Shifting power within food retailing creating redistribution of Share of Stomach.

The grocerant niche is a food focused platform for consumer meal customization. Filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food.  It’s the solution that is evolving across many retail food platforms empowering the consumer, simplifying the meal process while saving time starved consumer both time and money. Chain Restaurants, Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores and Chain Drug Stores are all offering meal component options.

Consumers are responding positively, one of the most successful elements is bundling of the meal components with a “better for you” focus.  It’s a mix and mach game that is very empowering for the consumer.  Consumer’s select by meal occasion what “better for you” attribute they want.  It can be fresh hamburger, low salt, cooked to order, or green packaging.

Don’t discount the value of consumer choice or limit the world of “better for you”.  Mix and match of small portion, fresh products, green packaging is making meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization. The meal component can come from a restaurant, drug store, grocery store or convenience store.

Today you can find retail foodservice outlets that don’t offer seated dining rather they utilize call ahead and take-away or delivery only business template blending the benefits of different segments. In fact, according to a 2011 survey done by the National Restaurant Association, nearly half (47 percent) of adults said they would be likely to use a home delivery option if it was offered by a full-service restaurant.

In the same survey, more than one-third of adults (37 percent) agreed that purchasing meals from restaurants, take-out and delivery places make them more productive in their day-to-day lives. The grocerant niche is consumer driven and garnering share of stomach from legacy retailers.                                                      

Simply look at the retail foodservice growth and sales leaders of today. Trader Joe’s, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 7 Eleven are all growth leaders.  Trader Joe’s leads in sales per square foot at over $1,750 per Sq Ft. Chipotle, Five Guys and 7 Eleven are all growing units and garnering share of stomach from everyone else.  All are members of the grocerant niche.   

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in global outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant

Fred Meyer is evolving with Ready-2-Eat food price value relationship 2012.

Successful retail food operators must leverage the 5 P’s of food marketing to build strong sales in 2012.  Integrating a ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant niche food program filled with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by day part is a formula for retail success in 2012. Kroger’s Fred Meyer is integrating ready-2-eat Mix and March meal components as a focal point in weekly marketing.  Kroger is leveraging the 5P’s of food marketing with compelling family price points garnering consumers attention while building ready-2-eat market share.

Here is one example, of my formula for establishing customer focused price in 2012:

Price + Quality + Service + Portability = Value

Incremental Value = Constantly Changing Menu (Seasonally / Sustainability with creditability).

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits.  Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Farm 2 Table food that is “better for you” and ready-2-eat.

Independent restaurants are buying local ingredients to re-position themselves as fresher, local and “better for you”.   From farm fresh eggs, fresh berries, and local beef independent restaurants are stepping out local to stand out.  This is part of the “farm to table” movement that is picking up steam and moving from Maine to California and Florida to Washington.  Joanne Camas  recently identified her top 10 farm to table restaurants.  Here they are:

1.       The Lodge at Torrey Pines, 11480 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA (858-777-6635)

2.       Manresa 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos, CA (408-354-4330)

3.       Trellis 220 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, WA (425-284-5900)

4.       Montagna at little Nell 675 E. Durant Ave., Aspen, CO (970-920-4600)

5.       Woodfire Grill1782 Cheshire Bridge Rd., Atlanta, GA (404-347-9055)

6.       Cinque  36 Wharf St. Portland, ME (207-347-6154)

7.       North Pond  2610 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL (773-477-5845)

8.       Poppy Hill Tuscan Café 1000 Charles St., Fredericksburg, VA (540-373-2035

9.       Tupelo Honey Café 12 College St., Asheville, NC (828-255-4863)

10.    Chester Creek Café 1902 E. 8th St., Duluth, MN (218-724-6811)

Success does leave clues and these 10 restaurants will provide you plenty to ponder.  The ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food niche continues to expand. 

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

The NPD Group found Younger consumer say Less Scotch More Water at Restaurants.

In a study by The NPD Group on alcoholic beverages they found that “Only 36% of consumers ordered alcohol in casual and fine dining restaurants in the past three months, and alcoholic beverage sales in restaurants were down 1% for the year ending in November.…Most of the beverage alcohol servings losses came from younger consumers, ages 21 to 34, while those 35 and older increased their orders of alcoholic beverages. 

In a separate study The NPD Group found “Over the past five years, tap water has been one of the fastest growing beverages in American restaurants, representing 10% of the 50 billion beverage servings ordered In the last two years, tap water orders have increased 3.2%, and those for sodas, coffee and other beverages have dropped 3.6%.” 

Tap water is perceived as “better for you” by consumers.  Why pay for what most give away?  We know how to get consumers to pay for your “Tap” water.  Foodservice Solutions® clients have the ability to leverage our knowledge skill set has kept us at the top of the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food grocerant consulting since 1991.  Contact: grocerant@q.com for client services.  

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in global outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

George Bernard Shaw said “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” Grocery Stores, Convenience stores and Supermarkets have upped the quality of fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food.  The stated goal is to compete with restaurant quality food products.  Central Market, Whole foods and Wegmans are doing an outstanding job and obtaining customers reviews at times higher than many restaurant chains.  Albertsons and Safeway are vastly improving in quality and pushing price points that draw customers back for more. Wawa and Sheetz are exceeding all industry standards for fresh food success.

The deep discounts that chain restaurants have been offering to lure cash-strapped customers out of their kitchens may coming back to bite them. There focus has gone from “quality” food to food price focused. Restaurant chains ranging from Denny's to Applebee's this year have been giving away food in special promotions or special offering deals to boost customer frequency.  Subway and Pizza Hut have been emphasizing price points rather than food. 

Grocerant ready-2- eat and heat-N-eat food must first be “better for you”, Second better than one can make at home and third be portable in consumer friendly packaging.  George Bernard Shaw said, “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”  There is no greater gift that customer’s that love your food, your brand and your service. What are your customers buying and from whom? Just how is your food stacking up?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Private Label Brand Managers garnering increased share of stomach.

Private Label food is transitioning from price, then quality too branded private label all the while garnering share from legacy food brand manufactures.  Now there are even private label brand managers for fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food.  Legacy CPG’s companies are capitulating share to both in store fresh food and private label store branded products.

Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores, Supermarkets can benefit greatly by branding and building their private label ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food.   The Nielsen Company CEO David Calhoun when asked about the growth of private label or store brands, “Calhoun observed that retailer brands will continue to gain at the expense of secondary and smaller brands. "U.S. retailers are still in catch up mode toward world class brand strength," said Calhoun, who added retailers’ move into store brands is "not a zero-sum game. It’s a partnership to fulfill consumer needs."  He said that  2 years ago.

Have times changed legacy CPG companies have lost the pricing edge, quality advantage and in-store positioning advantage they once wheeled.  Wegmans, 7 Eleven, Central Market, Whole Foods, Wawa, Sheetz all have branded managers that excel at creating ilk niche products. Many are creating new fresh and prepared meal components as an entity with identity by day part which was once the top line growth space for CPG manufactures.  Yes, innovation has moved back to companies and away from legacy CPG manufactures. Are your legacy brands looking for new points of distribution?  We know where they are.

Creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in an area Foodservice Solutions excels at.  Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places us 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.  Are you looking for a competitive edge?  Contact: www.grocerant@q.com

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

7 Eleven from Slurpee® and Big Bite® to fresh ready-2-eat sandwiches, salads and hot wings.

While the roller grill played an important role in helping 7 Eleven grow to become the worlds  largest convenience store chain with 44,700 stores in 16 countries, of which more than 9,100 are in North America.  Now 7 Eleven is the of the fastest growing fresh food retailer in the US. In time it will be by by roller grill.

Well known for the Big Gulp® fountain soft drink, Big Bite® grill items, the Slurpee® beverage and its fresh-brewed coffee, 7-Eleven’s food service offerings bring guests a proprietary branded line of prepared-fresh-ready-2eat  delivered deli sandwiches, wraps, breakfast sandwiches and a wide assortment fruits, salads and baked goods. These ready-2-eat fresh prepared new foods are driving top line growth.  In fact many of the new 7 Elevens that are now opening up do not sell gas.  They sell 7 Eleven branded food and beverages that are fresh food fast. 

Leveraging the 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price, 7 Eleven has built incremental brand and consumer value around ready-2-eat fresh and prepared food. Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of food marketing have provided success steps for many global firms.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.