Circle K Out Positioning Restaurants for Customers

 

The ability for any retailer to have a positive top-of-mind brand awareness with customers is an advantage very food marketing executive would not consider a competitive advantage.  In the fresh food, fast food space one could argue Canadian based Alimentation Couche-Tard aka Circle K is doing more to garner long-term top-of-mind awareness than any other fresh food, fast food, or convenience food retailer in the world according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

So, Couche-Tard and its leading global brand, Circle K, lead the way for EV charging offers in Norway. The convenience store banner has more charging stations, including home and office charging solutions than any other fuel retailer in Norway. Yes, that’s right they have Circle K charging stations in consumer’s homes.

Get this, for the last three years, Norway has been home to the company's global EV lab, where a dedicated team is learning all it can about EV charging and building a more sustainable future. Starting this year, Circle K is bringing those learnings to North America, and plans to be ready as EV adoption grows among motorists in both Canada, and the United States.

President and CEO Brian Hannasch stated, "We are very pleased to have started our journey in Norway, where Circle K is the number one destination for EV customers. We are meeting those customers at our stores and in their homes and offices, creating a total solution for their charging needs,"

Hannasch continued, "With our great team, growing expertise, and progressive locations in Norway, we have learned so much in the last few years, and we are excited to bring that knowledge and solutions to our global network, including North America, over the coming months and years,"

Right now, Circle K operates a high-speed charging network with more than 500 chargers on its forecourts in Norway. The chargers are a combination of company-owned high-speed EV chargers and partner charging offers with Tesla and Ionity.

You might want to read this paragraph twice. At its busiest Norwegian Circle K highway locations, the sites are equipped with 20 to 40 high-speed chargers. In downtown Oslo, Circle K was the first to begin replacing fuel pumps with high-speed chargers. Circle K has also expanded its offer with more than 4,200 home and workplace charge points. So, let me ask you if you have a charging station in someone’s home would that be a branding advantage?

Are you getting out branded? Get this, according to recent press accounts, Couche-Tard will start to roll out EV charging solutions at North America locations, beginning in its Quebec and California markets, with a combination of Circle K branded chargers and partner charging solutions in the coming months.

Hans-Olav Høidahl, Couche-Tard's executive vice president, Operations Europe stated, "At our EV lab in Norway, our dedicated teams have gained years of experience in the most mature market for electric vehicles. We always want to offer our customers the best possible experience, and Norway provides us the perfect testing conditions for first generation EV technology including chargers, vehicles, and payment methods,"

Høidahl continued, "I'm proud that Norwegians see Circle K as the leading destination for EV charging, and I look forward to expanding our network of high-speed chargers and home charging solutions outside Norway over the coming months and years,". Are you looking a customer ahead?

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® 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 us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Del Monte Farm Fresh Restaurant

 

Everyone has heard of Del Monte Produce, most of you have eaten fresh Del Monte fruit and a lot more of you have eaten Del Monte fruit from a jar on the produce cooler, or from a can on the shelf on your local grocery store according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Are you a legacy CPG manufacture that looks more like yesterdays retailer than tomorrows?

However how many of you have eaten fresh Del Monte Produce from their new FRSHst restaurant located in Miami?  I’m betting given travel restriction very few of you.  Once restrictions are lifted, and I get my second COVID-19 Vaccination shot, I’m on my way.

FRSHst, is an innovative fresh and healthy dining restaurant experience from Fresh Del Monte Produce has just launched in Miami.  The restaurant focus is about the ‘halo’ of better for you fresh food, “bringing the community whole-heartedly good food that is not just wholesome, but also nutritious, and comes from the soul.”

So, Farmers at heart, the FRSHst concept demonstrates the team at Del Monte’s passion for fresh produce. It is evident in the six delicious food and beverage categories that incorporate the highest quality, best ingredients, including bowls, beverages, coffee, sandwiches, grab and go, and bakery. 

Youssef Zakharia, president and Chief Operations Officer of Fresh Del Monte Produce stated, “We want to create a bond with our consumers by putting them at the center of everything we do,” … “The launch of FRSHst cafes allows us to deliver to our consumers what is important to them: healthy, wholesome and convenient foods.”

