Amazon Expands Its ‘Halo’ of Better-4-You

 

If there is one company in the food retail space that excels with customer data it is Amazon.  There can be no doubt that plant-based food products are fast becoming a mainstay on the family dinner table as Amazon Fresh has developed a private label line of Fresh Plant-based meat alternatives according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

In case you have not heard, Amazon is expanding its Fresh food brand with the addition of Fresh Plant-Based, a portfolio of plant-based products available online and in-store at Amazon Fresh. At Amazon customer get what customers want at a very competitive price and when you combine that with delivery that is second to none it is sure to be a home run according to Johnson.

There are fifteen products that are currently available, including patties, Italian meatballs, frozen Chick’n Nuggets and almond milks, and Amazon said in a release that it will continue to expand its Fresh Plant-Based product line this year “to bring customers more healthy, affordable plant-based products.”

So, with the introduction of Fresh Plant-Based products at Amazon you can clearly see that it comes at time of increased innovation within the meat alternatives category, particularly in frozen. Frozen meat, poultry and seafood alternatives sales reached $78 million in January 2022, an increase of 10.6% vs. a year ago, and about $33 million more than refrigerated alternatives, according to data from Chicago-based IRI. Regular readers of this blog know that Gen Z and Millennials are in constant search of ‘new food and flavors’ aka food discovery.

Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, stated, “We continue to see enormous strength in [the frozen meat alternatives] department,” …. “Millennials love frozen foods and recognize them as convenient, healthy and fresh, and more and more boomers are also becoming involved as they turn into empty nesters. The big advantage of no perishable waste and being able to use small portions of a larger bag is driving a lot of that, too.”

The dairy alternatives market, meanwhile, is also experiencing a boost as cases of lactose intolerance rise and awareness of plant-based foods increases, New York-based market research and consulting company Reports and Data cited as it predicts the global dairy alternatives market will reach $50.87 billion in 2028 and register a revenue compound annual growth rate of 10.5% during the forecast period. So, why are you waiting to evolve?

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

Starbucks Expands ‘Halo’ of Better-4-You’ Plant Based Drinks

Back in the day (2004) Starbucks introduced a soy latte.  That’s what leading companies do, they innovate, imitate, and incorporate consumers unmet need-set according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Consumers are dynamic not static and so is Starbucks.  So what did they do as the consumer continued to evolve? Well, they added coconutmilk to its lineup in 2015 and almondmilk in 2016. The company’s Research & Development team also began creating new beverage to highlight the flavors of the non-dairy milks like Coconutmilk Mocha Macchiato and Horchata Almondmilk Frappuccino blended beverage. 

So, What’s next?  Three new plant-based milk alternatives have arrived they are Almondmilk, Oatmilk, and Coconutmilk. Consider this Starbucks has been in the ‘plant-based beverage’ space since 2004.  Have you? Success does leave clues and when it comes to plant-based food and beverage Starbucks has left many. 

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

Consumers Confound Grocers & Restaurants with New Demands

Battle for Share of Stomach

Once again consumers prove that the ‘halo’ of better-for-you focus, force, and food platform that consumers want. Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food is the number one item driving food sales for both Grocery stores and Restaurants according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Consider this U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods totaled $4.5 billion over the past year, marking growth of 11%, according to the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and The Good Food Institute. There were 228 million servings of plant-based burgers ordered at quick-service restaurants in the year ending May, up 10 percent from a year ago, reports The NPD Group.

Is the tide turning? No, not so fast beef burgers are still by far the most popular burger ordered at quick-serves. There were 6.4 billion beef burgers ordered at quick-serves in the year ending May 2019, and although growth is flat compared to year ago, beef burgers are still the top sandwich ordered at U.S. restaurants.  However, Millennials and Gen Z are both in search of food discovery according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards and ‘better-for-you’ tops the list of with 84.1% saying they are looking for food that is ‘better-for-you’.

Once again consider this “Over a two-year period, plant-based food retail sales are up 31%, the PBFA and The Good Food Institute noted. Dollar sales climbed from $3.4 billion in April 2017 to $4 billion in April 2018 and then to $4.5 billion in April 2019.”

Meals mix and matched with plant-based food and beverages will continue to garner top line growth simply from trial.  Those that prove flavorful, provide the texture, color, and complexity today’s consumers are in search of will thrive according to Johnson.  Many plant-based foods manufactures will within the next three years be able to scale production to the point that they will also have a price advantage on the shelf and in the restaurants according to Johnson.

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/