It's sundown for Sun Capiital restaurants.

The retail food consumer is dynamic not static. Grocery stores are providing additional fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat grocerant meal component options weekly. Chain Drug stores are now selling ready-2-eat fresh prepared food and Convenience stores continue up grading fresh and prepared meal offerings.

Successful branded restaurant operators must rapidly readjust menus, locations and points of distribution to reflect the increased in fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat meal competition.  Regular readers of this blog are familiar with our documentation of results of companies that practice brand protectionism over brand evolution.

This fall alone companies the ilk of Sooper Salad, Grandys, Real Mex Restaurants and Friendly’s seem to be caught in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s MBA C-level management mind-set trap of “Do no Harm”, “protect the brand” at all cost. 2011 may not be a good year in economic terms, but you can’t blame the economy for outdated positioning. Utilizing recycled or internal C-Level officers of the same ilk has proven once again to be a costly mistake. The consumer is dynamic not static, the interactive participatory aspects of the grocerant niche is one additional reason the consumer are driving its success.

If success leaves clues one of them is follow the customer as fast as you can.  If you do not, your brand may very well erode its consumer relevance.  Every branded food retailer today must have a vertically integrated multi-channel retail strategy including addressing all points of non-traditional distribution. During the past three years the grocerant niche has expanded and excelled.  Companies and brands that are or have been practicing brand protectionism are losing market share to those practicing brand evolution.

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/grocerant ortwitter.com/grocerant