Once again industry leaders are focusing on interactive and participatory branded messaging according to Johnson. The FRSHst restaurant menu invites guests to fully customize their fresh-to-order items. Customers can take a trip around the globe for breakfast, lunch or dinner with flavors that range from Asian to Mediterranean and Latin American.

Customers at FRSHst can also make each meal their own by adding signature toppings and sauces, or by pairing their food selection with a fresh, handmade smoothie, or a cup of freshly-brewed, craft roasted coffee. Mix & match meal component bundling as regular readers of this blog know is at the core driving grocerant niche success and customer migration.

Wissam Baghdadi FRSHst Creator and Fresh Del Monte Produce F&B Director stated, “Our mission at FRSHst cafes is to provide an ingredient-first offering to our guests, so they may not only experience the freshest and most flavorful meals that we have to offer, but can also completely tailor each order to their liking and dietary needs,”.

Don’t let your brand relevance slip away.  If your product mix looks as if its managed by a category manager from the 1980’s, and your still paying slotting fees to get product on the shelf.  Well, that’s to bad.

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

Battle for Share of Stomach

For Some it Makes ‘Goodcents’ to Add More Meat

 

With a wing supply shortage again this year for super-bowl weekend it makes a lot of sense to offer plant-based wings, as a point of differentiation. On the other hand, if you know your customers core desires you just might want to do what Goodcents Subs did.  They added 30% more meat to their subs according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, that is a great point of visceral and texture differentiation that will complement core consumers price, value, perception.

NRN recently reported that Goodcents franchisees are excited about a menu change that added 30 percent more meat to its popular sub sandwiches – and potentially draw a lot of new customers. Goodcents, known for its freshly baked bread and hand-sliced deli meats and cheeses, is increasing the amount of meat on subs of all sizes and party trays. The consumer is dynamic not static and restaurants need to evolve with relevance.

That change comes in response to guests who have expressed interest in getting more protein into their diets. Goodcents has been testing the new menu at two corporate locations since September to rave reviews.

Jami Bond, vice president of franchise development stated, “Our guests have overwhelmingly loved the sandwiches with 30 percent more meat,” … “And our franchisees love it, too, because they know customers will be excited to taste the new sandwiches.”

One franchise owner, Holly Trice, who took over an existing Goodcents location in Apple Valley, Minnesota, in November, rolled out the 30 percent more meat menu then. “Our customers have just been wowed by the change – especially people who were unaware of the new menu,” she says. “We’ve had guests who ordered online and were so surprised when they got home. The next time they come in, they say, ‘I just got a sandwich here last week, and boy, did it have a lot of meat on it.’ They all love it.”

Bond continued saying “the corporate team is proud of the support provided to franchisees in advance of this menu change. For any new menu rollout, Goodcents provides franchisees with suggested prices based on cost analysis and competitor comparison. The company also gives each franchisee a location-specific projected change in profit based on the location’s current mix of product sales. Franchisees control their prices, because they must be able to adjust for cost differences, such as minimum wage differences in various states, Bond said.

Bond went on to say “that adding 30 percent more meat is a terrific marketing opportunity, but she is more excited about the consistency it brings to the brand. “This will solidify that the sandwich you get at a Goodcents in Phoenix is the same as one you get in Kansas City,” she says. “Without consistency, we cannot grow as a brand.”

The menu change comes at an exciting time for Goodcents. This month, the brand also began launching the Goodcents Certified Clean Program, which equips every restaurant with a no-contact temperature check device and sanitization program for the safety of guests and crew members.

“Between the menu change and Certified Clean, we are really leaning in to support our franchisees,” Bond adds. “Our corporate team is in six to seven restaurants every day to lend our support. 2021 is starting out so strong, and we think the menu change will bolster sales even more."

How are you evolving your brand in 2021?  What is your point of differentiation? Does your messaging have the ‘halo’ of better for you’?

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. 

