Domino’s continues getting better for the consumer this time Gluten Free.

Opening the world of Pizza to consumers with gluten allergies Domino’s continues getting better for the consumer.  Domino’s has tested a Gluten-free pizza crust in New Zealand and Australia since 2009 however the product was not fully gluten-free. With a newer product and taste and texture refined Domino’s is now rolling out its gluten-free pizza.

The pizza industry leadership has shifted many times over the past 30 years and without doubt Dominos is the clear leader once again.  When it comes to ready-2-eat pizza Domino’s remake of its original pizza products prove it could and would do what other within the industry would not dare.  If fact that move was industry leading for all sectors of the restaurant industry.

The Artesian pizza line has provided quality credibility with authenticity for the consumer.  With each new menu addition or menu make over Domino’s reinforced to the consumer that there are getting better and better for you (consumer).  Success leaves clues and Domino’s is leading with bold consumer focused products.  

Gluten free pizza is an example how Domino’s is focused on the customer, pushing the limits and the pizza sector to keep up.  Head held food for immediate consumption continues to drive top line sales in retail food service. Watch for shifting market share within the pizza sector this year.  Don’t be surprised it Domino’s garners larger piece of the pie.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Shifting food consumers are resetting the price + value + service equilibrium.

The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores.  The wildly successful Subway $5.00 foot-long stated it.  The QSR value focused $1.00 menu propelled it and now the $10.00 Pizza may have signaled the bottom.  While it took the $10.00 pizza to drive customers back into the pizza sector it is the $10.00 bundled meal price point that is garnering customers for restaurants.

Enter the grocerant niche with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. Consumers are looking for new products, packaging and time saving options, retail drug stores, grocery stores and convenience stores have provided a new set of choices.  Consumers are attracted to the grocerant niche by the fresh prepared focus, price points and bundled meal components.  Which provide a strong margin for increased profitability while building consumer frequency and loyalty for the retailer?

All retail food sectors have noticed a discontinuity in consumer food shopping behavior and all are fighting for share of stomach.   Contributing to this displacement is the focus by on short term market metrics particularly price and away from the consumer.  This in turn has caused a loss is consumer traffic at some chain restaurants.  There are attributes that are much more important to the consumers that all food retailers should be paying attention too.  Success does leave clues; we have picked them up and can assist you edifying your brand.  Are you ready to move with the consumer too success?

Join me here on my blog for insights, information and inspiration.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more visit: twitter.com/grocerant, http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerantor on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Meal components prepared fresh bundled and portable make a family meal, a happy meal.

Alice May Brock said: “Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian, wine and tarragon make it French, sour cream makes it Russian, lemon and cinnamon make it Greek, soy sauce makes it Chinese, garlic makes it good.”

Convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization; are each hallmarks of the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared grocerant niche.

Meal components allow customers to select from Italian, American, French, Russian or Greek and utilize the components at home any way they like.  The new American meal can be a composite of any prepared food components that the individual may want and they can mix and pair them any way as well.  The United States is a melting pot of people from all over the world, with different cultures, traditions and flavor preferences.  The new American meal is a melting pot of flavor and choice.  Meal components that can be mix and matched.

Fresh prepared and portable ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat foods are now available for all comers and can be found at Convenience stores, Drug stores, Grocery stores, Restaurants, Mobile trucks all just waiting for the taking.

Consumers have been exposed to a plethora of flavors and have not the time to master the skill of cooking each.  This growing trend is empowering the consumer to establish new customs and traditions in eating better, more flavorful food.  The Grocerant niche is about convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in consulting within the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions on AOL search Grocerant, at ASK.COM search grocerant or visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson or BING / GOOGLE: Steven Johnson Grocerants

McDonald’s is utilizing its global marketing tool kit repository for US success.

Building top line sales and bottom line profits around the globe is something McDonalds is very good at.  Leveraging McDonalds brand messaging while integrating country by country menu customization continues to be a success clue for McDonalds as they expand into new countries and build out those they are currently operating in.

Finding continued success in the ready-2-eat fresh prepared food niche McDonalds has recently announced that they will utilize what they have learned around the world with fresh prepared better for you food products and incorporate those lessons into new limited time menu offerings (LTO’s) in the United States. 

There is not a food company in the market place that vertically integrates Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price better than McDonalds.  The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting and McDonalds will utilize LTO’s to drive a better for you freshness messaging to consumers edifying the brand while reinforcing consumer relevance.

Variety is one thing that is overflowing in McDonalds marketing tool kit repository.  Two of the first LTO’s in the United States this spring and summer will be a blueberry banana nut oatmeal and an iced drink called Cherry Berry Chiller. Don’t think that’s all that’s up there sleeve.

Here is a sample of what is currently offered somewhere in the world from McDonalds. In Germany you can find cold beer in most McDonalds. Canada, has a lobster dinner with the McLobster lobster roll. In Norway, they have the McLaks, a sandwich made of grilled salmon and dill sauce. In Hong Kong,  Rice Burgers, where the burgers are in between, not burger buns, but two patties of glutinous rice.

Long ago McDonalds abandoned brand protectionism for global success.  When it comes to creating menu magic don’t think McDonalds can’t get fresh with its menu.  The United States is a melting pot and McDonalds has a pot brewing with menu magic written all over it.

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.

Fresh prepared ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat food is booming.

Are you interested in entering the fastest growing retail food niche?  McDonalds, Burger King excel at ready-2-eat bundled meals.  Whole Foods reported great numbers driven by both fresh ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food.  P.F. Chang’s sold 100M in heat-N-eat meal kits within the retail sector during its very first year at retail.  The retail landscape is dynamic not static.  Are your food products  positioned for ongoing success?  If so you must be in the grocerant niche.

Fresh prepared meals and meal components simply make consumers life simpler.  With 50% of Americans over the age of 18 single the opportunity in this sector is great and growing.  A new report from Canadean (canadean.com) provides a clear view of market segmentation and key drivers to garner influence with each segment.  Here is a sample of the highlights:

1. Private labels record the highest penetration in the Meal Kit’s product category, which is also the least valuable in the Prepared Meals market currently.
2. Approximately 40% of the value of the US Prepared Meals market is accounted for by consumers in the Time Rich busy lives group. 
3. Older Consumers have a 23% share of the total Prepared Meals market in US. This is a direct result of their sheer numbers, with the age group accounting for 25% of the total population. Slightly below average consumption by this age group indicates that it still had potential to grow.  

Time starved consumer that are single (50% of the population over the age of 18)continue looking for options within the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food niche. Are you moving your brand from frozen to fresh?  Are you prepared to move your fresh product into non-traditional channels?

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

5 Reasons Darden should buy P.F. Chang’s.

Darden has spent much of the past five years building and edifying a portfolio of brands that can help it remain the largest full-service restaurant brand in the United Sates.  While the economy and the consumer struggle and are moving on respectively. Darden finds itself with two brand niche leaders and five regional brands each with synergies yet no chopsticks.   Here are my 5 reasons Darden should buy P.F. Chang’s:

  

1. Authenticity, Darden brands strive to have authentic identity and a true consistent brand message.  They are and so is P.F. Chang’s.
2. Complementary Leadership styles, both teams proven, both with outstanding education and hands on proven ability.
3. Small Store format, P.F. Chang’s has a growing small quick service format that could be a template for other Darden legacy brands.
4. $300 Million supply chain, Darden farm to fork seafood supply chain would have an additional avenue of product distribution with and edifying home office in Malaysia, authenticity built in.
5. $100 Million retail product line, P.F. Chang’s product launch last year into retail grossed $100M the first year.  That knowledge skill set could well be worth its weight in gold too Darden.

 Darden's existing portfolio of brands include: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V’s.  P.F.Chang’s is a brand niche leader and would fit well into the Darden portfolio.  The opportunity to mix and match branded concepts while selling global regional development agreements can only be enhanced with the inclusion of P.F. Chang’s.  Most important P.F. Chang’s has CHOPSTICKS!

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking. Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

The frozen “Food Court” extending restaurants brand.

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 chain brand managers. Today restaurant brand managers must understand their brand and their customers. If they do they can integrate marketing plans that complement their consumer’s food consumptions footprint while positioning 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,  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, O'Charley's, while others are like Darden trying it by just dipping their toes in. The grocery store and the restaurant brand all garner additional top line revenue and bottom line profits leveraging branded products.

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? Restaurant consumers are dynamic not static, leveraging new channels of distribution works wonders.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.