Walgreens Delivers via Uber Eats

 

Back in the day Walgreens was the largest chain of restaurants in the U.S. with lunch counters serving hot meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Walgreens was the first to offer the ‘fourth meal’ serving coffee and pie all day as a meal or a snack.  The ability to expand its speed of service via Uber Eats will drive long term success according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Walgreens continues to evolve.  Are you evolving? Consumers are dynamic not static all retailers must be as well. 

Walgreens, shoppers will soon have such items as milk, bread, snack, health-and-wellness, beauty and personal care, and household products, as well as over-the-counter medications, delivered the same day via Uber Eats.

Since, Walgreens expanded its collaboration with Uber to offer products directly on the Uber Eats platform to customers across the United States consumers can get fresh food faster. The drug store chain’s shoppers can now have such items as health-and-wellness, beauty and personal care, and household products, as well as over-the-counter medications, delivered the same day via Uber.

This on-demand delivery service is currently available from more than 7,800 stores across the country, with Puerto Rico to soon follow. First to be offered under the expanded collaboration are top-selling Walgreens retail items on the Uber Eats app, with more added daily; the goal is to expand to the retailer’s entire assortment of more than 20,000 products over time.

“Walgreens provides our customers with seamless health and well-being experiences, and offering them convenient delivery solutions on whichever platform they prefer to shop is key,” noted Stefanie Kruse, VP, digital commerce and omnichannel at Walgreens. “Our collaboration with Uber for on-demand delivery through both Walgreens and Uber’s channels, as well as integrated vaccine scheduling, gives customers simple and easy ways to put their health and well-being needs at the forefront – which will continue to be important to them as we emerge from the pandemic.”

“By leveraging the best of what Walgreens and Uber have to offer, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to prioritize their health and wellness,” said Raj Beri, head of grocery delivery at San Francisco-based Uber. “From on-demand delivery of essentials to hassle-free vaccine scheduling all at the touch of a button, we’re focused on eliminating barriers that burden customers’ everyday life, helping them go anywhere and get anything instantly.” 

Those who want to order Walgreens items for delivery can open the Uber Eats app, tap the convenience or pharmacy icons, choose Walgreens, and start shopping. To mark the launch, Walgreens and Uber Eats are offering customers a $20 promo off orders of $30 or more through June 27.

Further, the two companies worked together earlier this year to develop a new vaccine-scheduling option via the Uber app enabling U.S. Uber users to arrange a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at Walgreens. After entering a ZIP code and selecting from the available appointment times, users can reserve a ride to the appointment by scheduling a pickup time and location. Before the appointment, a push notification reminds the user of the upcoming ride to the vaccination appointment. How are you evolving?

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. 

Dollar General Fresh Food will Drive Customer Frequency

The Dollar store sector had been garnering customers from grocery stores for so long that today many consumers when they think about grocery shopping they think Dollar General first according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

It appears as if is as easy a taking candy from a baby according to Johnson.  The Dollar store sector continues to expand fresh food offering and legacy grocery store are have closed over 51% of their legacy grocery stores over the past 12 years. Kind of makes you realize that doing the same thing the same way may not be in the best interest of a grocery brand. Doesn’t it.

With over 16,000 stores open, Dollar General strives to capture more consumer grocery spending, by adding more and more fresh produce. When Dollar General announced that it offers a “curated assortment of produce” in about 650 of its more than 16,000 locations it made you wonder how long can grocery stores continue not to evolve.

Dollar General’s renewed focus on fresh fruits and vegetables stems from the retailer’s broader efforts to expand its grocery selections. When you look around in new or remodeled Dollar General stores you will find beside the fresh fruit and produce lots of grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat food portioned and priced to garner grocery store customers.

Dollar General this year plans to add fresh produce selections to 400 stores across the country, “up from a previous goal of about 250 stores, bringing the total number of stores with produce to more than 1,000 by year-end,” said chief operating officer Jeff Owen in March during the fourth-quarter financial report conference call with analysts. “We are also accelerating the expansion of our fresh produce offering, which provides the Top 20 items typically sold in traditional grocery stores and covers approximately 80% of the overall categories they carry,” he said.

The consumer is dynamic not static. Dollar General understands that and continues to drive customer frequency with new offerings.  Differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist. Dollar General has a twist a combination of fresh, fast, food priced for today’s consumers.

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 253-759-7869. 

Coolgreens At the Intersection of Consumers and Technology

Millennials and Gen Z consumers have a full life experience embracing technology while those of us, of a certain age, continue to experiment, try, test, and toil with new fresh food avenues of distribution if the new platform saves us time while adding freshness, we like it.  

So, when Coolgreens a company that wants to make its mission to “feed your life” even more convenient announced that it will introduce smart fridges that will serve its signature salads, wraps and snacks Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated “making fresh food fresher and faster works more often than not.”

The new ‘Coolgreens Market’ are set to become a platform for a more affordable and delicious way to grab healthy food on-the-go fast. Coolgreens is has ‘chef-inspired’ meals and meal components that will be made fresh daily in an off-site local kitchen and delivered fresh to its smart fridges. Guests will simply swipe their credit card, open the fridge, explore the variety and make a healthy selection.

Coolgreens Market CEO Robert Lee stated “We’re always looking for additional opportunities to serve our guests, and Coolgreens Market allows us to reach them in new ways,” …. “Everyone is super busy and often it’s tough to get healthy food on-the-go. Coolgreens Market solves that challenge and enables us to offer a selection of the quality menu items that are sold in our restaurants, in a convenient, affordable way. It’s literally ready whenever you are.”

With a smaller footprint, Coolgreens will be locating its new smart fridge concept in office buildings, medical and corporate campuses, airports, rail stations, college and university campuses along with retail mixed-use developments. Any place where large amounts of people gather and are on-the-go will be a target for the new concept.

Lee continued “We are excited to offer this unique franchise opportunity,” … “Coolgreens Market is a very cool concept that is designed to make it even easier for our guests to get our healthy, delicious recipes. Interested franchisees will be able to serve healthy food in a whole new way, while also producing an attractive revenue stream.”

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Burgers Top the Charts Again

Real meat still has real friends and once again the burger is king in the United States according to David Portalatin, of the NPD Group.  While many had been asking lately is the burger still king in the U.S. Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® suggest two things:

1.       The burger (real beef) will remain the number one for many years to come.

2.       The competition for second in the Hand Held food spot will become a tight race between chicken and plant based entrees.  

Over the past 3 years NPD has been food consumption in America in this edition of The NPD Group’s Eating Patterns in America, reports that “U.S. consumers may appear to be creatures of habit in their eating patterns but the foods they eat today have a modern twist that is influenced by a host of factors like ethnicity, age/generational group, and health/social consciousness. 

Here are some quick takes from this year’s Eating Patterns in America:

·         There were over 460 billion in- and away-from-home eating and drinking occasions in the U.S. last year.

·         16% of consumers regularly use plant-based alternatives such as almond milk, tofu, and veggie burgers; 89% of these consumers do not consider themselves vegan or vegetarian.

·         14% of in-home eating occasions included at least one item that required no preparation compared to only 11% of occasions in 2013.

·         Visits to quick service restaurants have increased 630 million visits since 2014, while total visits to restaurants have declined more than 700 million visits.

·         19% of grocery shoppers now order their edible groceries online; from 2017 to 2020 the average annual growth rate for digital restaurant orders is forecast at 22%.

·         One in five adults try to manage a health condition with their food and beverage choices.

The consumer is moving faster to the intersection of ‘better for you’ food that is prepared fresh, with personalization and customization according to Johnson. Regular readers of this blog know that Foodservice Solutions® team has been leading the way.  Are you ready to embrace grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food?

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

Dunkin’ Brands Just wants to Have Fun

Is your brand fun?  Are you extending your brand invitation, growing your customer bases, or rewarding longtime customers with just a bit of fun? Consumer interactive and participatory brand marketing should not always be about your menu however it needs to be about customer touchpoints while being consumer interactive and participatory according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

So, when Dunkin’ launched its first online pop-up shop, offering a selection of Dunkin’-ized holiday gifts that consumer can’t find anywhere else. The ilk of a holiday sweater, one-piece pajamas and joggers to accessories like scrunchies, a fanny pack and an electric guitar.  Employees, franchisees, customers and non-customer all were invited to have fun. Let’s look and see what they have:

1.       Jammin’: How about a custom Dunkin’ electric guitar for rockin’ around the Christmas tree?

2.       Loungin’: Dunkin’s super soft one-piece pajamas and joggers are the coolest and coziest ways to stay in and sip some Dunkin’ by the fire.

3.       Stylin’: Brew up a fun look for your holiday sweater party with a Dunkin’ crewneck sweater. And, stay warm when out and about with two colorful Dunkin’ scarf and gloves sets.

4.       Peppermint Wrappin’: In honor of the return of Peppermint Mocha flavored coffee, Dunkin’s peppermint scented wrapping paper will spice up every gift sent.

Battle for Share of Stomach

5.      Dunkin’ Wrappin’: This wrapping paper is perfect for wrapping your favorite holiday gifts – Dunkin' style.  Plus, guests can get their hands on it first in-store. Starting today, the first 100 guests to purchase a dozen donuts at participating Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide will receive a sheet of this special Dunkin’ branded wrapping paper.

6.       Lunchin’: Bag the boring and light up the lunchroom with Dunkin’s new metal lunch box.

7.       Scrunchin’: Do your updo with Dunkin’s holiday hair ties.

8.       Repeatin’ Fanny Pack: Dunkin’s stylish fanny pack perfectly complements any Dunkin’ cup.

9.       Sparklin’: Dunkin’s phone case features floating donuts and glitter galore.

10.   Cheersin’: Raise a toast to the holidays and New Year with two sets of Dunkin’ pint glasses.

11.   Ruffin’ It: Don’t forget to wish the dog a happy paw-liday with a Dunkin’ puppin’ bandana.

The Dunkin’ holiday items are only available while supplies last, fans eager for additional Dunkin’ merchandise can expect to see the shop pop back up in 2020. In the meantime, the brand is offering a variety of other holiday gifts at participating Dunkin’ restaurants across the country, including:

Ornaments and Lip Balm: Dunkin’ is offering a new donut ornament and bringing back its popular Elf on the Shelf ornaments, who this year are seen stirring a cup of Hot Chocolate with a peppermint stick, all for the suggested retail price of $9.99. Dunkin’ is also offering peppermint-scented MUNCHKINS donut hole treats lip balm in a two-pack for $5.99.

How are you expanding your brand? How are you consumer engagement efforts working? Is your brand static or dynamic?  If success leaves clues and it does consumer engagement that is interactive and participatory are clues you don’t want to forget any time soon. Brands should have fun!

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, local educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit www.GrocerantGuru.com , www.FoodserviceSolutions.us or call 1-253-759-7869

Kwik Trip finds C-store Delivery Success

Success does leave clues. When Kwik Trip announced that it was expanding its delivery range to include the majority of Madison, Middleton, Monona and Sun Prairie, Wis. It was clear to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® consumers migration to Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food had taken root and elevated another sector of foodservice.

Regular readers of this blog know that this follows a second expansion to Green Bay and Appleton, Wis., that occurred in late August.  Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat grocerant niche fresh prepared food continues to grow in demand, creating new electricity as consumer from coast to coast are time starved according to Johnson.

Kwik Trip partnered with EatStreet as its delivery partner. There is no doubt that this partnership had created new electricity and excitement around Kwik Trip’s brand and fresh food offerings.

David Jackson, digital marketing and loyalty manager for Kwik Trip stated "The response has been overwhelming from our loyal customers and that meant one thing: We needed to expedite the launch of delivery at other Kwik Trip locations,".

Matt Howard, EatStreet's CEO and co-founder stated "It's clear customers want Kwik Trip delivered to their doorsteps," … "Customers in our hometown of Madison have enjoyed delivery for dozens of restaurants, and the addition of more Kwik Trip locations is only going to make it that much better."

Items available for delivery include hot food and beverages, snacks, energy drinks and more. The EatStreet mobile app is available in the Apple store and Google Play. Customers can also visit www.eatstreet.com.

How are you driving new electricity into your brand for consumers? Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, plant based  foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, free stuff, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

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

Stagnation Not at Whole Foods

Consumers are dynamic not static according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, Washington based Foodservice Solutions®.  The halo of ‘better-4-you’ that consumers place around Whole Foods continues to expand customer relevance creating new electricity for both Whole Foods and Snap Kitchen according to Johnson.

When Snap Kitchen announced its partnership with Whole Foods Market to launch Snap Kitchen's fresh, ready-2-eat meals in select stores throughout the Southwest region, regular readers of this blog asked if that meant Amazon Go would start selling Ready-2-Eat Snap Kitchen Meals as well.

Currently, Snap Kitchen meals are available for purchase only in all six Whole Foods Market stores in Austin, Texas, where both companies are headquartered.  Regular readers of this blog know that between 4:00PM and 7:00PM its crowded at all Whole Foods particularly in the fresh prepared food section as consumers continue migrating too grocerant niche fresh prepared food as the answer to the age-old question, ‘What’s for Dinner’.

Jon Carter, CEO at Snap Kitchen stated “Whole Foods Market was an early pioneer in changing the way consumers look at real food, mindful eating and healthy living," … "Similarly, our mission has always been to help improve the lives of others by making it easy to eat healthy, delicious meals made from well-sourced ingredients, with options to meet a variety of lifestyles and nutrition goals."

Expanding meal options Snap Kitchen's new lineup offered at Whole Foods Market stores features 35 fresh prepared meals and beverages, including plant-based offerings suitable for vegetarians and seafood-based meals—all of which are made without gluten and color-coded by lifestyle category, including vegan, keto, Whole30, and paleo.

Jessica Johnson, regional vice president of the Southwest region at Whole Foods Market stated “We understand people are busier than ever these days and we're excited to offer a new healthy line of ready-to-eat meal options that meet our high-quality standards and meet the need of our customers,"    

Battle for Share of Stomach

Focused on grocerant niche fresh fast foods that are ‘better-4-you’ Snap Kitchen meals are made fresh daily, never frozen, and do not contain any gluten, antibiotics, added hormones, or artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. Additionally, Snap Kitchen uses compostable containers with recyclable lids to help reduce waste.         

Carter continued "We couldn't be more thrilled to partner with such an iconic name that is essentially synonymous with healthy living and eating," …"This is a unique opportunity to grow Snap Kitchen's retail footprint on a significant scale and also introduce our nutrient-packed meals to a new set of health-conscious shoppers seeking a happy, healthy lifestyle."  Consumers are dynamic not static how is your brand keeping up with consumer demand for fresh fast food?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, plant based  foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

More on Whole Foods dynamic focus Tomorrow