Campbell's Frozen Meal Expansion Aligns with the Future of Food Retail

 

For more than 155 years, Campbell's has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to evolve alongside the American consumer according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Founded in 1869 as the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company, the company transformed the grocery industry with condensed soup, built one of the world's most recognizable food brands, and created an advertising icon with the timeless slogan, "M'm! M'm! Good!"

Today, Campbell's is once again adapting to changing consumer behavior—this time by expanding its presence in frozen meals. From the perspective of the Grocerant Guru®, this is not simply a line extension; it is a strategic move that reflects where the food retail industry is headed. It strengthens the Campbell's brand, creates new growth opportunities for retailers, and addresses the evolving expectations of today's consumer.

Consumers Have Moved Beyond Categories

One of the most significant shifts in food retail over the past decade is that consumers no longer shop by grocery department—they shop by meal occasion.

The traditional distinction between canned goods, frozen foods, deli, prepared foods, restaurants, convenience stores, and meal kits has blurred. Today's shopper is looking for solutions that answer one question: "What's for dinner?"

Consumers increasingly prioritize convenience, quality, value, and flexibility over where a product is merchandised in the store.

This consumer evolution has fueled the growth of what the Grocerant Guru® has long identified as the Fresh Food Fast movement. Shoppers are seeking meals that are easy to prepare, deliver restaurant-quality experiences, and fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles.

Frozen meals have become one of the strongest vehicles for meeting those expectations.

"M'm! M'm! Good!" Is Ready for Its Next Chapter

Campbell's legendary slogan remains one of the most recognized in food marketing. While it has historically represented comfort through soup, today's consumer defines comfort differently.

Comfort now means saving time without sacrificing quality. It means reducing the stress of meal planning, minimizing cleanup, and offering choices that satisfy every member of the household.

Rather than relying solely on nostalgia, Campbell's has the opportunity to redefine "M'm! M'm! Good!" for a new generation. The promise is no longer limited to soup—it becomes shorthand for flavorful, dependable meal solutions that fit modern lifestyles.

That evolution preserves the brand's heritage while expanding its relevance.

Frozen Foods Have Become a Strategic Growth Platform

The frozen food category has undergone a remarkable transformation.

Advances in freezing technology have improved taste, texture, and nutritional quality, while consumers have become more accepting of frozen products as premium meal options rather than last-minute alternatives.

For Campbell's, expanding into frozen meals creates opportunities to compete not only within grocery stores but also against restaurants, meal kits, convenience stores, and food delivery services.

In today's marketplace, the frozen aisle is increasingly competing for the same meal occasions once dominated by takeout.

That represents a significant opportunity.

Mix-and-Match Meal Bundling Drives Larger Baskets

Retailers are discovering that consumers rarely purchase a single item for dinner. Instead, they assemble meals by combining products across multiple departments.

A frozen entrée may be paired with Campbell's soup, fresh salad, frozen vegetables, bakery bread, beverages, or dessert.

This mix-and-match meal bundling approach encourages incremental purchases while simplifying meal planning for shoppers.

For retailers, these merchandising strategies can increase basket size, encourage cross-category shopping, and strengthen customer loyalty.

For Campbell's, frozen meals become another component within a broader meal solutions portfolio rather than a standalone product.

That distinction matters.

Family Meal Customization Has Become the New Dinner Table

Today's households look very different from those of previous generations.

Families often eat at different times, children and adults have distinct preferences, and dietary needs vary widely within the same household.

Consumers increasingly prefer customizable meal components over a single meal prepared for everyone.

Frozen meals support this trend exceptionally well. One family member may select chicken, another pasta, another a vegetarian option—while everyone still shares the same dining experience.

This flexibility aligns with one of the strongest behavioral shifts in food retail: personalization.

Brands that enable customization are increasingly becoming preferred choices.

Campbell's Competitive Advantage Is Consumer Trust

Brand equity remains one of Campbell's greatest assets.

Consumers are far more willing to experiment with new products when they come from brands they already know and trust.

For Campbell's, expanding into frozen meals allows the company to leverage more than a century and a half of consumer confidence while entering one of grocery's most dynamic categories.

Few companies possess both the heritage and household recognition necessary to make this transition as effectively.

Retailers Should Think Beyond the Frozen Aisle

Campbell's frozen meal strategy also presents retailers with opportunities to rethink merchandising.

Rather than merchandising products solely within departments, retailers should merchandise complete meal occasions.

Cross-merchandising frozen entrées with soups, side dishes, fresh produce, bakery items, beverages, and desserts creates a more intuitive shopping experience while increasing overall sales.

Consumers purchase meals—not departments.

Retail merchandising should reflect that reality.

The Bottom Line

Campbell's expansion into frozen meals is more than portfolio diversification. It reflects a broader transformation in consumer behavior and food retail strategy.

As shoppers increasingly demand Fresh Food Fast, embrace mix-and-match meal bundling, and expect family meal customization, brands that deliver complete meal solutions will outperform those that remain focused on traditional product categories.

Campbell's has spent more than 155 years earning the trust of American consumers. By extending that trust into frozen meal solutions, the company is positioning itself to remain relevant for the next generation of shoppers.

The iconic "M'm! M'm! Good!" message still resonates—but its meaning has evolved. Today, it represents convenience, quality, flexibility, and confidence at the intersection of modern food retail and contemporary consumer lifestyles.

Grocerant Guru® Insights

Insight #1: The winners in food retail will compete around meal occasions, not grocery categories. Consumers want solutions that simplify daily decision-making while delivering quality and value.

Insight #2: Frozen foods have become a cornerstone of the Fresh Food Fast movement. As technology and product quality continue to improve, frozen meals will capture an even larger share of at-home dining occasions.

Insight #3: Campbell's is uniquely positioned to bridge its rich heritage with the future of food retail. By combining trusted branding with innovation in frozen meal solutions, the company can strengthen consumer loyalty, help retailers grow basket size, and redefine what "M'm! M'm! Good!" means for a new generation of shoppers.

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

Dollar General 'Food First' Strategy Threatens Legacy Food Retailers

 

Inflation, inflation, inflation is top of mind with consumers and Dollar General is targeting all food retailers with legacy stuck in the middle pricing. That’s right according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® legacy grocery stores and C-stores that have not elevated their food retail positioning and are still clinging profits form slotting fees and middle of the road pricing are soon going to be in for a big surprise.

In case you have not heard, Dollar General is putting “Food First” by investing heavily in store brands. The discount retailer has expanded its private label Clover Valley to include national-brand alternatives, debuting more than 100 new items for 2023. This includes a wider selection of sauces, condiments, entrees, sides, snacks and more at what the company described as affordable price points, with many also featuring stylish new packaging designs.

Jackie Li, SVP of private brands and global sourcing for Dollar General, stated, “When Dollar General pioneered the ‘dollar store’ format in 1955, few food products were offered. With continual growth and changes to the company’s business model, our product selection has evolved,” ... “Customers shared that they believe in the quality and equity of Clover Valley and were receptive to more innovative products. We have put ‘Food First’ this year because we see a need and to fulfill the desire for even more options.”

So, Dollar General’s Food First initiative is a broader strategy to provide customers with healthier options, including more food products and fresh food. While the company isn’t a grocer, approximately 80% of Dollar General stores serve communities of 20,000 or fewer people, with many Americans, especially in rural areas, relying on the retailer for their basic, everyday and household essentials.

Did you realize that consumables recently accounted for approximately 80% of total sales at Dollar General and the company’s research indicates that Dollar General offers a price advantage over most food and drug retailers, offering prices that are competitive with even the largest discount retailers. ChaseDesign’s 2023 Dollar Store Channel Survey also found that grocery is now the top category shopped in the overall dollar store sector.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that 80% of new Dollar General stores and nearly all of its store relocations for FY23 will be in one of the retailer’s larger store formats, providing the opportunity for a significant increase in cooler count, as well as the ability to add fresh produce in many stores.

Now according to Dollar General, as of the first quarter of 2023, it offers fruits and vegetables in nearly 3,900 stores, with plans to have produce in 5,000 locations by January 2024, giving the company more individual points of produce distribution than any other U.S. mass retailer or grocer.

Why c-stores and grocery stores should worry, Dollar General’s Clover Valley private brand, which was introduced in 2009, has expanded to include approximately 600 items. Examples of the latest on-trend additions include Lobster Bites; Crab Cakes; Chicken Dipping Sauce; Siracha Chili Sauce; Parmesan Garlic, Mild Buffalo and Medium Wing Sauces; Cookies ‘n Crème and Turtle Sundae Trail Mixes; BBQ, Dill Pickle or Ranch Sunflower Seeds; Spicy Nacho Cheese or Chili & Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips; Mandarin Orange or General Tso’s Chicken Bites with Rice; Black Bean & Corn Salsa; Berry Blast or Tropical Fruit Flavor Snacks; Peanut Butter & Jelly Wafer Sticks & Dip; Peanut Butter Spread with Honey; and 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread. Additionally, all Clover Valley products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Emily Taylor, EVP and chief merchandising officer at Dollar General, stated, “We have made significant enhancements to our private brands in 2023, and we know how important these value offerings are for our customers,” ... “We believe these products will further differentiate Dollar General in the marketplace as we look to provide our customers with tremendous value on quality products.”

Research confirms the popularity of store brands, with dollar share reaching record levels this year. The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) shared data from Circana showing that dollar sales of store brands outpaced national brands during the six-month period ending June 18. Moreover, store brands’ dollar sales increased to a record level (18.8%) for the first part of 2023. Private label sales grew 8.2% on a year-over-year (YoY) basis during that time, while national-brand sales rose just 5.1%. Beverages led the charge, climbing 19% on a YoY basis, with notable gains also coming from general food (up 16%) and refrigerated products (up 16%).

As of May 5, Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General operated 19,294 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and pOpshelf stores across the United States, and Mi Súper Dollar General stores in Mexico. The company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com 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.

Foodservice Customers Pick Price Over Convenience and Experience

 

If you do not think that the price of your food matters you are wrong.  According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, ho stated, “the price, value, service equilibrium is evolving faster than the wholesale prices the foodservice operators are experiencing.”

Now, according to Mintel, 51 percent of Americans say they are currently concerned about the future of the economy. A same time, a similar share (48 percent) feel confident their financial situation will improve in the next 12 months. That is the good and the bad news. 

Let’s see what Mintel found by digging deeper, nine in 10 consumers (94 percent) say they are currently worried about inflation, and 67 percent believe the majority of Americans share in these concerns, while a third (34 percent) believe it's other Americans — rather than themselves — who are financially struggling right now. Meanwhile, 22 percent of Americans overall, and 31 percent of parents, say they are struggling to cover day-to-day expenses.

Inflationary pressures are driving consumers to cut back on nonessential purchases (40 percent) and dining out (37 percent), said the research firm.

Do you Want to Build Top Line Sales

Remember PRICE Matters

Do you Want To Grow Share of Stomach

Lisa Dubina, associate director of Culture & Identity, at Mintel, stated, "Americans' heightened concern about the country's economic future — which greatly exceeds all other surveyed financial concerns — is likely due to the current laser-sharp focus on this topic across news media, the political arena and among business leaders,".

Dudina continued, "While not all consumers consider themselves financially struggling at this time, many are already adjusting their shopping behaviors regardless of their level of financial comfort," ... "To support struggling and concerned consumers, brands need to find creative ways to demonstrate the value of their products and services and tangibly reward customers as a way of building brand loyalty and repeat business."  Here is more from Mintel:

Generational Differences

According to Mintel, age and current life stage affect consumers' greatest financial concern. Consumers aged 55 to 64 are more focused on big-picture concerns including the overall well-being of the economy and their personal retirement savings.

Conversely, Gen Z consumers (18 to 24), are more concerned with their own short-term financial well-being: maintaining their current standard of living, ability to pay their bills and ability to afford day-to-day necessities.

With these concerns in mind, Dubina pointed out that brands will need to consider these key differences to resonate with each generation.

Price Over Convenience & Sustainability

The research firm also pointed out that consumers are willing to pay more for higher quality; however, there's little else they prioritize before lower prices. More than six in 10 consumers prefer lower prices over a convenient shopping experience, and 57 percent say they prioritize lower pricing over sustainable brand options.

Additionally, 63 percent of consumers say that brand name is not important to them when shopping most categories, yet 59 percent of people agree they'd rather pay more for a higher quality product than pay less to receive average quality.

"As consumers struggle to adapt to rising prices due to inflation and product shortages, they are likely to continue choosing the best price over the more sustainable and more expensive option," Dubina said. "Understanding that now is a difficult time for retailers to offer more discounts due to challenges like supply chain issues and the rising price of labor cutting into profit margins, offering creative perks and benefits to customers can increase the value of purchases and help build long-term customer loyalty.

"Now more than ever, it's important for brands to not only communicate the value of their products and services but also prove it to consumers who are increasingly looking to avoid financial risk or waste," Dubina added.

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

Four Smaller Walls Too Drive Relevant Growth at TGI Friday’s

 

When consumers are evolving faster than your brand, customer relevance ebbs to the point your franchisees close stores, your profits trail off, and you watch your customers migrate to any brand that is more relevant to them. 

That said, brands have value, consumers know just what they like from your brand but at times they need something additional, different, or fresh according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

The grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive top-line sales and bottom-line profits in every sector of retail foodservice today. In fact, TGI Friday’s was one of the first branded chain restaurants to place products in the Frozen Food Court and continues to find success their according to Johnson.

When your primary target consumers age there is no reason to abandon them according to Johnson.  TGI Friday’s clearly understands the importance of developing their brands off-premise business while extending a customer’s life time value.

In an effort to edify its brand, and extend its best customers life time value, TGI Fridays is launching a small-format spinoff called Fridays on the Fly with more fresh food fast.

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

You can Win! 

These smaller footprint units focus is on meal delivery and takeout.  In addition, they will serve multiple virtual brands out of a single kitchen, adding customer relevance by day-part, flavor profile, price.

Not able at this time to move on completely, each new unit for now will also have a dining room for on-site guests. While the new smaller footprint format may appear is a product of the pandemic, which has enabled the brand to do more off-premise business. The trending growth of the grocerant niche filled with fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food has been top-of-mind at TGI Friday’s for a good 20 years.

TGI Friday’s CEO Ray Blanchette, stated, "Now that 30% of our revenue comes away from restaurant, we can actually do both," Our Grocerant Guru® has been helping brands do just that for 28+ years.  Hint; there is no sign of consumers desire not to continue to evolve garnering branded fresh food from new non-traditional points of distribution.

At TGI Friday’s as regular readers of this blog know part of the off-premise revenue is coming from a host of virtual brands. Fridays has its own online-only concepts such as Conviction Chicken and has also partnered with C3 to offer some of its brands out of its restaurants. Krispy Rice, for instance, is now in test at 14 locations in Southern California and the Washington, D.C., area with promising results, said John Neitzel, Fridays' president and COO. 

So, the first On the Fly location is currently under construction, and executives did not say how many units it ultimately expects to open. The company expects the stores to generate $2 million average unit volumes with annualized earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation of $300,000. "The sky's the limit in terms of potential," Neitzel said. The team at Foodservice Solutions® agrees.  How are you evolving? Where are you evolving?

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

Blurring the line between Franchisor and Franchisee

 

While the world is reopening after the pandemic, the shakeout within the restaurant sector is just beginning, to be uncovered.  Many legacy restaurant brands are asking themselves; where do we go from here. All the while banks are flooded with extra case as consumer savings has skyrocket to all-time highs in large part due to federal stimulus. Now bankers are making the rounds explain to restaurant companies why now is the time to either buy a chain or sell a chain. 

Heeding that advice foodservice franchisee and franchisors are buying, selling, legacy brands.  According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® one thing is clear, and that is the bankers are making a lot of money.

Johnson continued, franchisee are becoming franchisors, and now selling franchisee in a competitive world all food retailers are seeking a larger share of stomach, a larger share of food dollars, is anyone really winning?  

Consider that Ampex Brands LLC, a franchisee of 7-Eleven Inc. and Yum! Brands Inc. that has more than 400 convenience stores and restaurants, acquired the Au Bon Pain brand from ABP Corp., a subsidiary of Panera Bread.

Now, Au Bon Pain's 171 locations will join Ampex Brands family, increasing the company's revenue by approximately 10 percent annually. The deal also grants Ampex franchising rights to an additional 131 sites and expands its footprint internationally. (That’s banker talk, not a word about the brand or its customer base according to Johnson.)

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

and Share of Food Dollars

Can you Win

Ampex CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz. "Our QSR brands performed extraordinarily well throughout the pandemic as guests moved to drive-thru. That performance allowed us to diversify and jump on a great opportunity to reposition a legacy brand. The bakery café category will rebound, and Au Bon Pain is well-positioned to grow."

Talk about share of stomach / share of food dollar disequilibrium, post-acquisition, Ampex will assume the role of franchisor for the first time in its 16-year history. Remember that it has been a longtime franchisee of 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's.

Ampex plans to apply its operating strategy to ramp up Au Bon Pain's existing cafés starting in the brand's key markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Once existing cafés are reopened and executing with positive results, Ampex will kick off expansion efforts, starting with corporate-owned locations, according to the company.

Yes, here is a little more, the parent company of Taco Cabana has agreed to sell the 148-unit Tex-Mex chain to the largest franchisee of Jack in the Box and TGI Friday’s for $85 million. In case you did not know, the seller, Fiesta Restaurant Group, said it will use the proceeds from the sale to Yadav Enterprises to pay off $79.2 million in loans and related fees.

In this case the deal, leaves Fiesta with a single brand, Pollo Tropical. The transaction will enable “us to create a more effective, efficient and focused organization, applying appropriate resources to accelerate delivery of the exciting growth potential we have in our Pollo Tropical brand,” Richard Stockinger, Fiesta’s CEO, said in a statement.  Yes, you understood that correctly

For Yadav Enterprises, the deal will add another brand and 142 restaurants to its current holdings of about 400 restaurants. It will also deepen the company’s role as a franchisor; six Taco Cabana units are franchised.

In addition to operating units of Jack in the Box and Friday’s, Yadav is also a franchisee of Denny’s, Corner Bakery and El Pollo Loco. Its restaurants are located across 18 states, with a concentration in Texas and northern California. Does anyone think that they were thinking about brand differentiation or how to build a strong point of differentiation for each brand?  No, I bet most of you thought they simply were looking at you might say dollars not donuts.

Many multi-food concept companies appear to think that each brand is just a widget. In this case in a prepared statement they said, “We are confident he will be an effective steward of the Taco Cabana brand for the long-term.”

Does anyone reading this blog post believe that the buying and selling of C-stores, Chain Restaurants, or Grocery stores is over?  The team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that widgets churn and brands with differentiation grow.

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