on pace to generate 470 million euros in sales in 2017, which would be an increase of nearly 24% over 2016. Guerra told Financial Times that Eataly can open stores for the next 10 years. “We think we can have a store in every world capital,”  The team at Foodservice Solutions® believes this will be the year.

However this isn’t the first time that Eataly has indicated plans to go public. In 2016, the Italian merchant bank Tamburi Investment Partners, which owns a stake in Eataly, indicated that it planned to take the chain public in 2017.

Oscar Farinetti founded and created Eataly, opening the first, 30,000-square-foot location in Torino, Italy, in 2007. The company opened its first location in the U.S. in New York City in 2010.  Eataly is filled with grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared portable food.  Remember Grocerant niche fresh prepared food is booming around the world according to the team at Foodservice Solutions®.

Eataly is not a food hall, food halls are quite different in many cased they are simply food courts without a mall.  Grocerant niche concepts the ilk of Eataly are on the rise driving top line sale, bottom line profits what garnering evolving an migrating food consumers according to Johnson.

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us  the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information

Eataly is a Great Grocerant

Recently Bret Thorn of Nation’s Restaurant News wrote about Eataly the only thing that was clear from his article is that the editors and the author don’t have a clue about what Eataly is to consumers.  Simply put it is a Grocerant.  It’s not that hard to say. 

The team at Foodservice Solutions® simply laughed when they read the article.  There is no wonder why our blog gets 25,178 unique views per day.  Regular readers of this blog understand the undercurrents driving customer migration within the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food space and legacy foodservice media outlets are too busy protecting their turf to care about year over year customer counts. So for eight years restaurant customer counts continue to be flat or down. We know where the customers are going and why. 

So Bret, no Eataly is not an “Italian supermarket, food hall and restaurant complex” it is a grocerant.  Eataly is consumer interactive, consumer participatory, filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food that edifies customer choice empowering personalization and customization with more mix and match meal components that are customer relevant.

The first of the two New York City locations has sales that have been reported over $60 Million a year.  Now they have two locations in New York City and single outlets in Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. Eataly also has 13 locations in Italy, as well as outposts in Brazil, Monaco, Turkey, Dubai, South Korea and Japan. Success does leave clues. Here is what success can help you do.

FICO Eataly World is unlike anything the food arena has ever seen: As part of the sprawling, 20-acre complex in Bologna, Italy, there are 108,000 square feet of orchards, pastures, and gardens; six rides; 40 workshops; and 25 restaurants and food stalls from which to pick your pizza, pasta, and polenta. Adding to the grown-up theme park vibe, there will be 500 adult-sized tricycles with shopping baskets, designed especially for the complex by celebrated Italian bike makers Bianchi.

Like our grocerant guru said before Eataly is consumer interactive and participatory. There will be no boring lessons on Excel or how to know you've ordered enough olive oil. Instead, in this $106 Million dollar ‘theme park version of a grocerant visitors will be able to do everything from walk through the prosciutto process to see wheat, stone-ground, turned into flour, and made into several kinds of pasta.  Soon, the Eataly World experience is slated to even get its own a 200-room hotel in early 2018.

Don’t get us wrong I’m not suggesting everyone open a theme park.  What I am saying is that if you’re running a restaurant and your fresh food offering are not consumer interactive and consumers participatory you’re not keeping up with the undercurrents of consumers.  Consumers are dynamic not static brands must be as well. 

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

Zoup! Expanding the Brand

Consumers are dynamic not static and brands need to be dynamic as well according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based global food grocerant consultancy Foodservice Solutions®. The line between all sectors of retail foodservice continue to blur and restaurant brand marketers need to drive sales in every relevant customer facing channel according to Johnson.

Zoop! CEO Eric Ersher and his team created Zoup! Chicken Broth for retail to help break the boundaries of taste on retail shelves and develop a broth that in his words “was good enough to drink,”. The chicken broth is prepared in kettles using restaurant-quality cooking methods and standards. This traditional, super-premium broth is made in small batches using the freshest and finest ingredients.

Bursting with comforting chicken flavor that tastes homemade, Zoup! Chicken Broth is the perfect base for home chefs, cooks, and dads helping out in the kitchen.  This quality stock/broth works well for a hearty chicken soup, casseroles, rice or grain dishes, and other recipes that call for chicken broth. It is also low in calories, paleo-friendly / zero carbs, and completely free of hormones, gluten, GMO’s, fat, trans fat and saturated fat.

Ersher stated “The world didn’t need another chicken broth,”… “What it needed was one that tasted better. We’ve been refining this broth recipe for over 18 years, shortly after getting into the soup business. Zoup!’s clean ingredient deck, exceptional quality, and complex yet balanced flavor, make it unlike anything else you’ll find on shelves. It’s the broth you’d make yourself if you had the time.”

Available in original and low sodium varieties at natural and mainstream markets across the country, Zoup! Chicken Broth is sold in 31 fl oz glass jars to showcase the broth’s delicious golden color. The SRP is $6.95 per jar.

Zoup! got its start in the soup business as a fast-casual franchise chain of restaurants. The family-friendly locations serve award-winning soups year-round at nearly 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Eric Ersher and the Zoup!  Were interested in leveraging their industry experience and bringing restaurant quality taste to the retail market,  team set out to create a super-premium broth lineup that was good enough to drink. The broth is currently available at 4,000 retail locations nationwide. Are you expanding your brand? 

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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.