Kum & Go Roll, Roll, Roll Away Roller Grill

The grocerant niche continues to drive sales in every sector of food retail according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  One of the key hallmarks driving growth within the grocerant niche is the ‘halo’ of better for you according to Johnson.

Kum & Go has opened a new ‘urban’ store focusing one the ‘halo’ of better for you and urban consumers extending the Kum & Go brand to a new cohort group (urbanities). Johnson, stated when in Rome act like a Roman.  Simply put; evolve your brand and give the urbanities what they want.

So, that is exactly what Kum & Go did.  The first urban store now offers pizza, sandwiches, salads and select high-end wine, liquor, and beer but gone is the roller grill.

The team at Foodservice Solutions® reports that from the very first grocerant scorecard and our blog Roll, Roll, Roll Away Roller Grill to the last one completed this spring consumers believe that the roller grill is a sign that the brand has not evolved enough for them.  While, many buy the hot dogs, and other undated snacks on the grill 81.4% said it was not their first choice but price was the key driver.

Extending the halo of better for you, they will also focus on sustainability that is an important path to purchase for urbanites. Here is an example the from the company “customers' purchases will be put in reusable cloth bags as opposed to plastic grocery bags. And, as part of a nationwide move at all of its stores, it will feature compostable silverware and straws, recyclable cups and lids, and post-consumer recycled food packaging. The change will reduce the amount of flood plastic used in the company's food operations by more than 90 percent.” 

Can your brand travel? Do you practice brand protectionism? We know why your brand need to be dynamic not static.  Success does leave clues and giving the consumer what they want is a clue to remember.

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

Online Grocer Boxed understands Price & Selection Matter

Once again successful growth can be defined understood by looking at two key pillars that are the basics of retail; price and selection.  Fast-growing online grocer Boxed seems to understand the fundamentals and is targeting its growth on Millennials leveraging both price and selection according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

In May, Boxed announced that it was joining forces with Lidl to bring online ordering and Boxed Express on-demand delivery to select Lidl locations. Lidl’s stores are known as grocer with great prices and an inviting selection of relevant well priced consumer packaged good and family friended home focused retail items.

So, the story is that Boxed is one of the leading startups in the grocery business, New York-based Boxed has raised $243 million in funding. The company has been the subject of acquisition rumors, and reportedly rejected Kroger’s $400 million purchase offer last year, while holding preliminary talks with Amazon, Target and Costco, according to Bloomberg News Service.

Now Boxed has teamed up with department store chain Century 21 to introduce a curated assortment of beauty and apparel products. The assortment will include brands such as Bare Minerals, Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, Adidas and Ray Ban. This is Boxed’s first foray into apparel and cosmetics.

Gindi, EVP of New York-based Century 21 Stores  stated "Century 21 Stores is thrilled to partner with Boxed to bring our incredible designer brands at amazing prices to their audience who love online shopping convenience and value quality goods above all else," said Isaac. "It's exciting to provide a new way to shop a range of Century 21 products for our loyal customers alongside their day-to-day items that they know and love on Boxed."

The team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that Boxed is positioned to focus om meals and meal kit solutions given that Boxed revealed in July that it had hired former Amazon executive Prentis Wilson, who led Amazon Business’ growth to $10 billion in annual sales volume, as Boxed's first president. Stay tuned!

For international corporate presentations, 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

Mother’s Day is becoming GROCERANT Day!

Son’s daughters, husbands, and friends in search of the perfect family meal on Mother’s Day know that a complexity free meal is the best family according to Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson to that end grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food is fast becoming the center plate of Mother’s Day dinning.

Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association release a new report that found “nearly two in five American adults plan to dine out on May 14, and 21 million will order restaurant takeout or delivery.” That’s 21 million US families that will be Eating-Out while Eating-In.

Grocerant niche Eating-Out while Eating-In was identified, quantified, and qualified by our own Grocerant Guru® and documented on our blog many times over the years.  According to the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) survey,” 37 percent of consumers plan to dine out on Mother’s Day and 8 percent plan on getting restaurant takeout or delivery. Thirty-seven percent of consumers say they will celebrate with a home-cooked meal, while 28 percent say they are not planning any special meals that day.”

The NRA study also found that “Among families with children under 18, 44 percent plan to dine out on Mother’s Day and 13 percent plan on getting takeout or delivery.” …”When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts, having a meal with their family at a restaurant tops the list for moms. One-third (32 percent) of mothers say they would most like to have a family meal at a restaurant as their gift”

So knowing consumer drive for more and more complexity free meals we ask, how long will it be before grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meals over take going out to a restaurant for Mother’s Day?  Fully 8% of family’s are doing it today?  Is your brand integrating Foodservice Solutions® FIVE P’s of fresh food marketing?  Have you benefited from our Grocerant Guru’s Success Clues?

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’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.

Restaurants Meals in a Bag, Box, Brought to You

When Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson asks What’s for Dinner consumers simply suffer from option overload or conundrum that has become choice.  The fact is at 11:00 AM 82.6% of respondents don’t know What’s for dinner and at 4:00 PM 68.7% still don’t know What’s for dinner.

The simple fact is as the NPD group reports 79% of all restaurant traffic comes from the Quick Service Sector (QSR). Interestingly most QSR’s report sales from the drive thru at between 63% and 68% of sales which means consumers have grown accustom to restaurant meals in a bad or boxed for take-out according to Johnson.

Foodservice operators today are not all old school free standing locations they vary from virtual restaurants, app-based delivery or food trucks and branded kiosk inside non-traditional food retailers. Restaurateurs continue to practice brand protectionism the results are continued year over year capitulation of same store customer counts.  Are you in that group?

All the while the growth of third-party delivery companies, consumers’ increasing comfort with mobile ordering and the recent explosion of meal-delivery kits the ilk of Hello Fresh, has created a ‘perfect platform for the continued growth of branded grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food.

Denny Marie Post, CEO of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews is quoted saying “I’m fascinated by some of the virtual kitchens that don’t have a brand, that are only supported by a kitchen”.  Denny like other tier One leaders you should be calling the Grocerant Guru® today (1-253-759-7869)

Think about this, the restaurant business model is evolving very fast and some retailers have read the tea leaves better than others.  In Chicago for example, Green Summit Group’s has nine headless restaurants (kitchen-less locations) that operate out of a shared 2,000-square-foot kitchen that was once home to a dine-in burger establishment. These kitchens can also act as commissaries for food-truck or catering offshoots. In LA there is Everytable however they focus more on portability, price, a platform of and for complexity free family meals.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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.