Retail Foodservice, what’s under your umbrella; customers anyone?



Since 1991 at Foodservice Solutions® we believe that Differentiation dose not mean different, it means familiar with a twist. Consumers young and old are demanding more choice. Today that means they are looking for choice in different ways, at different times and in different places.

Grocery stores, Restaurants, Drug Stores, Convenience Stores, Dollar Stores, Mobile food trucks and Kiosk are all improving the quality of the food that they sell. Each is now selling ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat prepared food. The question is: What is quality? Is it better for you food, meaning less fat, less salt, fewer calories, or a smaller portion or less packaging?

Successful food retail operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

Consumer want to feel connected to your brand and your brand must remain relevant in the minds eye of the consumer. Integrating the 5 P’s in both your product and brand allow for continued growth. Outside eyes can deliver both top line growth and bottom line profits for positive results.

Join me here on my blog for insights, information and inspiration. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant.

Foodservice Solutions 10 steps to build a solid Grocerant brand position.

Purpose. Why you are there contemporized relevance! The most successful brands are inclusive include values greater than themselves. A lifestyle, a philosophy, an emotion a point in time today that means better for you.

A story. Most major brands have a story. Examples: if you like Ford vehicles, you might be familiar with the story of Henry Ford or if you love your Nikes, you probably know how the Nike swoosh logo was created.

Consumer interaction. When your business is first starting out, don't fool yourself into believing that your marketing efforts are 'brand building' efforts. They're not because to build a real brand, you have to have an extensive track record with consumers. Consumer will build the brand and the story for you.

Trust. When you've consistently delivered for your customers long enough, you'll gain the type of trust that many brands have. Would you buy a Toyoda today? Maybe so, but how long do they have to rebuild that trust?

Consistency. When a consumer chooses a product or service because of brand association, he or she is buying an expectation. Perhaps it's the expectation that the branded product is of higher quality or that the service will be provided in a more efficient manner. The expectation must be met time after time.

Differentiation. Expectation is often borne of differentiation. Many brands offer products and services that are commodities but they're successful in developing some differentiation for their products and services that consumers are sold on.

Imitators. Imitation is the sincerest of flattery and you're probably not a 'brand' until you have competitors trying to copy you. Do what you do best and lead your niche don’t follow.

Market leadership Top brands are usually looked at as leaders in the markets they compete in. Own the space, and understand why you do.

Grow. The best brands are flexible and capable of reshaping and reinventing themselves and their messages over time. Consumers are not static! Your brand must be dynamic and grow, change and adapt over time.

A strong marketing presence. The information super highway is evolving; your message must follow the traffic. Don’t get stuck on the road less traveled

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

In Grocerant Prepared Food, Mix and Match components and portability are required options.



As long as multi- generational family’s gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors will continue to permeate. Grocerant style food offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance.

Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places Foodservice Solutions in a select industry grouping. The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist.

In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar. That is where the Grocerant niche falls, it is consumer inspired, component driven and flavor familiar.

Understanding, creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in an area Foodservice Solutions has out preformed. Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of concept growth, redevelopment and deployment of new products. Grocerant specialist can work with you to identify distinctive differentiated food consumables.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Retail foodservice RFID tags: safe, savings and simple.



We have all see the unattended retail kiosk or self serve check out systems. Now 365 Retail Markets has developed a self serve kiosk called SmartShop. “The RFID reader in the SmartKiosk interacts with items in the store labeled with RFID tags, automatically ringing up the items as soon as they come within the set perimeter of the kiosk.” Wow, that’s fast and fun.

Operational efficiency is now simply a way of life and efficiencies must be built into all our systems. This “system is built around a touch screen checkout, making checkout fast and super convenient. The interface also allows the customer to check out using multiple methods of payment, including biometric thumbprint readings and proximity readers for employee accounts. Once the transaction has been completed, the RFID tag’s information is registered in the system, and the security feature of the tag is disabled.”

Consumers are upgrading technology even during this extended recessions and period of high unemployment. Look at the sales of the iPhone and iPod yes during this recession consumer will pay for upgrades. Consumers understand, accept and want technology in today’s world. Don’t let your company lose consumer relevance because you were waiting to see what happens next.

Boston Market did not wait, Dominos’ Pizza did not wait and each has same store sales that are up in the double digits. Your food is fist then in today’s world you need to leverage technology and consumer research too garner a competitive advantage.

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=5512&title=Roll, Roll, Roll, Away Roller Grill!

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Evolving Retail Food Consumer: The tide is shifting it is time to reposition your food brand.



The confluence of consumer choice, expanding points of distribution, convenient meal preparation demand and the consumer is on the move. Drug Stores, Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores are all scurrying to reposition their menu mix of better for you prepared food to garner an increase in share of stomach.

Competitive may not be a strong enough word for the battle between sectors and companies for the consumer. The Grocerant niche is where all the action is consisting of better for you prepared portable ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food.

Mc Donalds, Wegmans, Starbucks, Sheetz, Boston Market and Wawa have done great things in the foodservice area but the equilibrium between financial success and breakthrough top of mind recognition might be amiss.

In Seth Godin's book Purple Cow where the entrepreneur wants to recapture some of the magic that the brand at one time had. Godin suggests that the key to success is finding a way to stand out and be remarkable, like a purple cow in a field of regular cows.

Boston Market following on the success of Domino’s dramatic product makeover success has developed a new consumer focused strategy, positioning new product and service that complements the consumers evolving food taste and bundled meal desires. Both Domino’s and Boston Market have made bold moves. Each company has been rewarded with top line sales growth and bottom line profits while increasing customer loyalty and frequency.

Success came after each company conducted in-depth sector and industry leading consumer focused research. The days of ego product or brand positioning and shoot from the hip marketing tactics are long gone. Success leaves clues and legacy companies that step up are being rewarded.

Does your team have the ability to ask outliner questions of researchers in order to identify optimum results for your product or brand? Have you identified a new avenue of distribution or a new product that can be your Purple Cow? Does your company have contemporized customer relevance?

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Restaurant Branding that’s, reusable, recyclable and a reinforcing.



KFC has very good ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh prepared grocerant food and at one point in time owned this niche. Clearly, Yum Brands continues to capitulate market shares in the United States including at KFC. This can happen to any company that focused more on international growth than foundational home based customers.

However, without evidence of a cohesive contemporize consumer focused strategy KFC or is it Kentucky Fried Chicken does have a successful tactic. That tactic alone will not produce the 20+ percent same stores sales increases that Boston Market is showing with a new strategy and customer focused positioning.

KFC rolled out what is believed to be the first Quick Service Restaurant reusable food container. The container is used to “package side dishes and was first introduced in five markets last May. It's now being used in South Florida and will be in all restaurants across the country by early 2011.”

In fact the container “was honored as a winner in the 2010 Greener Package Awards and features a clear bowl with a red lid embossed shown above. It's safe in the microwave and top rack of the dishwasher.” We all understand that the consumer is dynamic not static and brands must be as well. Since I am a fan of KFC I hope that this tactic will be rolled into a consumer focused strategy.

When branding and product positioning are blended into the daily life of the consumer in a positive proactive way, the brand and the consumer are all the better.

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=5512&title=Roll, Roll, Roll, Away Roller Grill!

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

The ready-to-eat ready-to-heat retail food price + value + service equilibrium continues resetting.



The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores. The wildly successful Subway $5.00 foot-long stated it. The QSR value focused $1.00 menu propelled it and now Walgreens, 7 Eleven, Target, Amazon and Sears are all selling fresh food and prepared meal components. Dollar stores are entering the crowed space and the consumer is going to win.

Enter the grocerant niche with ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food. Consumers are looking for new products, new packaging and time saving options, in ready-to-eat and ready to heat food. They are attracted by the fresh prepared focus; new portion size and price points. Which provide a strong margin for increased profitability for the retailer?

All sectors have noticed a discontinuity in consumer food shopping behavior and all are fighting for share of stomach. Contributing to this displacement is a focus on short term market metrics particularly price and away from the consumer. Which in turn has caused a loss is consumer traffic. There are other attributes that are much more important to the consumer, yet many don’t take time to look. The consumer is turning to the grocerant sectors ready-to-eat / ready-to-heat prepared food options in each sector that offers it.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson