The NPD Group Edifies Grocerant Niche Growth

The NPD Group Edifies Grocerant Niche Growth

When Harry Balzar, Vice President of The NPD Group released the 29^thannual Eating Patterns in America one thing was painfully clear.  First, the retail food sector is not evolving as fast as consumers. Second, a new retail food model continues to unfold, (direct to consumers). Third, consumers don’t want to cook from scratch or do dishes.

One of the highlights of the 2014 Eating Patterns in America report that was most telling was “Americans purchased 191 meals per person for the year ending August 2014 from restaurants, that is the slowest past of eating out since 1993.” 

Balzar stated that “We are eating more meals in our homes, but not cooking more dishes”.  Regular readers of this blog (including many from NPD, Technomic, Hartman Group) know Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meal components are filling the void at home. 

In fact Balzar noted “Americans are sourcing more meals from home they have in years.” But what about those meals? Where are they coming from? Not traditional grocery stores only, more and more are coming from retail drug stores the ilk of Walgreens, C-stores the ilk of Sheetz, Rutter’s, and Casey’s General Store.

We know those meals are not cooked from scratch.  Here is the change direct to consumer is the new meal model including companies the ilk of Betty Crocker, Hello Fresh, Plated, Munchery, and Whole Foods that offer online ordering and or event catering.  

One of the key driving forces behind the fast evolving retail food space has been documented by Foodservice Solutions® team as The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome.  Our Grocerant Guru™ track metrics that are consumer relevant, as the consumer evolves so do the metrics. Are you Looking a Customer Ahead?

Success does leave clues expanding your brand into the grocerant niche is a clue for success.