5 Clues to Stop Restaurant Sector Customer Traffic Declines

 

Just in case it slipped your mine, the restaurant sector continues to bleed customers.  In case you don’t understand the consequence of capitulating year over year same store customer counts for eight years in a row; it’s not a good thing according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

2020 was another bad year for the restaurant sector if customer counts are your measuring stick down as customer counts were down 20.9% year over year. The simple fact is consumers food consumption patterns have evolved and many restaurant menu’s look more like a restaurant of the 1980’s, 1990’s, or 2005.  That my friends, that is a long way from what a fresh food restaurant will look like five years from now according to Johnson.  Something has to change. It is time to look a customer ahead. 

The pandemic will end, but it will be the end of your restaurant brand?  If you plan on going back repositioning and brand messaging the ilk of what your brand was three years ago, five years ago, or even 8 years ago.  You are heading in the wrong direction. 

If the restaurant industry leadership of today is comprised of the ‘unwilling to evolve’ as they continue to follow the old CEO adage / first rule of a new CEO ‘do no harm’.  That simply has not worked and will not work moving forward. There is a clear and present danger for many legacy chain restaurant brands.  That danger is an increasing lack of customer relevance according to Johnson.

According to the latest Black Box Intelligence index restaurant sector customer counts for 2020 were down 20.9% year over year.  That is on top of 8 years of negative sector customer count declines.  Just stop and think about that.  Here are our 5 Clues to evolve success:

1.       Look A Customer Ahead

2.       Interactive and Participatory Food Marketing

3.       Don’t let the table wobble. Be prepared to open your dining room

4.       Integrate alcohol in meal planning

5.       Technology is your Drive-Thru

Back in the day the team at Foodservice Solutions® was first to identify, quantify, and qualify The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome, and few chain restaurants were willing to evolve.  The rest hunkered down and practiced brand protectionism.  Where are they now? Look at this list of chain restaurant closures for this year alone. Then there are the chains that filed bankruptcy. Here is a link to the list of 25 chains and franchise groups that did filed in 2020 alone.

Battle for Share of Stomach

If success leaves clues and it does restaurant brands that embrace change, evolve with consumer relevant touchpoint, will do well moving forward.  If not, many will continue to capitulate customer traffic, lose sales, and close stores.  Are you driving top line sales, bottom line profits, and building customer counts?

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, www.Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or www.twitter.com/grocerant/

2021 Top 10 Grocerant Grab-N-Go Trends

 

Convenience Stores, Dollar Stores, Service Deli’s, Coffee Drive-Thru’s, and Restaurants all have empowered consumers to choose them over their competitors with success in 2020, with both new CPG offerings, and fresh prepared grocerant niche food, according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

In new research from the team at Foodservice Solutions found the following 10 trends are most likely to have the greatest impact within the foodservice category 2021:

1. Sustainable Plant Based Menu & Side Items will Highlight 2021

The shift to healthy eating continues with breeze in like a warm wind in the summer. This year Convenience Stores, Dollar Stores, Service Deli’s, Coffee Drive-Thru’s, and Restaurants will introduce bold flavor, price favorable entrees and side items. Bold Flavors will the top driver for away-from-home purchases.

2. Mix & Match Meal Bundling Customization

Dollar stores will drive down entrée prices with a full range of mix & match affordable options slowing the growth at Fast Food outlets and C-stores. Price with the perceived drive but range of offerings and allow for more consumer customization.

3. Marketing Matters

Daypart dynamics will drive limited-time offers (LTOs) in every sector of retail foodservice as consumers seek to eat out once again.  In 2021 the foodservice competition (marketing messaging) will focus more on daypart than menu item.

4. McDonald’s Global Menu and Copy-Cats

McDonald’s proven global ethnic items such as egg rolls, empanadas and sushi are craveable and will be an example to all brands to expand flavors and rollout existing international successful menu items into the U.S. Adding global flavors to ubiquitous items is another way to add a taste of the world and increase variety. 

5. Branding the Impulse Menu Buy 

Prepared food purchases are frequently a planned purchase among 59% of shoppers, while 41% of shoppers said they buy prepared foods on impulse. Dinner has the highest amount of prepared food buys with 79% of respondents making purchases for that meal, while lunch comes in at 77% and breakfast at 62%.

6. Grocerant: Fresh Prepared

Five Gallon buckets of 21-day shelf-life product won’t sell in the service deli. That kind of food just won’t fly in 2021, as consumers are looking for fresh food and bold flavors. Grocerant niche mix and match bunding of baked goods, fruit, veggies, salads, and dairy items will.

7. Pizza Bundling at C-stores

Delivery of fresh pizza for dinner will continue to drive C-store foodservice sales.  In 2021 the bundling of Milk, Eggs, Bread, Coffee and Ice Cream will be all it takes to garner customer from both the restaurant sector and the grocery store sector.  

8. Indulgent Snacking

Mini-meals driven by full flavored single item the ilk of pint of rich dairy free ice cream, ¾ pound of Pulled Pork, or single serve mac-n- cheese. For those buying dinner for one.

9. Technology 

45% of all restaurant meals are eaten at home. It’s technology via an app or online ordering and delivery that will continue to drive top line sale and bottom-line profits in 2021.

10. Dinner Diner Drama

The drama will unfold in 2021 when we see just who is cooking dinner. Cook from scratch or buy grocerant niche fresh prepared food. Dinner has the highest amount of prepared food buys with 79% of respondents making purchases for that meal, while lunch comes in at 77% and breakfast at 62%.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions FIVE P’s of Food Marketing 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.

Battle for Share of Stomach 

In 2021 the Restaurants Business Model Must Continue to Focus on Eating-Out While Eating-In

 

The consumer is dynamic not static.  To date there is no indication that consumers want to cook dinner from scratch. In fact, according to recent data, “When asked if they wanted to cook dinner from scratch or assemble dinner from fresh meal components 91.1 % of Gen Z chose assemble from Fresh Prepared Meal Components and Millennials 83.6 chose meal components.   

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards have found that 81.7% of family meals consumed at home have at least one grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food item according to Tacoma, WA based Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson.

According to The NPD Group, consumers reported in July, 2020 that 63% of their eating occasions during the COVID-19 outbreak have been atypical, meaning they’re eating and sourcing foods and beverages outside of their normal routines. Johnson ask how much of your menu could be on consumers table tonight for dinner?

An Ohio State study founded that 80 percent of new restaurants failing within the first five years. That same study suggested about 60 percent don’t make it to year 2.  Reducing cost of operating with a Virtual Restaurant, Ghost Kitchen, and third-party delivery services is a way to edify your brand with consumers for less, while extending your reach. 

According to Johnson the new norm for a success restaurant business model must include ‘takeout, to-go, meals and meal components as consumers want to be ‘Eating-Out’ while Eating-In”.  Selling more food does not mean filling more seats according to Johnson.

Understand this long before the current pandemic, TSYS a payment provider that generated revenue of $4.9 billion in 2017 while processing more than 27.8 billion transactions, conducted a payments study of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers to take the pulse of this sector.

Battle for Share of Stomach

Here are some key takeaways from the study:

Customers are still dining out. As competition from to-go, more restaurants, delivery, and C-stores squeeze the restaurant sector from all sides, there’s no evidence to prove America’s affection for dining out is waning to any considerable degree. TSYS’s study showed that 75 percent of respondents say they eat out at least once a week, with nearly half (42 percent) eating out at least three times a week.

But let’s get to the payment part.

For those diners who eat out two-plus times a week or more, this was their preferred payment at the restaurant. It’s important to note this is paying at the table. So you can scratch the pay-ahead through an app or site factor.

·         46 percent prefer to swipe their debt/credit card

·         41 percent prefer to insert their debit/credit chip card

·         10 percent prefer to pay with cash

·         3 percent prefer to pay with their phone

This is a long-term trend, not a stop gap solution during the pandemic according to Johnson. The simple fact is the day of the mom & pop restaurant using a cigar box as a cash drawer are all but a distance memory.  If success leaves clues and it does.  Restaurants are food manufacturing plants.  If a restaurant wants to become successful, they must sell food in more than one channel and that food must be branded. 

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, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant