Panera Bread Wants to Become a Grocerant Retailer

Building a retail food brand that garners the attention of consumers at the most common points of purchase will drive top-line growth and bottom-line profits while edifying brand value according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. If you’re building a grocerant brand you, are you building a brand for today, or tomorrow.  

It’s at the intersection of consumers never ending question; What’s for Dinner and Where to Get Dinner that they are looking for solutions according to Johnson. Panera Bread launched Panera Grocery Rewards—a national reward program that sits at the nexus of the company’s leading loyalty program, growing CPG business and in-café offerings and they clearly want to be that solution.

Here is how the program works; customers who spend $20 on Panera goods in the grocery store can scan their receipts to receive a $5 electronic gift card for use in café, and the program is slated to run through the fall.

The objective of the campaign is to create top-of-mind awareness of Panera’s grocery products, drive long term loyalty with Panera’s grocery products and encourage shoppers to visit the café.

Panera is one of the first in position to offer a program like this, with MyPanera leading the industry as the largest restaurant loyalty program with 52+ million members. Additionally, the company has steadily grown a robust lineup of packaged foods that spans over 10 categories – including refrigerated soup, refrigerated mac & cheese, refrigerated salad dressing, packaged coffee, artisan bread, refrigerated bowls and refrigerated flatbread pizza. Customers can shop a wide range of options at top retailers like Kroger, Publix, and Walmart among others.

Panera Grocery Rewards will be promoted across a fully-integrated campaign, including dedicated emails to MyPanera members, paid media across Meta’s platforms, in-grocery POP across the country and a national Planet Fitness partnership with awareness in over 2,500+ clubs.

Are you building a brand for yesterday, today, or tomorrow?

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 global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869 

Fresh Baguette Disruptive Marketing to Drive Success

 

At the intersection of consumer touchpoints that drive change and the consumer we find Fresh Baguette with a new consumer focused branded invitation in the form of a subscription service.  That subscription service has the potential according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® “too disrupt both Panera Bread and Starbucks regional customer base while garnering the attention of consumers for both trial and migration.”  

The team at Foodservice Solutions® agrees that the time has come for a new business model, format or platform that will provide the customer facing touchpoints that will drive the right Price, Value, Service equilibrium that will garner customer adoption in the coffee shop and bakery space this just might be the real thing. 

So, Fresh Baguette, is a modern French Bakery.  They have launched a Fresh Brew Coffee Subscription that will keep your cup flowing. The marketing program began Tuesday, January 31, 2023.  Now anyone can sign up for this new program that offers high quality coffee, cappuccinos, espresso, iced lattes, and more for just $9.95 a month.  That’s right just $9.95 a month.  Wait there is more and it’s the more that will drive adoption by consumers including both Starbucks and Panera Bread loyalist.

Florent de Felcourt Founder and CEO of Fresh Baguette, stated, “Our new Coffee Subscription is a game changer for us and our fans,” …. “We are thrilled to offer this opportunity for our guests to enjoy this amazing deal. In addition, we understand it’s often hard to stop at just one cup, so with our coffee subscription, our guests can indulge multiple times a day at a really great price. Plus, our coffees are the perfect pairing to our deliciously crafted and freshly prepared bakery selections.”

The Fresh Brew Club Coffee Subscription is easy to join. Guests simply need to scan the dedicated QR code available at Fresh Baguette locations or visit the Fresh Brew Club Link. Subscribers may join and cancel any time.

Are You Building a Larger Share of Stomach

Does your brands business model look more like 2011, 2018, or 2022?  Are you top-line sales up as a result of price increases? Is your business model driving an increase in year over year customer counts? 

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

At Panera Bread Packaging Helps Drive Success

 

Marketing matters and at Panera Bread packaging is a key took in their marketing tool kit.  Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, stated, “brand messaging is transferred to the consumer via packing and Panera Bread does a very good job utilizing packaging to tell it story.

Recently, Panera Bread announced a suite of new, elevated packaging for its line of grocery products, along with the launch of several exciting new additions to its portfolio. Panera offers a diverse range of grocery products, including bakery-cafe favorites across categories including Refrigerated Soup, Refrigerated Mac & Cheese, Refrigerated Dressing, Artisan Bread, Sliced Bread and Bagels.

So just in case you did not know, Panera’s new packaging for its grocery products has been energized with the most updated Panera brand elements and features a more prominent logo, the use of Panera’s iconic green to help shoppers identify and find the brand, as well as updated photography that communicates the quality and craveability of the products. The new packaging, designed by LAM Design, and signature Panera products at grocery are featured in the retail brand’s new fall campaign developed and executed by Advantage United Commerce. The campaign, titled "Pairs Well With,’ is designed to place Panera grocery items at the center of important family moments.

Do you Want to Build a 

Larger Share of Stomach?

Take a look at Panera’s line of grocery products which have strategically expanded both nationally and in select regional markets over the past year to include new:

·         Italian Wedding Soup – A familiar made fantastic addition to Panera’s flagship grocery category, available nationwide.

·         Chipotle Ranch Dressing and Wildflower Honey Mustard Dressing – Available nationwide and building on Panera’s expansive variety of chef-crafted dressings.

·         Garlic Demi Baguette – Adding to Panera’s existing suite of baker-crafted artisan breads, available nationwide.

·         Bagels – Available in Plain, Everything and Cinnamon Swirl. Make every breakfast fantastic! Select regions only.

·         English Muffins – Extending Panera’s early success in breakfast with bagels by introducing hearty, griddle baked English Muffins. A new category from Panera, available initially at grocers in the Northeast.

·         Refrigerated Bowls – Abundant pasta bowls in Chicken Caprese, Tuscan Style Chicken and Lemon Chicken Primavera, available nationwide.

·         Artisan Cheese Crisps – Available in Parmesan, Everything and Tomato Basil varieties – perfect for topping soups, salads, sandwiches or as a snack. Select regions only.

Zach Soolman, Panera’s VP and General Manager of CPG, stated, “Our mission for Panera’s CPG business is to make craveable Panera products easily accessible wherever consumers shop for groceries,” …. “Our new look & feel and exciting product innovations are sure to delight our consumers who can now stock chef-crafted Panera favorites at home, ready to enjoy whenever they want, for any occasion.”

Just like in Panera bakery-cafes, all Panera grocery items are made with Clean ingredients - food that does not contain the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources set forth on our No-No list. To learn more about Panera products at your local grocer, recipe ideas and more, visit PaneraAtHome.com

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

Panera Rewards Program Empowers Customer Choice

 

Edifying its relationship with consumers, Panera Bread announced updates to its industry-leading MyPanera Loyalty Program, giving more choices to guests when redeeming loyalty rewards. Interactive and participatory Panera’s reward program will reap long term benefits from these new inclusive changes according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

So, starting October 6, MyPanera will begin to roll out new choice-based rewards, allowing members to select their reward from multiple options based on their personal preferences, instead of a single, pre-selected reward​.  This new benefit is rooted in MyPanera’s relationship-based loyalty program, where rather than a transactional points system, members are rewarded based on frequency of visits, spend and their individual purchases and preferences. 

Eduardo Luz, Chief Brand and Concept Officer at Panera Bread, stated, “We view our MyPanera loyalty program as an extension of the warmth we show to our guests in our bakery-cafes—for us it’s about creating meaningful relationships and delivering personalized value,” ... “We create loyalty by deeply knowing our MyPanera members. We strive to understand and deliver exactly what delights them.” 

In case you did not know, the MyPanera program is rooted in the belief that the job of a loyalty program is to deepen the guest relationship by meeting both a guest’s rational and emotional needs. In turn, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 more than half of all Panera transactions were from MyPanera members, who typically visit Panera more frequently and spend more in each visit than non-MyPanera members. 

Edifying its relationship with consumers, the MyPanera loyalty program incorporates surprise and delight elements, allowing Panera to provide members with different and personalized experiences that increase in value based on multiple variables such as how often they visit, instead of a points-based system typically seen in the restaurant industry. MyPanera membership benefits include more than just discounts on the next purchase, but also enable personalized digital ordering experiences, strong value through programs like the Unlimited Sip Club, surprise offers, catering rewards and early access to new menu items.  

Now beginning on National Coffee Day, September 29, Panera Bread will hold its first-ever MyPanera Week from September 29 through October 5, handing out exclusive perks to celebrate its loyalty program members. Perks for MyPanera members during the 2022 MyPanera Week include:

·         Thursday, September 29– On National Coffee Day, new Unlimited Sip Club Subscribers will receive 2 months free. Existing Sip Club Members will receive $2 off select barista beverages and smoothies. (One time and In-App Only)

·         Friday, September 30– $0 Delivery Fee (In-App only, valid through 10/5/22)

·         Saturday, October 1– Free Baguette with Purchase (In-App only)

·         Sunday, October 2– $2 off Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bowl (In-App only)

·         Monday, October 3 – 20% Off Panera Bread Gift Cards (Online only)

·         Tuesday, October 4– Special Gift from a Panera Partner (To be Announced)

·         Wednesday, October 5– Cooking Class with Panera’s Head Chef, Claes Petersson and discounts on Panera Grocery Products

·         Thursday, October 6– Start of Choice in MyPanera Rewards

 

Meenakshi Nagarajan, Senior Vice President of Loyalty and Recurring Revenue at Panera Bread, stated, “Our guests have been requesting more choice in their MyPanera rewards and we are happy to bring this new experience to our loyalty program,” ...  “Our MyPanera members each have their own unique Panera favorites and we’re excited to see that reflected in our rewards—giving them personalized surprises that fit their own individual journey.”

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

At JAB Holding Company Coffee Subscriptions Work

 

Panera Bread tested a subscription coffee service as regular readers of this blog know then they launched an $8.99 per month coffee and tea subscription program for its MyPanera loyalty program members. Steven Jonson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated, it’s clear that Coffee subscriptions work giving the first-hand knowledge JAB Holding Company and JAB Consumer Partners have.  The own coffee companies the ilk of Krispy Kreme, Caribou Coffee, Pret A Manger, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Bagel Brands, Panera Bread, JAB Holdings and JAB Consumers Partners have the depth of insightful global data the few other companies could have.”

So, now Pret A Manger USA has launched a new Pret Coffee Subscription in New York City and Washington, D.C., the Pret Coffee Subscription allows subscribers to pay one monthly fee for access to coffees and teas up to five times a day.

In a company PR stated, “After seeing success in the U.K. market, Pret A Manger is eager to offer its U.S. customers a program with similar benefits, starting with a free first month for all new subscribers,” Regular readers also know that Panera’s program works.

At Pret A Manager, customers can choose between the Premium Plan at $29.99 a month or the Classic Plan at $19.99 a month for any size, hot or iced, with no additional charge for plant-based milks. Each new subscriber will automatically receive a free first month at sign up.

So, the Premium Plan includes all espresso-based, barista-made drinks, including lattes and cappuccinos, as well as organic coffees and teas with an additional espresso shot or flavor syrup add-on. The Classic Plan includes all coffees and teas with a flavor syrup add-on. Both plans include hot or iced drinks of any size with any dairy milk or non-dairy milk-alternatives.

The companies PR continued, “We used ‘Coffee Passes’ as a test in the U.S. market to see if there was interest in a program like this,” a spokesperson said. “They were only able to be purchased in our shops and customers had to purchase a new one each month. Our Coffee Pass program ended on July 23 to make room for our shiny new Pret Coffee Subscription.”

Just how fast can you drink a cup of coffee? So, the Pret A Manger spokesperson said customers can order up to five drinks a day, with only a 30-minute wait between orders. Previously, it was a wait of one hour between orders. The Classic and Premium Plans will now auto-renew and include other benefits, such as online account set-up and management and upcoming capabilities to send gifts.

Jorrie Bruffett, president of Pret A Manger USA, stated, “We are thrilled to be launching the Pret Coffee Subscription here in the U.S.,” said “We recognize our customers’ need for ease, flexibility and value, and this subscription model will be able to provide that.”

Bruffett said “the company had also invested in new technology that helps the rollout of the subscription program.” … “This innovation in technology comes with a new app redesign and more exclusive perks to be launched later this year,”.. “As offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., continue to open, we look forward to welcoming back residents, commuters and visitors into our shops.” The new mobile app will allow customers to make purchases, manage subscriptions and order ahead for pickup”

Pret currently has 32 locations in New York City and six in Washington, D.C.  With more than $50 Billion in global sales JAB Holding Company is evolving its business model. Don’t let your business model leave you behind.  Does your brand look more like 1990, 2000, than today?

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® 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 one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter