Any time is Dunkin’ time!



The grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food continues to expand while driving top line sales and bottom line profits. Dunkin’ Donuts is another company expanding day-part sales with new ready-2-eat fresh prepared menu items.

“Dunkin’ Donuts has been busy, with a new snack menu including stuffed breadsticks in cheeseburger or pepperoni-and-cheese flavors, and hot apple pie, as well as limited time offers like the Maple Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich and Sausage Pancake Bits. The 9,805-unit global quick-service chain also rebranded its bagel twists, available now in Cheddar cheese or cinnamon and raisin, to fit with its snack line.”

Success does leave clues and Dunkin Donuts is a company that has done very well the past 7 years picking up the industry success clues and implementing them.

Nigel Travis, Dunkin’ Brands CEO stated “Our strategy of driving comparable-store sales growth in our core U.S. markets, expanding contiguously in the U.S., and driving accelerated international growth across both brands continues to deliver strong results,” ...We're pleased with our momentum, particularly as we head into key beverage and ice cream selling seasons.”

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

5 compelling reasons consumers buy ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food!



Companies that develop a platform that allows meal co-creation; in the car, at the office or at home are winning the heart’s and minds of today’s retail food consumer. The grocerant niche comprised of the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food is driving the success of the retail foodservice today.

1. Visceral presentation; freshness based on how it looks and is presented and digital menu’s.

2. Bundling; the ability to build your meal with components.

3. Individualized portions; power to select quality and quantity of items.

4. Convenience; unit /store location on the drive home from work, packaging.

5. Time Saving; ability to evaluate price vs. time to cook from scratch.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Food product innovation or evolotion?



Can you recall the last food prodcut that was truly innovative? What was it? If your not sure your mostlikely in the same camp that I am. Most new food prodcuts are simple line extensions or same prodcut in a new package. A colleague of mine thinks “that most innovations usually are new applications of previously invented technologies and/or processes. Truly innovative products usually find new ways to use existing inventions to improve experience of people. The confusion arises when practitioners focus on improving products rather than experience with the product, because that is where a difference between “innovation” and incremental “improvement” lives.”

Is your menu / prodcut mix a blend of brand ideation extensions or niche copy-cat prodcuts? Has your brand become static? New food prodcuts must be integrated into a dynamic brand while focusing on the consumer.

Brand managers, that subscribe to a “thought leadership” the brand is (as oppose to “customer participation” the brand will be) model, love to quote Henry Ford who supposedly said – “If I asked my customers what they want, they simply would have said a faster horse.” There is no debate that a motorized carriage was an amazing invention, which by the way was not created by Ford – he innovated scalable assembly line manufacturing, among other processes.

Breakout new products come in many cases from “outside” brands current purview. Not outside of consumers purview. Creating equilibrium between your brand and the consumer is key too a successful launch of new food items. Copy-cat products only produce subminimum results.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® Bing or Google Grocerants or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Amazon Fresh and Wal-Mart begin food turf battle!



The grocerant niche continues to drive top-line growth and bottom line profits within food retailing sector. Two of the world’s largest and most respected companies are now entering direct competition with each other for different reasons.

Two plus years ago Amazon.com launched Amazon Fresh home food delivery. Amazon Fresh stated testing in Seattle, WA and now is operation in both Great Britain and Germany. Amazon with Amazon Fresh may have found the “LAST MILE SOLUTION” that all Etailer’s have been in search of. On the other hand Wal-Mart in a defensive move began a test of home delivery.

Amazon.com has a culture that is “Built to Last” built on an evolution of the retail sector. While Wal-Mart is rooted in a traditional grocery culture; they have utilized technology to outpace the industry in distribution. This trail with on-line delivery will be not different. Wal-Mart will clearly out position Kroger, Safeway and Albertson/Supervalue. Amazon.com and Wal-Mart have seen the future of food retailing and are now in a fight for the consumer to today and tomorrow.

Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price continue to play a leading role in the development of retail food. Wal-Mart and Amazon.com both understand that food delivery is convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Happy Easter



Ready-2-eat grocerant niche food builds on regional sustainability.



Success does leave clues. If ever your wondering what is the next big thing in retail foodservice keep your eye on McDonald’s. We all know that McDonalds is the 30 lb gorilla in the grocerant niche.

We have all hear and learned from McDonalds. When they personalized their positioning “My McDonalds” the consumers responded and sales went up. In this era of sustainability, regionalization decentralization will be key to national chains long term success.

