Not your Mother's Leftovers continued

Top of the day to you! Results of a new survey by Consumer Reports that will be appear in the September 2009 issue of ShopSmart found that only one in ten women won’t serve leftovers. Here is what is interesting if as we discussed yesterday leftovers were restaurant quality would that make a difference? I for one bet it would. Are ready to eat foods from HEB taken home leftover or fresh? Would the same hold true for Whole Foods hot food from meal stations? Here is the rest of the poll as obtained from Progressive Grocer. The telephone survey of 1,001 women age 18 and over was conducted in late April by the Consumer Reports National Research Center and is included in a ShopSmart feature on saving more at the supermarket.Among the survey’s additional findings were the following:--Women are making fewer trips to the grocery store now vs. 18 months ago.--Seventy percent of married women do all or most of their household’s grocery shopping.--Forty-two percent of women are stocking up on on-sale food items more often, and 35 percent are buying more generic or store-brand items more often, due to the economy.--Seventy percent of married women are mainly responsible for cooking weekday dinners.--Most women (55 percent) don’t mind cooking weekday dinners; 18 percent dislike it.--When deciding what to cook, women go through the refrigerator and pantry to see what they have (86 percent), decide what can be prepared quickly (78 percent), and pick what will be nutritious or healthy (72 percent). Less than a third (29 percent) said they budget or estimate how much the meal will cost.--Thirty-eight percent of women are cooking at home more often, and 35 percent are preparing less expensive meals more often, because of the economy.--On average, women spend 45 minutes cooking a weekday dinner and 31 minutes eating it.--In a typical week, women eat about five home-cooked or home-prepared dinners. “
If you would like to understand more about the Grocerant niche Foodservice Solutions can be your guide. http://www.foodandbeverageunderground.com/grocerants.html

Leftover’s stylish and true restaurant quality!

The Grocerant sector continues to show growing interest for share of stomach by all players. Starting in August a new promotion by Maggiano’s Little Italy a restaurant chain owned by Brinker International will begin. It’s called “Today & Tomorrow” it’s a new twist on the buy one get one offers restaurants have offered for years. This time however at Maggiano’s you order two meals one cooked for you to eat; the other will be cooked and packaged for you to take home and eat tomorrow.
Grocerants ready to heat and ready eat products are so consumer friendly and well accepted today, I am prepared to say that this offer by Maggiano’s will be a smashing success. In fact it will be so big others on the Restaurant side will add a twist to it and copy! Success does leave clues and this one leads directly the consumer!

Supermarkets, Grocery stores, Convenience stores all have a big stake here. It is all about share of stomach. If Maggiano’s gets dinners two out of seven nights in a week, well that’s big? When the other players jump in, the race for the consumer share of stomach begins a new and will reach a new level! 

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.

For a state of the art grocerant program review leave a comment or contact Steven Johnson of Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions. . http://www.anything4restaurants.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/restaurant-consumer-discontinuity-the-consumer-moved-first/

Duel focus the new normal.

Nothing is more important than food safety. However time constrained multi-tasking consumers focus on the need for convenience is relentless. Grocerant ready to eat and ready to heat food that is prepped and portable truly hit the mark for the consumer. Eatzi’s Bakery & Market is a perfect example of a company that understands both how to be a successful merchant & retailer.
What does that mean to the consumer to be both a merchant & retailer? In the case of Eatzi’s it means authentic, fresh and individual; all of which are consumer empowering. Whole Foods is doing a good job at bridging the gap with the consumer. Empowering choice of duel Private Label products one packaged the other fresh ready to eat. Quick Chek understands this as well and continues to see success in the form of customer frequency levels.
The new normal is being able to do more than one thing at a time and the ability to do it well. Grocerants are the next level of foodservice! A&;P is on the move and in the right direction. What else can you do that will fit within your organization. The customer is ready for more options, ready to heat & ready to eat are booming. Is your company ready to open up dialogue on the Grocerant niche? 
http://www.foodandbeverageunderground.com/grocerants.html

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.

The answer is Quick Chek

The Grocerant sector is booming with reports of niche consumer acceptance from Maine to California and Florida to Washington State. Rarely does an industry have a fast developing niche that consumers are flocking to that is a platform for higher margins and a driver to increase customer frequency while building customer loyalty. However that is what we are finding in the Grocerant niche. The Grocerant sector filled with ready to eat and ready to heat food continues to flourish. Let me ask a coupe of questions and let’s see if who can get the right answers.

Who has the best vertically integrated marketing program for their ready to eat or ready to heat products, Village Pantry Convenience Stores or Boston Market?

Which company has the highest percent of food sales from the Grocerant sector products per store, Wawa or Safeway’s lifestyle stores? What Convenience store has the best Angus burger?

Did you know that THE NEXT BIG WAVE IS GROCERANTS? If not it may be time for a Foodservice program re-assessment or Grocerant program assessment from Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions. http://www.anything4restaurants.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/restaurant-consumer-discontinuity-the-consumer-moved-first/

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.

Food Success Clues

Twice baked bacon stuffed potatoes, Frappuccino, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Sizzli, Chili Cheese French fries all of these items are signature items at Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores around America. Since 1991 here at Foodservice Solutions we believe that Differentiation dose not mean different in new food product development, it means familiar.

 Consumers young and old are demanding more choice. Today that means they look for the choice in different ways, at different times. Why people eat and when they eat is paramount to where and what they will eat. More and more consumers of all ages are looking for food with fewer calories, less fat or bolder flavors. Positioning consumer friendly options directly for the consumer is always a win-win. How well do you think Ahold USA or Aldi are doing? Highland Park I think they are doing a great job what do you think? Is Cracker Barrel or Loves Travel Stops meeting your expectations?

The Grocerant niche filled with ready to eat or ready to heat portable foods is exciting. Just one of the over lapping hot button trends in this niche is better for you foods. Consumers are utilizing new tools to identify, quantify and qualify where and what they will eat. Where you find quality better for you foods today, Winerschnitzel, Quick Check, Maverik stores or Harris Teeter?

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.

 Send your comments directly to Steve Johnson or post them here. For more on Grocerants the next big wave click this link: http://www.foodandbeverageunderground.com/grocerants.html

Stop stifling food creativity

The quagmire of reality that corporate foodservice menu managers find themselves in to day is stifling. The day to day task required by many chain restaurants, grocery stores, Convenience stores in the foodservice / Grocerant ready to eat or ready to heat sector stifles pro-active development. Each company within the niche seems to impose odd regulations on it’s teams.

 The stated reasons range from; food safety to labor guide lines, food costing goals etc all non consumer focused reasons. No matter what the reason they are self imposed, self regulated, and limiting. Some of the best chains utilize guidelines that are restrictive. They include, Corner Bakery, Wegmans, Sheetz, Central Market, HEB, Publix, Albertson, Boston Market, Starbucks, and A&P.

When equilibrium is reached in the corporate world in the grocerant nice; that means or so I have heard that “marketshare is growing, profit margins are higher than other sectors”. The reaction to that is; STOP, lets saver this and most importantly maintain what we have in niche customer satisfaction levels and profits.

This quagmire of internal regulation stifles creativity, limits growth and reduces the chance of true breakout products within the niche. One company Technomic a highly respected foodservice research firm has insights with their Retailer Meal Solutions Monitor that can assist you to break out of the confines of your day to day routine. Keeping up with the grocerant niche at a minimum or break away and lead the pack, the information is a platform for success. Companies from Brookshire Grocery, Bristol Farms, Lowes Foods, 7 Eleven, Houchens, Kroger and Kwik Trip can gain valuable insights. Steve Johnson and Foodservice Solutions understand this niche better most.

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.

 For more here is link to a recent article written by Mr. Johnson. http://www.anything4restaurants.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/restaurant-consumer-discontinuity-the-consumer-moved-first/

Food Price Portion Product

Might it be restaurateurs have missed something? Could it be that the consumer is shifting spending and consumption habits? As Nielsen’s channel blurring study has stated year after year, channel blurring is not in the mind of the consumer; it is only in the mind of the BRAND MARKETERS! Restaurant brand marketers are more focused on controlling the brand than cultivating it. The food industry PRICE, PORTION, PRODUCT equilibrium is resettling and it is all about share of stomach. Better for you is on its way. That includes less fat in food, less calories and less PRICE!

Menu boards with calories on them are having an affect on consumers if you want a point of a solid point of differentiation; you had better understand that. It is my belief that copy cat niche chains have no marketing differentiation. Restaurants, C-stores and grocery operators are all faced with this new unstable paradigm. Grocery stores and C-stores on the East Coast have repositioned themselves with solid research, new highly educated staffs, and a laser focus on the consumer. Here is how I think they are winning: Packaging, Price, Portion, Portability and Purpose. Targeting the Grocerant consumer and sector!

Many in the food industry are reluctant to spend on research, quick to hire recycled industry vets, and even faster to copy what worked for others during the past 6 months, while looking no further. The Grocerant sector is full of opportunity for manufactures of food, food packaging companies, operators of Restaurants, Supermarkets, Convenience Stores and Dollar stores for new product ideation, positioning opportunities. 

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche providing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat program assessments aka Grocerant Niche assessments. 1-253-759-7869 or linkedin.com/in/grocerant or leave a comment below.