Will decentralization drive growth within the grocery sector?



The grocery sector finds itself in another quagmire of its own making. Driven largely by category managers and number crunchers that leverage the past, not present or future of food retailing, again is not sure what direction it should peruse.

Kroger and Safeway have built a national footprint and have tried to leverage buying power into a branding voice. It has not worked. From Tom Thumb to Fred Meyer both Safeway and Kroger allowed regional brands to remain, diminishing any added brand value halo that may have been developed.

Given the growth within ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food niche combined with the consumer focus on sustainably it just might be best for the grocery sector if regional operating chains/units were spun off and allowed to develop their own identity with relevant consumer messaging.

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