Grocerant Guru Perspective: Stop Paying for Shelf Space—Start Selling What Consumers Actually Want

 

From the Grocerant Guru’s vantage point, PepsiCo’s December announcement is less about activist pressure and more about an overdue market correction. Reducing prices, eliminating roughly 20 percent of SKUs by early 2026, and refocusing on core brands signals a recognition of a fundamental truth shaping food retail today: paying for shelf space does not build loyalty—delivering relevance, value, and choice clarity does.

For decades, large CPGs competed by flooding shelves. More facings, more line extensions, more marginal SKUs, and more trade spend bought visibility but diluted velocity. The result is what behavioral economists call the paradox of choice—too many options create confusion, slow decision-making, reduce satisfaction, and ultimately suppress sales. Consumers do not want infinite beverage choices; they want the right beverage, at the right price, in the right moment.

PepsiCo’s acknowledgment that years of double-digit price increases weakened demand is critical. Value perception matters more today than brand ubiquity. Shoppers are not rejecting brands; they are rejecting friction—friction at the shelf, friction at the register, and friction in deciding what to buy. Cutting SKUs is not retrenchment; it is strategic focus.

The company’s stated moves—sharper everyday value pricing, innovation around cleaner labels and functional benefits, and aggressive cost reduction—align with what the Grocerant Guru® has long advocated: sell beverages and snacks consumers want, priced competitively, without forcing retailers to subsidize inefficiency through shelf fees and excess assortment.

Importantly, PepsiCo’s shift away from artificial ingredients, toward protein-forward and functionally relevant offerings, is not about chasing trends—it is about restoring trust and usage frequency. Fewer, better products outperform bloated portfolios every time when execution is disciplined.

However, the real opportunity is not simply SKU reduction. The real unlock is how products are merchandised and bundled.

Grocerant Guru® Insight: Mix-and-Match Is the Growth Engine

Within the Grocerant niche, growth does not come from buying more shelf space; it comes from building solutions. Consumers think in occasions, not categories. A beverage is not a standalone decision—it is part of a meal, a snack, a routine, or a reward.

Mix-and-match product building—pairing beverages with fresh food, protein-forward snacks, or permissible indulgences—simplifies choice while increasing basket size. It transforms the shopping experience from selection to solution. This approach creates happier consumers because it reduces cognitive load and delivers value. It creates happier stakeholders because it increases velocity, margin, and loyalty without incremental trade spend.

The future is not more SKUs.
The future is curated choice, competitive pricing, and occasion-based solutions.

PepsiCo’s reset suggests the company is beginning to internalize this reality. Those who stop paying for shelf space and start paying attention to how consumers actually eat and drink will win—at retail, in convenience, and across the entire Grocerant ecosystem.

Success Leaves Clues—Are You Ready to Find Yours?

One key insight that continues to drive success is this: "The consumer is dynamic, not static." This principle is the foundation of our work at Foodservice Solutions®, where Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, has been helping brands stay relevant in an ever-evolving market.

Want to strengthen your brand’s connection with today’s consumers? Let’s talk. Call 253-759-7869 for more information.

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

👉 Email us at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us
👉 Connect with us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Casey’s & Pepsi: A Classic Restaurant Playbook Move Fueling C-Store Foodservice Growth

For more than five decades, Casey’s General Stores has steadily evolved from a rural convenience outlet into a national powerhouse, one that has long understood what many retailers only recently discovered: fresh food and foodservice are the engines that drive sales growth, brand value, and customer frequency according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

This latest collaboration with Pepsi—positioning Casey’s handmade pizza alongside an ice-cold Pepsi—demonstrates that Casey’s is now fully embracing the Chain Restaurant Marketing Playbook that helped legacy restaurant brands build national followings.

From the 1980s introduction of made-from-scratch pizza to today’s broad menu of fresh, ready-to-eat staples, Casey’s history mirrors the restaurant sector’s evolution:

·       Fresh food as a differentiator

·       Signature items that create destination-level traffic

·       Co-branding partnerships that elevate flavor, fun, and frequency

·       Marketing campaigns that behave like restaurant media, not traditional c-store ads

Today, Casey’s—now the third-largest convenience store retailer and fifth-largest pizza chain in the country—is leveraging that restaurant-style strategy at scale. And its newest national campaign proves it.

 

Casey’s Joins Pepsi’s ‘Food Deserves Pepsi’ Movement

Casey’s becomes the first convenience retailer to join the nationwide Food Deserves Pepsi platform, a powerful campaign built on the idea that America’s favorite foods just taste better with Pepsi.

A new co-branded advertising spot features a dedicated “Pepsi Chaser,” ensuring that no slice of Casey’s handmade pizza is enjoyed without the bold, refreshing flavor of Pepsi. The creative includes:

·       A 30-second national digital ad

·       A 15-second cutdown

·       Broad distribution across social platforms and fuel pump screens

“Quality is baked into everything we do at Casey’s, and you can taste that in every slice,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s. “Teaming up with Pepsi is a natural fit—two brands that know great taste, coming together for the perfect hometown combo.”

The Food Deserves Pepsi platform launched in 2024 and has captured national attention through campaigns such as BBQ Crashers, Tailgate Crashers, and Undercover Cups—all reinforcing one simple message: a meal without Pepsi is leaving taste on the table.

 

Fueling the Next Era of C-Store Foodservice

Casey’s adoption of restaurant-style branding, storytelling, and meal pairing shows how convenience stores continue to redefine themselves as meal destinations, not just fuel stops. Pepsi’s partnership only accelerates that shift by tapping into consumer expectations shaped by restaurants:

·       Flavor pairing

·       Branded meal bundles

·       Social-driven marketing

·       Daypart-specific promotions

This is the restaurant playbook—modernized for the C-store era.

Insights From the Grocerant Guru®: The Future of Mix-and-Match Meal Component Bundling

1.       Breakfast Will Become the C-Store Battleground
Mix-and-match bundles—breakfast pizza + energy drink, burrito + coffee, sandwich + juice—will drive morning loyalty, just as QSRs did with combo meals two decades ago.

2.       Lunch and Dinner Bundles Must Mirror Restaurant Behavior
Expect more strategically paired “meal duos” like pizza + Pepsi, sub + chips, wings + fountain drink—engineered for value, flavor, and convenience. C-stores that offer menu-level curation will grow frequency fastest.

3.       Snacking Is the New ‘Fourth Meal’
Snack-driven bundles (pretzel bites + frozen drink, cookies + cold coffee) tap into all-day traffic. As restaurant brands lean into snacking, C-stores must follow with flexible, frictionless mix-and-match formats.

4.       Personalization Will Define the Next Generation of C-Store Meal Solutions
Digital apps and loyalty programs will enable dynamic bundling—letting shoppers create their own component meals across dayparts with personalized pricing. This is where the c-store sector pulls ahead of restaurants.

Success Leaves Clues—Are You Ready to Find Yours?

One key insight that continues to drive success is this: "The consumer is dynamic, not static." This principle is the foundation of our work at Foodservice Solutions®, where Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, has been helping brands stay relevant in an ever-evolving market.

Want to strengthen your brand’s connection with today’s consumers? Let’s talk. Call 253-759-7869 for more information.

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

 Email us at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Connect with us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter 

Takeout Is Now the Centerpiece of Family Dinner: A 30-Year Evolution from the Grocerant Guru®

 

There was a time when family dinner meant a home-cooked meal around a kitchen table—pot roast, mashed potatoes, and maybe a Jell-O mold for dessert. In the 1960s and 70s, frozen TV dinners marked the first shift from scratch cooking to convenience. By the 1980s and 90s, drive-thru culture made fast food a fixture in the family dinner rotation. But by the early 2000s, restaurant dining became aspirational—eating out replaced cooking as the center of social connection.

Then came 2008’s recession, which sparked the first big reset. Families started tightening budgets, rediscovering home meals—but not from scratch. Prepared foods from grocery stores and club formats surged. Fast forward to 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked everything. Overnight, dining rooms closed, apps exploded, ghost kitchens were born, and takeout became not just a habit—but a lifestyle according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Today, in 2025, we’ve entered a new era—where takeout is the family dinner table.

 

Fresh 2024–2025 Food Facts: The Family Meal Redefined

·       74.3% of weekday dinners are now consumed at home—but not cooked at home (NPD/CREST, May 2025).