Leading the way again is McDonalds in five Southern California counties McDonalds has added “two new chicken sandwiches to the menu. The bold and spicy additions will be available at locations in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

The new offerings are designed to pack a punch. The Jalapeno Cheddar McChicken features a combination of spicy jalapeno peppers and white cheddar cheese; the Cheddar Onion McChicken sports caramelized onions and white cheddar. Both sandwiches come on toasted buns.”

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Papa Murphy’s take-n-bake is perfectly positioned in the Grocerant niche.



Everyone knows the grocerant niche is booming! Ready-2-eat and Heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food continues to drive the success within the niche across all retail food sectors. With 18% of Americans responding in a recent phone survey that they eat pizza at least once a week, pizza has cache.

In addition the survey found that Take-home pizza comes in as the favorite choice among those polled. Clearly Papa Murphy’s is positioned well. Interesting for the grocerant niche forty three percent of adults who eat pizza said the last time they eat pizza they picked it up to eat at home. Only 15% had it delivered, and 16% ate it at a restaurant.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Consumer Love the “Frozen Food Court”



If success leaves clues and listening is a key to success then we all need to listen when grocery store category managers refer to the freezer aisle turning into the new restaurant "frozen food court".

Channel blurring only exists in the BLIND eye of Neanderthal restaurant brand managers. Today restaurant brand managers must understand their brand and their customers. If they do; they can integrate marketing plans that complement their customers while intersecting with the brand in multiple channels of distribution.

Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Safeway each has incorporated a "frozen food court" in the frozen food aisle. Utilizing both national and regional restaurant branded food. Boston Market, TGI Friday's, PF Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen and now Burger King are the most-thorough players with complete or nearly-complete programs at retail. But many restaurants are either looking at leveraging their brands or are jumping in feet first, including Romano's Macaroni Grill, El Pollo Loco, Captain D's, and O' Charley's, while others are trying it with dipping their toes in, The grocer and the restaurant brands each garner additional top line revenue and bottom line profits.

Repeated evidence shows that the distinction in differentiation is a value of the brand. Leveraging that value within additional retail segments is simply contemporary consumer relevance. Is your brand relevant? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development; we can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities and brand leveraging integration strategy.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Grocerants the confluence of an industry in transition and momentum.



When 4 PM rolls around and time starved consumer are wondering what’s for dinner. Grocerants food provides solutions for the home, the office and on-the-go consumers. The retail foodservice industry has noticed and invited Steven Johnson to speak May 22, 2011 at the National Restaurant Association trade show in Chicago. The “NRA Show” is the second largest trade show in the US. Join him at “The Show” or follow Steven Johnson on Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter.com/grocerant.

The Rise of the Grocerant Niche, learn about it at the NRA Show Sunday May 22, 2011 at 2PM.

Foodservice Solutions® Steven Johnson to speak on a panel in May at the NRA Show on Channel Blurring, his topic is: The rise of the grocerant. The rise of grocerants, c-stores, food trucks and other outlets is giving consumers many new foodservice choices. Moderator Bill Cross, vp restaurant brand licensing, Broad Street Licensing Group, will be joined by Julie Washington, vp & general manager-consumer products, Jamba Juice and retailing expert Steven Johnson, president, Foodservice Solutions® will provide the information you need to win in this quickly changing world.

Steven Johnson has been a restaurant franchisee and concept developer, is globally recognized for his blog “The Grocerant.” An industry expert in alternative channels of food distribution, he is President of Foodservice Solutions® specializing in the “grocerant” niche in both fresh and prepared foods. The “grocerant” concept includes grocery stores offering Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods too convenience stores, restaurants and now even the drug store sector. The foundation of Johnson’s work in the channel are the 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. He holds a Master of Science in Food Marketing with distinction from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business School Honor Society. Johnson has received numerous awards including 3 EMMEY, awarded by 3M for “Outside the box” thinking and team leadership.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Meals vs. Menu’s



Consumers create menu magic everyday. Consumer’s select from restaurant menu’s a mix and match a set of customized options for themselves and for family members. When at a grocery store consumers create home dinning menu’s again with a mix and match set of customized options. Menu planning is nothing new or uncommon for the homemaker.

Grocerant fresh and prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food is now offered at Drug chain stores, chain Restaurants, chain Convenience stores, and Chain grocery stores. Never before has it been easier for the time starved consumer to present a customized, individualized menu for the entire family.

Consumer meal options are not about any one specific niche. Meal options are an integrated part of daily, weekly, and monthly choice. The choice is driven in most cases by day of week, scheduled or unscheduled activity, time allowed, and family ritual.

The grocerant niche is booming across all sectors of retail foodservice. This mix and match of small portion, fresh identity in quality products makes meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

Success does leave clues and Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price continue to drive top line sales and bottom line profits. Need assistance integrating menu items into meals? Contact Steven Johnson below.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Grocerants the What, Why and for Whom.



Grocerants and grocerant food are fast becoming a big niche, driven by consumers! Grocerant food refers to any retail fresh prepared food component that is ready-2-eat or prepared heat-N-eat available in Grocery store, Convenience store, Restaurant, Drug stores, Dollar store, Mobile Truck or Kiosk format.

Grocerants developed as a result in of the blurring of the line between restaurants and grocery stores aimed at the time-starved consumer with ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat prepared food components that can be bundled into a meal. Demand by consumers became visible shortly after Eatzi’s opened in Dallas, Texas and now spanning the country in the likes of Sheetz, Wawa, Boston Market, Marketside, Fresh & Easy, Greenwise, Culinaria, Safeway’s Lifestyle stores and Restaurants with To-Go or Take-Away food.

Globally we are witnessing prepared food sections in department stores, Mobile vans and trucks, shopping malls in Europe and Asia. At airports around the world we see kiosk selling meal components or kits.

Combined the items can range from sauces, entrees to side items, salads, baked goods, pasta, fresh fruit and deserts. Some examples of items range from Mango– curry sauce, fried chicken, lasagna, cream spinach, flat-bread sandwiches, steak, prime rib, various casseroles (hot-dish) to salads, side salads and single proportioned deserts. They can be picked up at the specific unit, or delivered.

The Grocerant sector is utilized by a multi-generationally customer base for varied reasons ranging from ease of cooking time, multi-culture flavor profile with unfamiliar cooking preparation formats, save time, portion size.

The majority of Grocerant shoppers are looking for portions for one or two people, flexibility of components is key i.e. curry sauce may go on pasta, rice or a baked potato; empowering consumer choice. There is a growing focus on “better for you” aspect within the niche. Most interesting is wide swath in which customers refer to “better for you” while shopping in this niche.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Lawson’s Convenience store Mobile success.



Lawson’s brings brand value to those whose lives have been disrupted by natural disasters. However positive brand response could very will lead to a trend in mobile convenience stores.

This could work in other parts of the world as well, particularly with new fresh prepared food and other grocerant niche items. Others describe it this way. “Packed tightly into van proportions the mobile store contains the staples of the everyday convenience store. A nice innovation from Lawson’s, it is equipped with refrigerated units, cooking facilities for the ubiquitous convenience store fried food and even newspaper stands. The mobile store would certainly help to bring a little of normal everyday life to the area. We could actually see this kind of van being popular in the future at festivals and events also, or even in more rural areas where the aging population aren’t as mobile as they used to be.”

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Innovation driving retail foodservice trends in 2011.



Grounded with familiarly yet embedded with technology retail foodservice is evolving with clarity and a keen eye on the consumer. We are now seeing the introduction of Specialty Toast from coast to coast. There is toast with expanded flavor profiles for different day parts and those with a better for you ingredient components. In addition we are seeing the same with Hot Dogs. Yes, new flavors and many with a better for ingredients. Both toast and hot dogs are now found with a “sustainable or humane” component as well.

Operators are also utilizing the new technology to open more and more vent less kitchens, reducing build out cost and space requirements. Chain operators are installing LED florescent flash board menus. These save electricity while providing a platform for great visceral product presentation. Leveraging technology for improved consumer experience is the proper leverage for operational efficiencies.

Concept authenticity can be enhanced with the proper mix of consumer relevant new products and contemporize visceral brand presentation.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Foodservice is more than a sandwiches or a burger.



During the past 4 decades hamburgers drove sales and propelled the overall restaurant industry. Without a doubt the hamburger is now globally recognized as a penultimate American food. It is ready-2-eat, hand held and prepared to eat on the run; convenient, simple and affordable. Unfortunately the restaurant industry is showing a lack of innovation in new outlets or food products.

Might we have seen the tipping point now that, Bobby Flay, Emeril Legasse each have opened new gourmet burger restaurants. We have Wendy’s, McDonalds, Burger King, Sonic, In-N-Out Burger, and fast growing Fatburger, Smashburger and Five Guys with over 460 units opened or signed.

Simple and affordable is also arriving at C-stores, Grocery stores, Supermarkets in the form of Grocerant prepared ready-2-eat and r heat-N-eat single and two person meals or meal components. The attraction here is it’s more than a “burger” the segment is filled with flavors from Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Japanese’s, and American fare.

The grocerant sector is about more choice for the consumer with items portioned for 1 or 2 people infused with traditional flavors known around the world which bring an added simplicity in serving. The innovation is in choice with items that range from: Fired Chicken, Asian Cappellini, Spaghetti & Meatballs to Chicken Pad Thai Noodle or a Reuben Chicken Breast.

While the sandwich sector and hamburgers may rule the day in the Restaurant industry, consumers are finding flavor, choice and portability options in the grocerant sector of Convenience stores, Supermarkets, Mobile Trucks, Grocery Stores and Take-Away foods from restaurants.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Burger Kings consternation; consumer discontinuity



When consumer value food attributes change, brand protectionism must be dropped. National restaurant chains executives coddle a brands image. In an effort to “do no harm” protecting the brand becomes more important that letting the brand live.

In a world where information is exchanged in micro-sound bits, and mille-seconds national restaurant brands must accelerant the consumer relevance of the brand via LTO’s that are ground breaking while brand extending.

Building a successful consumer retail food brand today must included an interactive participatory consumer focus utilizing all aspects of your menu while leveraging technology within your operational strengths. Cultivating a brand is more important that managing a brand. Brands are dynamic not static, they develop and grow with the consumer. Identifying distinctive differentiated programs, positioning and consumable’s by day part that reflect the legacy of the brand, current industry trends, and contemporized consumer preferences.

Burger Kings consumer consternation is a direct result of brand protectionism. Simply put looking backward rather than looking forward. How McDonalds, cooks, wraps, serves and presents it food could not even be imagined 20 years ago. Moving a brand forward must be a vertically integrated process. It can’t be a single new process or new ad campaign.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Consumers drive foodservice sales while changing value metrics.



Legacy food retailers driven by outdated metric’s just may be unwitting market share capitulators. The consumer is redefining value at home, in restaurants including where they buy food. One needs only to look that the prepared fresh food area expanding in grocery stores and convenience stores.

Once called the deli now called the grocerant section, meal solutions, quick fix’s or ready-2-eat sections. Company after company is expanding, enlarging and repositioning this booming niche to accommodate the demand for increased options for the consumer.

Super Max is one food retailer that has done and outstanding job with both the breakfast daypart and lunch daypart. Safeway’s lifestyle stores are building on the lunch daypart and doing great things in the PM or dinner daypart. What are some of the new values driving consumers in the grocerant niche:

1. Ready-to-eat

2. Fresh, local better for you

3. Portion size options, single serve

4. Multiple choice of sides and entree per day

5. Portability

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Regional Food Manufactures creating an opportunity from quagmire.



Trapped in the demand cycle of legacy clients wanting traditional products and innovative industry leaders building customer frequency with grocerant fresh prepared food that is Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat and portable. Regional prepared sustainable food manufactures appear to be capturing market share.

Foodservice retailers are entering the grocerant prepared food niche at break-neck speed. Recently Walgreens announced they too were entering the prepared food niche. Regional manufactures seem to be garnering business from legacy manufactures the likes of Sara Lee The opportunity for growth on a regional level with Walgreens and 7 Eleven are growing stronger week by week..

The confluence of events stirring retail foodservice consumer discontinuity is well under way. These events may be blurring the traditional lines between retail foodservice niche players, but not the line to the consumer.

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. Creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part is what is needed now. Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places me and Foodservice Solutions® in a select industry grouping.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

The Rise of the Grocerant Niche, learn about it at the NRA Show Sunday May 22 2PM.



Foodservice Solutions® Steven Johnson to speak on a panel in May at the NRA Show on Channel Blurring, his topic is: The rise of the grocerant. The rise of grocerants, c-stores, food trucks and other outlets is giving consumers many new foodservice choices. Moderator Bill Cross, vp restaurant brand licensing, Broad Street Licensing Group, will be joined by Julie Washington, vp & general manager-consumer products, Jamba Juice and retailing expert Steven Johnson, president, Foodservice Solutions will provide the information you need to win in this quickly changing world.

Steven Johnson has been a restaurant franchisee and concept developer, is globally recognized for his blog “The Grocerant.” An industry expert in alternative channels of food distribution, he is President of Foodservice Solutions® specializing in the “grocerant” niche in both fresh and prepared foods. The “grocerant” concept includes grocery stores offering Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods too convenience stores, restaurants and now even the drug store sector. The foundation of Johnson’s work in the channel are the 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. He holds a Master of Science in Food Marketing with distinction from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business School Honor Society. Johnson has received numerous awards including 3 EMMEY, awarded by 3M for “Outside the box” thinking and team leadership.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Amazon Fresh is elevating food sales and delivery on a global platform.



At one time many on Wall Street scoffed that Amazon would ever be a serious threat to retailing. Today they continue leading while evolving retailing. Five years ago they began sell fresh food in the Seattle Metro area. They have since expanded retail food sales and deliver in Great Britain and in Germany. Now the world is watching. Wal-Mart the world’s largest retailer is considering a new test of delivery in Southern California. Has Amazon found the “last mile solution”?

Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; play a key role on how food will be sold, packaged and delivered. When Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is thrown into the mix, consumer frequency and customer loyalty will both increase.

Meijer has an online grocery service, called ‘MeijerDoorstepGrocer.com’ is the retailer's first effort to sell non-bulk groceries online and is also the retailer's first foray into international online sales. This is a very important step for its e-commerce operations.

Fresh Direct started off in New York City about six years ago and is growing and profitable. Publix recently tested a new service for curbside delivery of customer groceries and have found the test, originally scheduled to be a year long, to be very successful in just a few short months of testing. Safeway and Albertsons both have delivery service but allot very little C-level interest in this burgeoning sector.

Online and internet shopping represents one of if not the fast growing sectors within the global food and grocery market at present, particularly across the more developed parts of the world. The grocerant niche continues to develop across the globe and Amazon my care out a leading position.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Take Away, Grab-and-Go food is convenient meal planning!



Grocerant niche food is prepared ready-2 -eat including heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. It can be sous vide /cook chill or frozen. It must have the ability to be portable however. It can be eaten on-site, in the car, at the office or down the road at the park. At times it is reheated; it is focused on single serve portions or portions for two.

One of the most interesting new developments is bundling of the meal components. It’s a mix and mach game that is very empowering for the consumer. Consumer’s can buy a fresh prepared sauce, and utilize it on fish, steak, chicken, a burritos or pasta. Two people in a home may use the same sauce on two different entrees! The same can be said for each course of the meal. This mix and match of small portion, fresh identity in quality products makes meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

What is the most exciting are the new points of distribution of quality ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. In Asia Convenience stores assemble meals on site and many get delivery of fresh food three times a day; focused on the next meal period. With this focus on freshness and quality consumers are paying respect by spending more and more money on food at C-stores.

Department stores are a source for grocerant food in Asia and Europe. Where outstanding displays of quality prepped, prepared and packaged. In the US you can now find fresh prepared grocerant niche food in most urban chain Drug stores.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

The new normal in retail foodservice is meal components.



When 4 PM roll’s around, time constrained multi-tasking consumers focus on the need for convenience is relentlessly the new normal. Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food that is prepped, portable presented as mix and match meal components continues to be what is hitting the mark for the consumer within retail foodservice.

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 better for you private label products, and fresh prepared ready-2-eat better for your food. Quick Chek understands this as well and continues to see success in the form of customer frequency levels increasing.

The new normal is being able to position your product as incremental important meal component. Grocerants are the next level of foodservice. When 4 PM rolls around are you still in the selling ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat food game?

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Convenience Store sector breaks out while leading all retail foodservice growth.

The grocerant niche filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food continues to drive growth in all retail foodservice sectors. Surprising too many but not to us here at Foodservice Solutions® the C-store sector is projected to grow again this year an additional 4.1 percent. When you combine the previous two years growth rate the C-store sector at the top of the retail foodservice growth charts for the past three years. Success does leave clues and it’s obvious the C-stores have picked them up.

The C-store sector has been overlooked by most food retailers as a true competitor. The consumers have driven top line sales at the sectors leaders, Sheetz, Wawa, QuickChek, Rutters on the back of fresh food sales.

Consumers drive change and industry historians / research document that change and report it later. Long understood as the ultimate destination for convenience, the introduction and rapid adoption of quality fresh food has leveled the competitive landscape in the minds eye of the consumer.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy 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, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson