Who is eating your lunch, Grocery stores, Convenience Stores or Restaurants?



Grocerant niche players within each sector are eating lunch. Repositioned grocerant retail foodservice operators are eating the lunch of legacy retail foodservice operators in multiple niches expanding their customer base. Foodservice retailers its time you EAT YOUR OWN LUCH before someone else does it for you.

The lesson is not a new one, but apparently needs to be re-taught to most restaurateurs, traditional grocery stores and a few convenience stores operators. Overall however the C-store sector is up this year 7 %, not bad while our economy continues to stumble. Grocerant fresh prepared ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food has been good for the repositioned companies in each niche and consumers.

Hedge funds have noticed the number of industry bankruptcies store closings and companies whose sales continue to slide in a downward direction and are getting nervous. The retail foodservice service customer is dynamic not static, your concept positioning must be the north-star from which all decisions flow, and they should flow with the consumer.

The on-going success of any retail foodservice concept comes from following the four steps listed below in the right order. It is important to EAT YOUR OWN LUNCH using these steps.

1. Concept positioning based upon an understanding of the customer today and looking a customer ahead not at the customer of the past.

2. Leverage the unit economics to capitalize on the positioning with ongoing integrated technology upgrades.

3. Establish solid Financial metric’s generated $2 in sales for every $1 of investment.

4. Grow the concept only when that does not jeopardize step 1 or 2 or 3.

Outside eyes can deliver top line insights 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