·       72% of Gen Z and Millennials regularly buy dinner from a restaurant or C-store and eat it at home (Technomic, Q2 2025).

·       Takeout meals from grocery delis, C-stores, and QSRs grew 21.5% year-over-year in Q1 2025 (IRI, FMI).

·       Heat-N-Eat and Ready-2-Eat meals now account for over $52 billion annually in U.S. consumer spending (NielsenIQ, 2025).

·       70% of consumers say they’re more likely to order takeout if the packaging supports reheating or portability (IFMA Packaging Insights, 2024).

“Convenience once meant drive-thru—today, it means frictionless access, tech integration, and food that feels fresh-made and globally flavorful. That’s the grocerant difference,” says Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Foodservice Solutions®.

 

From Dining Room to Living Room: The 65-Inch HDTV Syndrome

Johnson calls this phenomenon the “65-Inch HDTV Syndrome.” Consumers want food that fits their lifestyle—meals that are flavorful, fast, and function as social glue for families gathered around screens instead of tables.

“Whether it’s takeout Thai curry from a convenience store, sushi from a Kroger deli, or a customizable bowl from Chipotle, consumers now expect food to be restaurant-quality, health-conscious, portable, and perfectly plated for Instagram or Netflix nights,” Johnson explains.

 

From Sunday Roasts to Streaming Suppers: The 3-Stage Shift

Let’s look at how family dinner has transformed:

Era	Meal Behavior	Key Driver
1960s–1980s	Home-cooked from scratch	Tradition & gender norms
1990s–2010s	Dining out as an experience	Economic expansion, dual incomes
2020–2025	Takeout as the primary meal source	Tech, time scarcity, value alignment

What used to be a “special treat” is now daily routine. Today’s consumers are looking for dinner without the labor, decisions without the stress, and meals that match their values—health, budget, sustainability, and taste.

 

Takeout Isn’t Just a Trend—It’s a Transformation

·       Average spend per restaurant meal: $18.32

·       Average spend for a grocery-prepared or C-store meal: $12.40

·       78% of families with kids under 14 say they’re replacing restaurant visits with takeout from retail or QSRs

·       31% of consumers say they’re reducing restaurant spending by substituting with grocerant meals (IRI, 2025)

And while fast casual once ruled the lunch crowd, it’s now losing ground:

·       Fast food is preferred over fast casual for lunch by 38% to 29% (AlixPartners, 2025)

·       Speed, price, and portability are driving consumer decisions—not ambiance or dine-in design

 

The Grocerant Guru’s Five Must-Know Takeout Trends for 2025

1.       “Family Bundles Are the New Value Meals”
Mix-and-match meal solutions are the new way to feed the whole house without breaking the bank.

2.       “Visual Flavor Is Digital Flavor”
If it doesn’t pop in the app or look good in a clamshell, it won’t sell. Consumers eat with their eyes—especially online.

3.       “Dinner Decisions Happen at 4 PM”
64% of consumers still don’t know what’s for dinner at 4 PM. Real-time deals, app alerts, and predictive bundles close the gap.

4.       “Comfort + Culture = Craveable”
Tikka wraps, elote mac & cheese, Korean BBQ flatbreads—familiar forms with global flavors are the fastest-growing SKUs.

5.       “Tech Makes Takeout Seamless”
Voice ordering, AI menu personalization, digital-only coupons, and loyalty subscriptions turn casual buyers into repeat diners.

 

From Grocery Deli to Center Stage: Takeout’s Time Has Come

From Blue Apron’s stumble to the rise of grocerant-ready meals in Walmart, Aldi, and Circle K, the path forward is clear: Consumers want fully prepared food that is easy, fast, and sharable—without needing to cook or clean.

The future of family meals is not about cooking—it’s about curation.

Ready to Be the Brand That’s on the Table?

Since 1991, Foodservice Solutions® has helped food brands, C-stores, restaurant chains, and grocery delis evolve from operators to meal solution providers.

If your brand still looks like it’s serving 2010-style experiences, it’s time to rethink, retool, and re-engage.

Call: 253-759-7869
Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us
Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us

 

Takeout is no longer the side dish.
It’s the centerpiece of the American dinner table.
The only question is—will your brand be there?

Is it Time for you

to Build a Larger 

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