At Hy-Vee it’s National Family Meals Month

In case you did not know, The Food Industry Association (FMI), National Family Meals Month is an Grocery Store sector industry-inspired movement to raise consumer awareness of the health and societal benefits of sharing frequent family meals, developed by FMI.

Over the years research consistently shows that children who share regular family meals typically display better grades, improved nutrition, stronger family relationships and higher self-esteem, and they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes this great program should be run four times a year rather than just one.

Today, while most families often find it difficult to find time to sit down and enjoy a meal together due to busy schedules, Hy-Vee noted, the effects of the continued pandemic have brought new challenges and opportunities to families. With more meals being eaten at home, Hy-Vee said it is committed to bringing families together around the dinner table by making mealtime even easier. 

Coinciding with National Family Meals Month is Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15-Oct. 15. It begins in the middle of the month to commemorate the independence of many Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Hy-Vee is wisely extending programs valuable messaging.

Throughout the month, Hy-Vee will look to help families enjoy at least one more meal together each week while also recognizing family meal traditions that stem from various heritages. While the company says additional announcements and event details will be made throughout the month of September, currently scheduled special events and offerings include: 

·         Contactless drive-thru giveaways offering free dinners at select Hy-Vee and Dollar Fresh locations across Hy-Vee’s eight-state region. Full-size meals that serve 4-6 people will be given away at each event as a way to bring families together around the dinner table, especially for families in areas experiencing significant food insecurity as a result of the continued pandemic.                                                                       

·         Kids 12 and younger can eat free with each purchase of an adult entrée every day in September at all Hy-Vee food service departments and Hy-Vee Market Grille locations, as well as Hy-Vee-owned Wahlburgers locations. Shoppers can get one free kids meal with each purchase of a select adult entrée. The offer is valid for dine-in and carryout or delivery, where available, via the Hy-Vee website.                       

·         Daily recipes, weekly meal ideas and grab-and-go dinner options will be offered on Hy-Vee’s social-media platforms to make mealtime easier.                                                                                                                              

·         Hy-Vee KidsFit social-media platforms will share videos and resources to encourage kids and parents to stay active and make healthy choices together.    

               

                                                                                                           

·         Live cooking demonstrations with Hy-Vee chefs and dietitians will take place throughout the month on the Hy-Vee Facebook page. Viewers can participate in the Q&A session and enter for the chance to win prizes.   

·         Family-friendly freezer meals virtual classes led by Hy-Vee dietitians will guide participants through five days of meals to feed their family and offer customers tips and information on how they can shop and prepare food quickly and on a budget. Starting this month, classes will also be offered in Spanish.                         

·         Eating Better on a Budget virtual store tours with a Hy-Vee dietitian will help customers navigate the aisles for eating better on a budget. Shoppers can learn strategies for planning meals, shopping smarter and comparing products for the best value.                                                                                      

·         A digital family cooking guide containing multicultural recipes to inspire families to try new cuisines while also supporting various dietary needs and lifestyles. This resource is available on the recipe section of Hy-Vee’s website.                                                                                                              

Extending it branded message, Hy-Vee has partnered with national childcare network WeeCare to help employees find and access in-home childcare. WeeCare's network includes qualified in-home providers in both highly populated and rural areas across the United States, according to the company.

Hy-Vee Chairman, CEO and President Randy Edeker, stated, “We’re excited to add WeeCare to our extensive list of employee benefits,”. “Many of our employees are parents or caregivers, and having affordable, trustworthy childcare when they come to work every day helps give them peace of mind. We want to be the best place to work and shop in America, and that starts with taking care of our employees.”

Jessica Chang, CEO of WeeCare, stated, “Currently, only 7% of companies provide childcare assistance to their employees,” “Hy-Vee is raising the bar for organizations nationwide, and WeeCare is proud to be part of the movement to support working parents.” WeeCare touts that its average tuition is generally 40% less expensive, as it offers exclusively in-home childcare with lower teacher-to-child ratios and providers conveniently located near parents’ home and work. Meals matter, family meals matter even more.  How are you extending your brand messaging?

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 

Restaurant Sales Slide as FMI’s National Family Meals Month Soars

 

What is it that prevents restaurants from understanding that the grocery sector under the tutelage and with the assistance of the FMI Foundation once again leverages September to target restaurant customers into grocery stores and away from them?  Who, knows an outsider might just think it is a combination of tunnel vision and sector capitulation? Success does leave clues and the grocery sector in September is doing all the right things.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes ‘chain restaurants would rather spend marketing dollars where it’s easy, the Thanksgiving-Christmas season, and in March, April, May when comps will be up anyway so it easier to look like your advertising works.”  He, may be right, but that is simply an easy out.

FMI Foundation knows it’s stuff, 87% of U.S. consumers say that they are cooking with their families more than or the same as before the pandemic and 86% report they are having more or same amount of in-person family meals. Another survey conducted earlier this year by market research firm Acosta showed that 92% of families plan to continue eating together at home at least as frequently or more frequently as they are doing now. That said, there are 26 restaurants for every grocery store today and consumers still do not want to cook from scratch according to Johnson. It’s a fight for share of stomach and it should last all year. 

In a battle for Share of Stomach

Who is Winning in September?

FMI, created National Family Meals Month to raise awareness of the benefits of sharing frequent family meals. “We have always intuitively sensed that family meals are good for us,” said David Fikes, executive director of the FMI Foundation, citing FMI’s research tracking tool called “Staying Strong with Family Meals” barometer. “But when COVID-19 turned our worlds upside down, we tangibly discovered the benefits of family meals. When we were six months into the crisis, our barometer revealed that Americans were using family meals to stay strong – physically and emotionally – during the global pandemic. It is encouraging to see, now a year-and-a-half later, that Americans plan to continue this positive practice when the world establishes a new normal.” 

In addition to leveraging information and materials from FMI’s national campaign, several grocers are highlighting their family-friendly fare during National Family Meals Month. This is a great program?  Collective advertising focus on customers and meals.  It works year after year with no resistance only capitulation from the restaurant sector. Let’s see who is doing what:

SpartanNash

Speaking of family fare, the SpartanNash banner Family Fare is providing shoppers with a variety of recipes and meal ideas for National Family Meals Month. Among other resources, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer is sharing videos from its dietitians showing how to shop for and make family meals like baked chicken nuggets and overnight oats. SpartanNash's other banners, including Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket, are also celebrating Family Meals Month with suggestions for shoppers.

Food City

Food City’s dietitians are featured in social media videos explaining how customers can find resources to make more meals together at home. The grocer, part of the Abington, Va.-based K-VA-T Food Stores, is also offering a free kids’ meal with the purchase of an adult hot bar item on weeknights during September.

The Giant Co.

The Giant Co., headquartered in Carlisle, Pa., is likewise sharing recipes from its team of nutritionists for meals and snacks, spotlighting in free classes on “Leisurely Lunches” and family meals. Additionally, the retailer is launching a sweepstakes for National Family Meals Month, offering a chance to win a free pantry makeover experience worth up to $150 when attending one of the free classes.

Hy-Vee

West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, Inc. is offering several activities and promotions for National Family Meals Month, including contactless drive-through giveaways of free mealtime dinners, kids-eat-free offers in its foodservice areas, live cooking demonstrations, family-friendly virtual classes, store tours and recipe and meal prep suggestions and recipes. Family-focused events will be held across the retailer’s eight-state regions, highlighting families from all cultures. Given the fact that September is also Hispanic Heritage Month, Hy-Vee is recognizing both occasions by spotlighting Hispanic family meal traditions.

Tops 

Tops Friendly Markets, Williamsville, N.Y., is sharing ideas for easy and affordable meal solutions and encouraging its shoppers to do to the same by submitting their favorite family recipes that can be featured on the retailer’s website. Tops also created a Pinterest board for family meal inspiration and is touting its pickup and delivery services that make family meal shopping and preparation easier.

CPGs

Consumer packaged goods and brands are rolling out their own programs for National Family Meals Month as well. Eggland's Best for example, just launched a “Share a Better Family Meal” campaign that includes live cooking demos, recipes, family activity ideas and a contest.

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. 

 

Once again Grocer’s Take Aim at Restaurant Meals

Foodservice Solutions® team last year told you about ‘Family Meals Month’ and that grocery stores were taking a direct shot at restaurant customer meal.  Our own Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson says that grocery stores are edging closer to focusing on meals year-round.  September, 2019 will test the chain restaurants customer counts once again as grocer’s focus on family.

A new study found that “8 in 10 of those seeing the National Family Meals Month™ campaign say that it is important and, better yet, are taking action to making family meals happen!”   

This grocery studies show again and again the significant, measurable scientific proof about the positive, lifelong benefits of family meals.  Family meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members and grocery stores are doing a better job telling the family meal story than restaurants.

Let’s look and see what the Journal of Adolescent Health found:

1.       Regular family meals are linked to higher grades and self-esteem and delayed sexual activity. 

2.       Children who grow up sharing family meals are more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior as adults, such as sharing, fairness and respect. 

3.       With each additional family meal shared each week, adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of violence, depression and suicide, less likely to use or abuse drugs or run away, and less likely to engage in risky behavior or delinquent acts.

4.       Adults and children who eat at home more regularly are less likely to suffer from obesity.

5.       Increased family meals are associated with greater intake of fruits and vegetables.

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