With the Price of Food Up Stocks Down What’s for Dinner?

 

Do we have to cook again? Trying to save money on food?  Well you are not alone, even Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® is wondering when will the price of a meal stabilize?

So, a recent consumer sentiment survey commissioned by NCSolutions (NCS) found that nearly half of Americans feel like they cannot afford their previous lifestyle. Additionally, three-quarters of American consumers say their family has changed how they buy food with prices on the rise.

Looking forward, 85 percent of Americans are very concerned or extremely concerned about inflation and 93 percent said we're in an inflationary time. On the same economic theme, 57 percent are concerned about the country's financial situation, while 47 percent say they're concerned about their family's financial situation, according to NCS.

Alan Miles, CEO, NCSolutions, stated, "For the second time in a little over two years, consumers are pivoting to new purchasing behaviors at the grocery store," ... "Since the start of the pandemic, they've been swapping their favorite brands for what's available. Today, though, value is the centerpiece more often than availability, consumers are selecting brands and products to stretch their budgets as far as possible. CPG brands that meet customers where they are both in this inflationary moment and as prices ease have the best shot at keeping them for the long-term."

Once again speaking of consumer packaged goods (CPG), six in 10 Americans believe CPG product packaging has gotten smaller but costs the same compared to one year ago. Consumers are also still feeling the strain of supply chain issues, according to NCS, and 69 percent say there are fewer items of the same product on the shelves.

Thirty-six percent of Americans said there is less variety of brands available on the shelf today compared with one year ago, the survey found. Other notable findings include:

·         53 percent of American consumers say they find basic food staples more expensive;

·         40 percent believe a recession will occur in 2023;

·         46 percent are buying fewer non-essential items on the food aisle; and

·         45 percent are seeking out less expensive brands in the grocery aisle.

Leslie Wood, chief research officer, NCSolutions, stated, "Though it may be tempting to pull back on advertising, a more effective strategy is to recognize and respond to consumer 'stress-flation.' Brands have an opportunity now to build loyalty and attract new customers with empathetic marketing,"

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

Consumers notice New Electricity at Trader Joe’s

 

Regular readers of this blog know, Trader Joe’s is one of the most consumer focused, consumer interactive, consume participatory branded food retailers in the world according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Why less friction in the supply chain.

Global grocer Aldi is Trader Joe’s sister company and understand supply chain problems was top of mind when it came to selecting a new supplier for fresh leafy greens.  Once again Trader Joe’s showed why and they are a leader. Let’s take a look and see why there is new consumer interactive participatory electricity at Trader Joes.

So, indoor vertical farming leader Kalera now offers three whole-head varieties of its sustainably grown greens — Crunch, Butter and Frisée — at a retail price of $2.99 in the produce aisle at 40 Trader Joe’s locations in Texas. The hydroponic produce, which Kalera touts as ultra-clean and non-GMO, is grown in the Orlando, Fla.-based company’s Houston facility.

Jim Leighton, Kalera’s president and CEO, stated, “The Trader Joe’s consumer base is undeniable, as the store is well-known for its low prices on quality, exclusive foods,”… “At Kalera, we pride ourselves on innovatively growing nutritious, affordable and accessible greens, making our expansion into Trader Joe’s an excellent decision for our consumers.”

Kalera employs climate-controlled environments and sustainable farming methods such as water recycling and plant nutrient formula optimization to grow nutrient-dense greens without the use of sprays or chemicals. The company said its 86,000-square-foot Houston facility is the largest vertical farming facility in Texas and produces 10 million leafy greens annually. Its products are also sold at Kroger stores in the Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas and at H-E-B locations throughout the Lone Star State.

Leighton continued, “Our Houston facility continues to triumph in the regional produce market, providing clean greens that are directly put into the refrigerators of Houston residents,”. “While we are a company that thinks globally, we act locally and understand that change begins at home.”

Kalera, which distributes produce in grocery retail stores across the United States and internationally, said it has expanded its overall retail store count by 25% in 2022 and is on track to top 40% by the end of the year. The company operates farms in Houston, Orlando, Atlanta, Denver, Munich and Kuwait, and five farms are under construction in Seattle; Columbus, Ohio; Honolulu; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Singapore.

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

Fresh Matters

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, smaller footprint, developing brands, fresh flowers, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable according to Johnson. 

For international corporate presentations, regional chain 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 GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call 1-253-759-7869

Let Dickey’s Barbecue Cater you Labor Day Get Together

 

Summers last holiday is here and Dickey's Barbecue has got just what you want for a Labor Day Weekend get together according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Why cook when you can simply call your local Dickies Barbecue? I doubt that there is a better way to host one last backyard barbecue cookout for Labor Day– and avoid the cooking and clean up afterwards – than with the iconic menu at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Celebrate Labor Day 2022 this year with the best barbecue in the nation. With Labor Day being a 3-day weekend, there is more time (and room) to enjoy Dickey’s Legit. Texas. Barbecue.

Pictured above, is Dickey’s Big Yellow Box and Party Pack options that are a convenient, self-contained way to serve slow-smoked Texas barbecue to you and your loved ones while celebrating the upcoming holiday. Dickey’s award-winning catering offerings are perfect for any gathering of any size, at any time. The affordable catering and carry out options have the perfect proportions that feed up to 12 people. The Big Yellow Box and Party Pack options include: 

·         Big Yellow Box Classic Sandwich Pack ($105) – 12 Classic Sandwiches with choice of meat, large Caesar salad, large potato salad, pickles, onions and Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce. 

·         Big Yellow Box Original Party Pack ($125) – Two pounds of chopped brisket, two pounds of pulled pork, large coleslaw, large potato salad, large barbecue beans, pickles, rolls, relish and Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce.

·         Big Yellow Box Texas Brisket Party Pack ($166.50) – Four pounds of brisket, choice of three large sides, rolls, relish and Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce.

·         Big Yellow Box Wings and Ribs Party Pack ($120) – 18 ribs and 24 wings with choice of sauce, mac and cheese, coleslaw, rolls, Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce and ranch dressing.

·         Classic Family Pack Special ($46.50) – One pound of brisket, one pound of pulled pork, medium potato salad, medium coleslaw, medium baked beans, six dinner rolls and choice of sauce.

·         Family Pack ($55) – Choice of two one-pound servings of meat; choice of three medium sides; six rolls and Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce.

·         XL Family Pack ($75) – Choice of three one-pound servings of meat; choice of four medium sides; eight rolls and Dickey’s Barbecue Sauce.

Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, stated, “The perfect end to the summer is spending Labor Day Weekend with friends, family and Dickey’s Legit. Texas. Barbecue.” … “Our catering options provide a stress-free way to feed, and win over, any gathering. Dickey’s takes care of the delicious barbecue, and you can relax with your loved ones. Just order your box online at Dickeys.com, and you’ll be ready to dig into hickory-wood smoked meats, sides and sauces.”

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

Restaurant Employees Can Work from Home

It’s time to quit doing what you have always done and look at things a little differently. Employees are hard to find.  If you do not have enough employees many restaurants either reduce hours of operation or are closing one or two days a week. That’s does not work in the old business model nor does it work long term in many new business models according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

If you have not heard of Bite Ninja, a tech company making remote work possible for the restaurant industry its time you did.  Bite Ninja recently announced that it has closed a $11.3 million bridge funding round, bringing the company’s total raised to date to $15.4 million. This round of financing will further enable the development of the company's proprietary and award-winning remote staffing technology and deploy additional resources to support Bite Ninja’s growing sales and marketing efforts targeting the entire quick-service sector.

Key investors in this most recent funding round include Manta Ray Ventures, Owl Ventures, Agfunder, Pioneer Fund and TRAC Unicorn fund. The latest bridge round will help elevate Bite Ninja's unique tech platform, bringing further momentum to the already rapid growth the company has experienced over the past year. Bite Ninja is currently signed with five of the top 20 quick-service chains in the country with several more expected to join by the end of Q4. Most recently, Bite Ninja successfully launched its front counter customer-facing platform, providing restaurant operators with an additional solution to their existing drive-thru services, as well as their command center solution for enterprise-level labor performance management and deployment.

“Bite Ninja is currently powering some of the most notable quick service restaurants from coast to coast, providing operators with access to more than 12,000 qualified ‘Ninjas’ ready to serve customers and fill open shifts,” says Will Clem, CEO & co-founder of Bite Ninja. “We’re excited to push forward with the growth including targeting expansion overseas.”

Regular readers of this blog know that new research says delinquencies across all small businesses are at an 18-month high because of deteriorating business conditions and landlords raising their fees.

“About 46% of restaurants lacked the funds to pay their August rents, an 8-point jump in delinquencies from two months earlier, according to the latest survey of small businesses by Alignable Research Center.

If you own a chain restaurant or any restaurant you cannot keep doing what you have always done you must try and find a new normal, according to Johnson.  Paying rent comes before profits and if you can’t pay the rent, you cannot pay yourself. Stop doing what you have always done.  Try looking forward rather than backward.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Does your messaging look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  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. 

Churches Texas Chicken Grocerant Mix & Match Meals

 

Grocerant niche mix and match meal bundling is success clue and hallmark driver of grocerant niche growth across every sector of retail foodservice today according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Interactive and participatory Church’s Texas Chicken recently announced two new meal options available for a limited time – the Feed the Family Feast and the Texas Two-Piece Feast – providing a great deal for individuals and families alike. Garnering attention of the team at Foodservice Solutions® who quickly pointed out the probability that this limited time offer will prove quite successful.

Doug Reifschneider, Executive Lead, Marketing stated, “Church’s Texas Chicken values family and delicious meals at a great price, so we are very excited to be bringing these two meal options to our menus for the next couple of months,” … “As we are always looking for ways to better serve our guests, we sincerely hope the Feed the Family Feast and Texas Two-Piece Feast offers can bring comfort and happiness to everyone during an economically stressful time.”

Priced for awareness starting at $20, the Feed the Family Feast offer encourages guests to share Church’s Texas heritage with the entire family with the 10-piece leg and thigh assortment, two large sides, five Honey-Butter Biscuits, and five Jalapeño peppers.

Empowering choice the Texas Two-Piece Feast is a great choice for any individual looking to indulge in the deliciously bold flavors Church’s Texas Chicken offers. The meal includes a two-piece leg and thigh assortment, one Honey-Butter Biscuit, and one Jalapeño pepper starting at just $2.99. How are you building top of mind awareness during these times of high inflation?

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

Inflation Forces Consumers to Choose Smaller Meals and Snacking at Restaurants

 

Consumers do not want to cook dinner. While wages are up; we ask are they keeping up with prices? Today it seems as price continue to creep up for everything that consumers want or need including restaurant meals, gasoline, electricity, water, produce, and bakery items.

If restaurants want to continue to operate, they must evolve according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Here let’s look at just how bad it is. The news for the restaurant sector gets even worse as new research says delinquencies across all small businesses are at an 18-month high because of deteriorating business conditions and landlords raising their fees.

“About 46% of restaurants lacked the funds to pay their August rents, an 8-point jump in delinquencies from two months earlier, according to the latest survey of small businesses by Alignable Research Center.

If you own a restaurant, you cannot keep doing what you have always done you must try and find a new normal, according to Johnson.  Paying rent comes before profits and if you can’t pay the rent, you cannot pay yourself.

So, according to the 2022 State of Snacking report from NielsenIQ, which examines how snacking and consumption trends have evolved, meals and consumption moments are no longer confined to specific time windows during the day. NielsenIQ found that:

·         Fifty-seven percent of consumers have changed their eating habits or meals at least moderately in the past two years.  

·         Forty-two percent of respondents claim that their eating habits have become healthier vs. 12 months ago. 

·         Eighty-two percent say they ate more at home than away from home in the last six months. 

Examining Consumption Moments, which provide a 360-degree view of consumption, NielsenIQ defines what "snack as the new black" looks like for consumers. They are:

·         Smaller meals are healthier: Thirty-nine percent of consumers say the products they consume during small meals are healthy for them.

·         Full meals are for sharing: Full meal is the largest sharing occasion at 39 percent.

·         Chips, pretzels and popcorn are the most shared snacks: These snacks represent 30 percent occasions of snacking.

·         Sweet snacks are indulgent: Twenty-four percent of consumers have a sweet snack to indulge.

Other highlights of the State of Snacking report include:

Resurgence of the Midday Pick-Me-Up

Midnight snacking is a thing of the past as the midday pick-me-up resurges. Respondents say they consume three to four small meals steadily throughout the day from late morning to late afternoon. Nearly half of all full meals are eaten between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The biggest occasion across categories and the highest for snacking is to recharge, according to consumers. Days of the week matter, too. More consumers say they eat alone on Monday and with their partner on Sunday.

Snacking in Style

Eighty-two percent of snacking occasions are consumed at home, with chips, pretzels and popcorn ranking as the No. 1 shared snack. Consumers' offices are the second most popular place for snacking.

Sharing Occasions vs. Eating Alone

The company consumers keep impacts how and what they eat. Full meals are eaten more with others and small meals are consumed alone, NielsenIQ found.

Full meals are less frequent, saved for time with others, according to 39 percent of consumers. These occasions are consumed when they are happier and have more energy. Alternatively, 49 percent of small meals are consumed alone and when consumers say their mood and energy is lower than when they consume full meals.

Small meals and snacking are also perceived healthier by consumers. Consumers believe that 68 percent of the products they ingest are healthy. The snacks most often eaten alone include fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to modern-day snacking, NielsenIQ has three key pieces of advice for retailers and brands:

1.       Consider focusing on "better for you" messaging.

2.       Communicate around midday moments, both at home and in-office settings.

3.       Encourage consumers to change their habits by communicating the benefits around snacking with others.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® 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 one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter